And that, boys, is how it's done

Unfortunately for me, being a practicing artist doesn't pay the bills. So to get by I have a job in retail as well. I do actually enjoy it, so I guess that makes it all ok.
But, every shift I work I get hit on, asked out, or "pet-named". It's something I have to deal with all the time as a woman. Sometimes it's sweet, I get made to laugh, I am classily handed a business card with a number, but other times it's quite degrading and demanding and rather misogynistic.
Today, however, a true gentleman walked into my shop, and I feel it's worth sharing.
I was sitting behind the counter, reading my book, as is actually part of my job, and I was quietly approached by a man with a friendly smile and two large coffees.
"So I have two coffees, and I was wondering if you might like one,' he said to me.
"Really?"
"Yes really, for you, if you want it," he replied.
"Thank you," I returned with true sincerity.
He returned my smile with warmth, and wandered around the store, bought an item, wished me a good afternoon and left.
There was no smut, there was no assumptions, there was no pressure, and was not very long. And it made me feel lovely. Now that it was it supposed to happen.
Now if only it was Elijah Wood or Tom Hiddleston doing that in my store...

still alive...just

I would like to start with an observation... my hair smells nice =P lol

and here's some new work for you.
I also hae been involved in some shows in LA, and the center for digitial art, which is what the images of art work on the wall are from lol.

enjoy

The nusance of a pet peeve

As an artist, I create art works. As a portrait artist I make works about people.
As photography is my chosen medium, I take photographs of people.

But, over the past few months I have truly discovered the ignorance of people, who, unbeknownst to them, don’t understand what fine art photography is all about.
If you get a painting, the person who modelled for it will exclaim, “What’s-his-name did a good job painting me.”
If you get a sculpture, the person who modelled for it will say, “So-and-so did a fabulous job, I’m proud to have been involved.”
If you get a drawing, the person modelling for it will declare, “The way the artist can capture me with a pencil is astounding.”

But with a photographer, they get from the model, “That’s my face.”

Well, I hate to burst your bubbles, but if it is a fine art photograph, then it has nothing to do with you. This is becoming a pet peeve of mine, and I think it about time I addressed it.
You’re probably thinking that sounds selfish and self-centred, but hang on a minute while I explain.

“Fine art photography refers to photographs that are created in accordance with the creative vision of the photographer as artist. Fine art photography stands in contrast to photojournalism (which provides visual support for news stories, mainly in the print media) and commercial photography (the primary focus of which is to advertise products or services).” (From Wikipedia)

If you model for a fine art photograph, then the end image is not about you. It doesn’t reference you as a person; it doesn’t include your interests, hobbies or attitudes. The end image is about a much larger issue, the “bigger picture” if you will. You may very well support the concept, you may even have help develop the idea in the artists head, BUT that doesn’t mean you get to ignore that fact that the photograph is the artist’s work. You may have to hold a pose, but they have to come up with an idea, a location, a way of lighting the image, a costume, the makeup, the hair, they then have to take the image, then edit the works, then name it, then print it. There’s more work involved then just pressing a button and making you look pretty.
The artist may include your opinions and your ideas to get a final piece, but chances are the artist already knew what they were doing, even if they don’t say much. You also have to remember that no two people see that same object the same way. Especially with fine art, it could be more about capturing the light then your face, which makes it even less about you as the model.

The art of photography is more than just what is in the image, it’s about how it makes you feel, what you can’t see and the concept, and the more I branch out of my comfort zone, the more I have been discovering the ignorance of people, and the genuine confusion of trying to explain that you may be in the image, but it is not you!
You see, a fine art photographer is not trying to capture a singular person, but is trying to capture an image that connects a group of people together. Imagine a room full of people listening to the same song; in the same way they are connected, a fine art photographer is trying to connect people with their work.

If you want a pretty picture that’s all about you from someone who says they are fine art, then be prepared to fork out some money, because it will cost you.

So maybe, from now on, when you work for a fine art photographer, and you see then end result; perhaps instead of whining, “But I’m not like that, I don’t look like that in reality,” or proudly uploading the artists work on the net, telling everyone, “Look at the work I did. Aren’t I beautiful? Did you see my face?”, you’ll think, “wow, I’m so glad I got to be a bigger part of Such-and-such’s works” or “Doesn’t Such-and-such photograph me beautifully” or “Did you see Such-and-such’s photograph of me”, because after all, just because it looks like you, doesn’t mean it is you...

Pondering the perceptions of others

It’s interesting sitting in a gallery, watching people come through; pausing to reflect on a piece, to comment on the art to a friend.
What’s even more thrilling, in a self torturous kind of way, is sitting in on your own exhibition anonymously.
Even though I announced last week via Facebook and Twitter that I would be minding my current exhibition “Mental Monsters” this past Sunday, many people still wandered in without knowing who I was. 
This kind of secrecy allowed me to eavesdrop legitimately on what people thought of my work; not something many others can claim to have done.

Similar descriptive words repeated themselves:

“Dramatic”

“Mysterious”

“Compelling”

“Eerie”

“Sensational”

And yet, all this could not top off the best “questions” of the day.

One woman came in, who stated she enjoyed the intensity and theatrics of my work.  She asked me what medium of photography I worked with, to which of course I replied with digital.

“But you have to be really careful with that, don’t you?” she asked me, “As there’s a certain kind of superficiality to digital photography.”

Ironically, I was asked this question twice in one day. The first time was actually by someone i knew, and I understood she was just challenging me in a mentor-ish way, but the second time was someone who genuinely thought she had a point. Many people I could imagine, would get very upset by a comment like this, but this is an argument I have become used to. To me, this argument is akin to the debates over white bread verses grainy bread; both are good, both are relevant, both are bread, it’s simply a matter of preference.

I smiled. “I suppose that is true. But that is true of any art form, regardless. I could argue that I’m not manipulating the photo, I’m manipulating the mood.” The woman smiled and nodded at me. If I was convincing her, I’m not sure. “What people need to remember is that artists like me aren’t trying to convince you that this was how it was anymore. We are quite happy to tell you that we manipulated it to enhance a feeling, to show a way the light moved or to bring out something that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise; unlike darkroom photographers, who can quite rightly say they didn’t use Photoshop, but we all know they edited their image in a darkroom.”

Another man came in, and wondered if what I was doing was just twisting the truth.

“Because that’s not how it was, is it?” he asked pointing to one of the pieces. It’s very good how you’ve finished it, but doesn’t manipulating it in Photoshop just twist the truth?”
“Well that really depends,” I answered. Many hobby photographers (not all, but many) have a common belief that a true photo is one that captures EXACTLY what was there at that moment. But I have never agreed with that, based on the simple principle, no two photographers will photograph the same subject the same way. “These works are not about you. I invite you to find meaning, I want you to walk away with something, but these are how I reacted to something. These photographs show more than anything how I view the world. That makes them truer than any photo I could take with perfect lighting and perfect clarity.”

I hope that both these people walked away with a deeper understanding for digital works, if not a respect for a young artist, who knows what she’s talking about.