The inaugural Singapore International Photography Festival is on. It is a huge photography festival with lots of engaging photography on display. Most of the work falls into the category of art and/or conceptual photography. I think the scale and the type of work on display really challenges the relatively 'commercial' photography favoured in Singapore.
I took the opportunity to get my portfolio reviewed by curators and gallery owners from all over the world. And I think it has confirmed what I feel about my work right now. I presented two portfolios. One of my dance photographs and the other of my Tuscan portraits.
I think that the general consensus is that I can take a photograph. My work, even my Tuscan portraits are too commercial. There is not enough of my personality in my work. I also explained my idea of stopping my corporate photography at the end of the year and focusing on finding a more personal subject and most of the reviewers thought that it was a good idea. One thing though, a couple of the reviewers found nothing wrong with the 'beauty' of my dance photographs. They told me not to abandon beauty simply because other people do not like it.
I think that it is clear for me that my way forward is to leave the past behind, at least for now. I need to rediscover myself and my rationale for making images. And with the world economy in recession for the forseeable future, I know that putting my time and effort into personal development will bring me much more than trying to develop business.
Once again, I find myself at the beginning of a large and uncertain adventure. And like all big adventures, the risk are great and so are the rewards. But as I think that life is a journey, not a destination, simply taking the journey is reward in itself.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment