oh... hm... I need a bit of encouragement ...

[mmaria]

I just wanted to say this is a great thread and thank you for posting and responding everyone!

why this is a great thread?

 

[mmaria]

Now I get what you're talking about - a juried exhibit. Here a club usually meets once a month, has a program/speaker; the club may hold competitions, photo walks or other events.

I've done submissions to juried exhibits, that's what this seems like. I've gotten some photos accepted and some didn't. I just keep trying. It seems to depend on the number of submissions, the juror(s), how well your photo fits into their competition or theme, etc. etc.

I saw an interview with a quilt judge (obviously not photography related, but she judged exhibits) who said sometimes a work may not be accepted not because it isn't good enough, but because the juror(s) have to think about how everything will look displayed together, if the show will be cohesive, so choices are made with that in mind.

Sounds like going to their upcoming event will give you an idea what type photos they accept and display, and give you an opportunity to meet and chat with their experienced photographers. I'd look at it as a learning opportunity - be a sponge and soak it all in.

Here are a couple that I've had photos accepted into if it would help to see what's done here. Send me a message if you have questions.
LightBox Photographic Gallery & Fine Printing | Astoria, Oregon
7th Annual International Juried Plastic Camera Show
These are smaller galleries/competitions; on an international scale with a large exhibition there may be a lot of entries so they may only accept a small percentage. So be prepared that yours may not be accepted - this time; doesn't mean you wouldn't be able to get photo(s) into an exhibit in the future.

thank you!
I checked those sites but I'll check them in detail later


(my eyes hurt a lot, can't look at the monitor, have to go home to take out my contacts but I have two meetings I have to attend in a few minutes )

 

[mmaria]

Marija, you go excellent work. You've got the eye. Take your work that you have on Flickr and print a few - mainly to understand how the printed image will look. You have enough to put together a theme. When I originally joined my local camera club, I felt very intimidated at the beginning. There were people there with so much experience, so much good gear! And then, looking that the images in the competitions - I found that the range of ability was very wide. Certainly some images were breath-takingly beautiful. But so many more were "pretty" but rather conventional and formulaic. So many were trying to imitate other images that they saw and admired. When I put my images up in the competitions, they actually were somewhere in the middle of the pack - not the best, but certainly not the worse either. I would say your eye is actually better than mine, and your processing skills are better as well. Put on your brave face, print some of your images and share them. Remember, the only things they can give you are their opinions.

You ARE a photographer. You don't need to convince anyone of that. You do want to share and learn. That's what it is all about.

awww Paul ... just.... just...

Would you pls, take the time and suggest what I could print?

Here are some I really love:

I don't like flickr's sharpening
I was fascinated by her hands... I just had to take a few shots of them
nature and wildlife, my way ;)
Jimmy Choo
girl on the bench

It shows a rather wide range of abilities and sensitivity.

If you are going to put your work into a juried show, you obviously need to know what the overall theme or intent is of the show. But if you are going to meet photographers and talk shop, then the images you've got should be good to show your range and skills.

Thank you!

 

[mmaria]

You missed my fav
marija smanja

IMO your work is breathtaking but if you really want to win the day just bring wine any snack with bacon. Yeah it's cheating but nothing better than bacon to break the ice!

I don't eat bacon, nor I would bring it anywhere

It'll be ok even without the bacon

 

[charchri4]

I just wanted to say this is a great thread and thank you for posting and responding everyone!

why this is a great thread?

Because you came to the group open and honest with a real concern and put yourself in a very venerable position. That in-itself is extraordinary but this community rallied around you with open and honest feedback offering useful suggestions and perspective to you. This goes far beyond was my shutter speed too fast to the very human side of this art form that is rarely revealed or discussed. Of course it is helpful that you are an extraordinary artist but still this thread is what community is all about. I would like to suggest that the response and feed back on your work in this community is no less valid, critical or useful than any you would get from this group you want to exhibit at.

 

[charchri4]

You missed my fav
marija smanja

IMO your work is breathtaking but if you really want to win the day just bring wine any snack with bacon. Yeah it's cheating but nothing better than bacon to break the ice!

I don't eat bacon, nor I would bring it anywhere

It'll be ok even without the bacon

Well OK so you are not perfect everyone has a fault I guess. Hopefully it came through that I was just trying to lighten the mood and be silly anyway.

 

[limr]

This one absolutely needs to be printed:
I was fascinated by her hands... I just had to take a few shots of them by Marija Smanja, on Flickr

 

[tirediron]

...It'll be ok even without the bacon

NOTHING can be truly okay without bacon!

 

[snowbear]

This one absolutely needs to be printed:
I was fascinated by her hands... I just had to take a few shots of them by Marija Smanja, on Flickr

And this one.
marija smanja

 

[PhotoKromze]

so.....

My whole "photography life" is online. I'm serious. The only photographers I spoke to live are @limr , her boyfriend, and a former member of this forum (I'll mention also @binga63 and @The_Traveler via Skype)... Every conversation I had about photography was online.

I finally decided to see is there any photo clubs around my area. I figured it's time to enter the real world and hopefully meet some photographers. Maybe I'll meet someone interesting, maybe I'll go to an exhibition or two, maybe I'll learn something etc.

I sent an email to the only photo club I could go to. They haven't replied for a few days and I decided to call a number on their website.

The person I spoke with is a member of the jury on various international competitions, has some photography title idk what was it and all in all we had a very pleasant conversation.

He started to talk about courses they organize and I said that the courses aren't the reason I called, I called because I would like to meet other photographers, be a part of exhibitions etc.... and I said something like "I don't need a course, I'm into photography for a few years now..." and there was the trouble...

Completely unexpected trouble! I couldn't even say I'm a photographer. I felt completely incompetent and felt like my place isn't in any exhibition. Oh God, I don't even have any picture I could print and hang somewhere and show to other photographers!

I know I know stuff about photography and editing it's not about that. I could talk about that... but showing pictures to other photographers who are good in what they do ... In real life! Standing beside them. Oh God no! I can't do it. Saying out loud, in real life "Yes, I'm a photographer". I can't! Is anything I've done worthy of showing? I don't even know how much my picture (any of my picture) is worth (in money)? Am I any, and I mean any good?

I calmed down after initial "almost panic attack" and I'm not panicking now a few hours after the conversation, not at all, but I'm not any better in terms of thinking about this whole mess... seriously thinking of giving up. I don't want to give up but I don't have enough of courage for this. It took me 6 years to make that move and start to ask questions about photography in my area.
6 years to feel that I'm ready to print something and show the print to someone I could see in person! And now I know I'm not ready at all.

I could also say that I'm a communicative/outgoing person and I'll rather talk in person than writing online, but it seems that with photography I'm really not anything like that.

I'm blushing even while writing this. How to gather the courage and not go away from this? What can I tell to myself?
I don't want to give up, I want to be able to say "At least I tried".

I guess I could lend you an ear, although I am pretty sure that would more be the ears of a student learning from the master. You at least got in touch with a photography club, I didn't find any near me, the one around 25 miles away is pretty exclusive.

So yeah, I live my photographic life online too. Refreshing every 5 minutes to check for any comment I might have received in relation to my pictures.

So, in case you want to talk, drop me a line, or a half.. I'll be more than happy to help with whatever I have learnt (basically next to nothing as of now)

 

[binga63]

I know I don't say much here and I should....

mmaria your work is lovely, but, I will not suggest which image deserves to get printed.

You need to print the one that speaks to you, the image that draws you back and gives 'you' an emotional reaction....

That way when you speak about it, the words will be yours and not given from outside, but spoken from your heart.

You are developing your own style ...I see it each time you show an image.

You are a photographer and let no one tell you differently.

 

[cauzimme]

Do you need to produce series ?
If so, you should definitively print the old person serie. It's my favorite.

And you could also do a serie with those photos, they are consistant, beautiful and poetic.

Don't worry, you're a great artist, a great photographer and the day you will stop wondering, questionning yourself and putting your work in perspective, you will stop learning and you will stop growing, so insecurity is a good thing. It makes you want to be better, to do good, it can bring the best of you, in the end, it's fuel

 

[Village Idiot]

Dude...my most popular picture on Flickr is a shoe. It hit somewhere int the top 10 on Explore and has a crazy amount of views, faves, etc...

It's a fricking old shoe laying on a sidewalk I snapped jokingly with an off camera flash when walking along with some photographer friends one day. People will praise the dumbest stuff, so whatever you put time and effort into has got to be way better than that shoe.

 

[FITBMX]

Your work is good enough to show to anyone out there, and if they don't think you have skill or should not continue, then they are egotistical idiots that aren't worth your time!
As long as YOU like your photos that is all that really matters!

 

[Raj_55555]

Okay, I went to their website and went through the catalogs they had for 2012-2014. I think some of the entries in there are simply extraordinary, while some others are pretty ordinary. I think I agree with what village idiot said, People will praise the dumbest stuff and ignore the greatest of art, so don't heed to everyone who has an opinion (except mine of course ).

As for you work, it has improved leaps and bounds in the past one year. You are incredibly good at what you do, and some of your photographs are definitely better than some I saw in the catalogs. To even think for a second that you'd give up on photography because of someone else's opinion is unacceptable.

Having said that, I think it's a natural cycle for everyone to go through the imposter syndrome once they've reached a certain level in their skillset. It's kind of the reverse of the Dunning Kruger effect, you are grossly underestimating your skills and are thus demoralizing yourself. There have been times when, upon seeing some of the masterclass work, I've pondered why I'm into photography at all when I have no chance to match their level of skill. I'm sure you'll get back to your feet in no time like I do after a couple of days of sulking!

I do agree with John about printing your images, but also think binga63, a.k.a Chris, has a point as well. I'll list out the images I like the best from your work, and you choose which are the ones that you like best.

And of course my personal fav for a very different reason