Brooks Jensen E-consultations

I'm sure many of you know Brooks and his wonderful magazine Lenswork. I received a noticed that he is doing online e-Consultations of your portfolio.
I am a little intrigued by this and maybe will invest. But, I would like your thoughts as well before I crack open my wife's version of Jack Benny's bank vault.
Here is a link, Dead Link Removed
Have any of you taken this program from Brooks? If so did it seem worth while? Did you learn anything about yourself or your photography?
I have share my work here, on other sites, with photography groups and with friends and family. I get the usual response. I would like to see if I can get a more focused analyst and maybe this way will be worth the funds.
What do you think?

No, I don't think these are worth it. In reality, who cares what he thinks, it's your work. You must have the confidence to keep your head down and do good work. Do the work you are called to do, be self critical, don't fool yourself. There are enough examples of good work in concept and in the realization (printing) in books and museums to keep you on track, or to march off to your own drummer. Have confidence, be strong and good luck.

I think you are probably the only one who can answer that question. If there are some topics on his list that you would like a bit of advice regarding, then the price is probably worth it. I have been a subscriber to LensWork for some time now and there is no doubt that he has a good eye for finely crafted, black and white art.

I think it may even be worth your time if you are currently in a low point and are struggling a bit with how to move through it. If he functions as a bit of a mentor at this point in your career there is certainly no harm in that.

Like I said, you really are the only one who can answer whether or not it will be useful to you. Some people work best on their own, putting their head down and pressing ahead themselves, finding their own way. Others find the occasional advice of a mentor to be a necessary part of their personal development. A lot of this is understanding your own needs and then doing those things that honestly help you personally. Unless we knew you very, very well, I am not sure we can help all that much.

Good luck, whichever route you take, and enjoy the trip.

PVia said:

No, I don't think these are worth it. In reality, who cares what he thinks, it's your work. You must have the confidence to keep your head down and do good work. Do the work you are called to do, be self critical, don't fool yourself. There are enough examples of good work in concept and in the realization (printing) in books and museums to keep you on track, or to march off to your own drummer. Have confidence, be strong and good luck.

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+1

Wow, I think it's a bargain.

Thank you for your thoughts and comments. I completely understand the who cares, go to the beat of your own drum. Mine is a rhythm of a viking ship sometimes.
But, I remember the days when I was just learning photography. I had one teacher who really inspired me to see. He wrote very encouraging thoughts on the back of my prints. Not just burn this or dodge that. He would say, "Go the museum or borrow this book from the library and look at this artist or this photographer. Look how he used light. How the composition is. Now go and try to do something like that but don't copy it!"
I do follow my own drum. I would like to know if I'm off beat. Maybe Brooks or someone else can tell me if I am. I'm still on the fence but who knows?

Robert Brummitt said:

Thank you for your thoughts and comments. I completely understand the who cares, go to the beat of your own drum. Mine is a rhythm of a viking ship sometimes.
But, I remember the days when I was just learning photography. I had one teacher who really inspired me to see. He wrote very encouraging thoughts on the back of my prints. Not just burn this or dodge that. He would say, "Go the museum or borrow this book from the library and look at this artist or this photographer. Look how he used light. How the composition is. Now go and try to do something like that but don't copy it!"
I do follow my own drum. I would like to know if I'm off beat. Maybe Brooks or someone else can tell me if I am. I'm still on the fence but who knows?

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+1

Most of us would benefit greatly from the experience and eye of a good editor. A good editor is unencumbered by our psychological and emotional hangups and can oftentimes see more deeply into our work, see the perturbations in its flow and help us to focus on the aspects we truly love and cast aside that which distracts us from our true vision.

Perhaps deep down one is a pictorialist at heart, but has an unrecognized and conflicting hangup about a need for critically sharp lenses. Or perhaps one attempts to shoot "fine art" as a pictorialist but his or her heart is really looking toward a more documentary vision, but thinks thats not "art" per se, or whatever. Frequently they are able to see more deeply into our work and their education and experience can help us become more clear on what moves us.

edit: If I had a reasonable body of work I would jump on this before the price increases or the offer is rescinded. But I am just really starting to shoot film and am still getting a feel for the equipment and my interests.