Palm Springs Photo Festival: The Outcome

“You're absolutely right,” said Kristi, the one Photo Review buddy I made here. “I've never been to a conference where it's so hard to make friends.” It was nice to know it's not me. Something about the tone of this event makes it really hard to connect. I spent five days here and ate every single meal alone.

I'm remembering why I stopped doing review events 6 years ago. These things are brutal. They are crucial events for a photographer, particularly fine art folks, but man are they grueling.

 What I learned this week at the Palm Springs Photo Reviews.

• I'm a mediocre printer. It affects how people respond to the work. Since I closed down my darkroom, photography has ceased to be about the artifact. It has affected my ability to create one when I need to.

• It's about my marketing, not my work. Again and again I heard this—the work is there. My client base is not. My marketing doesn't work. It never has. A big part of me believes it never will. I suck at that part of it. I gotta pinpoint who I want my clients to be, to the person, and target them like a laser. I'm going to need a ton of outside consulting, and maybe therapy, to get through that block.

• The first thing I say at a review determines where the next 20 minutes will go. If I say, well, I need more clients, I get a basic lecture on marketing. If I come across as confident about my stance toward my work, it sets the discussion at a higher level.

• Video appears to be my strong suit. Somehow, I'm doing something unique. Big time, big agency art buyers were impressed.

• There is no way to keep an emotional even keel at these things. I have been from my-career-is-hopeless to I'm-going-to-be-a-star and back, and then back, and then back again. Within 2 hours.

• The friendliest, most helpful, able-to-connect people here have been the front line volunteers. They're working 8 hour days for the chance to get a leftover review at the end of it, and they somehow aren't resentful at us entitled, ambitious, self-centered photographers. They're amazing.

• At this moment, I hope to never go to another review event, ever. Unless I'm a panelist.

 

 

Comments

[Scott Squire]

Doug,
What a candid and insightful assessment this has been of your review experience. Mighty courageous, and fine work.

Scott