The 2019 Ordinary Animals Exhibition

The 2019 Ordinary Animals Exhibition by Aline SmithsonApril 19, 2019

Big thank yous to our amazing juror, R. J. Kern, for selecting the photographs for today’s exhibition. Thank you to all who submitted and congratulations to first place winner, Janet Holmes, R.J. shares thoughts on juroring here:

Lewis Hine said a wonderful thing a long time ago: “We should be photographing two things. The things that should be put right and the things that should be appreciated.” David Hurn used to have this quote on his wall when he was teaching. When I learned of this, it made me appreciate that a Magnum photographer such as David Hurn didn’t have to be a war photographer to create an important image. There are subjects more on the domestic side that interest me more. Hope, humor, empathy are qualities I value in a photograph.

I kept the Lewis Hine quote in the back of my head when I was reviewing the 100+ submissions for the “Ordinary Creatures” online exhibition on Lenscratch. I realize the challenge of submitting work to juried exhibitions with a single digital file. Yet, I realized that challenge is a good one: we should submit work that becomes a little teaser, beckoning the viewer to see more, ask more questions, and to think. In addition, I wanted the pixels on my laptop screen in front of me to warm my heart. I enjoyed work that was thoughtfully balanced composition and light with a moment. I’m a sucker for long-term, personal projects filled with warmth and humanity. If there was a hint of this I could see in the work, it became a winner in my book. — R. J. Kern