I’d like to share a couple of things happening in my world….

I am thrilled to have an article on Photographing Family in Too Much Chocolate. Big thanks to Phillip Toledano, Doug DuBois, Elizabeth Flemming, Jack Radcliffe, David Newsom, Timothy Archibald, Tierney Gearon, and Dona Schwartz for sharing their insights and images.

Image by Aline Smithson

Sometime ago I wrote a post on The Vermont Photography Workplace and commented on their unique way of handing competitions. I am honored to be the juror for their next competition, Blue. The submission Deadline is November 9th, so get going!

When ones lives near the ocean, it isn’t hard to be inspired by the color blue, but the word blue evokes a myriad of possibilities. We are looking for images that run the color scale from the beauty of a cerulean sea, the swirl of a teal dress, the color of a child’s eyes, the slow smooth sounds of a blues filled saxophone, to the depths of despair! Blue is a color, a feeling, a sound, and we can’t wait for your interpretations!

Image by Aline Smithson

And finally, I have been asked to be a reviewer for Review LA, hosted by Center. The event takes place in Los Angeles on January 14-16 and will coincide with Photo LA that same weekend. I am delighted and surprised to be a reviewer and it comes at a time, after attending three reviews myself this year (Review LA, Photolucida, Review Santa Fe), when I have finally have an understanding what it’s all about.

It’s about going through the process of preparing your work, making prints that are perfect, editing work, writing a statement, clarifying your intentions, focusing on your goals. All the preparation that goes into getting ready for a review helps solidify your project. Then the review itself is a way to find your voice–having only 20 minutes to convey your message and make an impact with your images is good practice for future encounters with galleries and curators. I have discovered how small the fine art community is, and how connected the reviewers are. The idea is to get your images on the visual Rolodex of people that can use, or can share, those images. Two years ago I was given a review by Amber Terranova of Outside Magazine. I was disappointed because I did not have work that would be appropriate for that magazine, but I thoroughly enjoyed my 20 minutes with Amber and her enthusiasm for photography was infectious. A year later, Amber is an editor for PDN, and when I met with her at Review SF, she remembered my work and we had another wonderful session. It is an example of how quickly things change and how, well, you just never know if the person you are meeting with might become the next curator of the Museum of Modern Art. Good things have happened for me because of attending a review–exhibitions, being published–but what I value most are the connections and friendships I have made with the reviewers and the reviewees. If you happen to make it to Review LA, come say hello!

Image by Aline Smithson, from In Case of Rain