Comments on: Interview with Aline Smithson /2012/interview-aline-smithson/ A blog/magazine dedicated to photography and contemporary art Tue, 01 May 2012 17:46:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Constance Hobbs /2012/interview-aline-smithson/comment-page-1/#comment-5155 Constance Hobbs Tue, 01 May 2012 17:46:43 +0000 /?p=5239#comment-5155 Thank you for this article. I found it refreshingly honest and informative. Besides being a very talented artist Aline Smithson is a multi tasking wonder woman. Her blog is an exceptional resource for anyone involved in the world of photographic imagery. Her democratic voice speaks loud and clear in her blog and I think that's just great! Thank you for this article. I found it refreshingly honest and informative. Besides being a very talented artist Aline Smithson is a multi tasking wonder woman. Her blog is an exceptional resource for anyone involved in the world of photographic imagery. Her democratic voice speaks loud and clear in her blog and I think that’s just great!

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By: Hannah Kozak /2012/interview-aline-smithson/comment-page-1/#comment-5150 Hannah Kozak Tue, 01 May 2012 00:14:29 +0000 /?p=5239#comment-5150 That was an informative interview. Thank you for your honesty, as always. I really love hearing your thoughts about promoting ourselves on the Internet, blogs, contests, portfolio reviews, galleries,etc. It truly has been a blessing to have met you when I did. BTW, I LOVE your Harmony image and the story behind it. I have the visual of you making a U-turn to get your photo. And, your Hugos in Hollywood dolls. I love that image so much. Didn't know you liked Elizabeth Taylor. Beautiful photography Aline, great interview. I also get overtaken by email. When it's too much, I plan an international trip, disconnect from all devices and breath otherwise I would implode from the constant bombardment of data coming at me. That was an informative interview. Thank you for your honesty, as always. I really love hearing your thoughts about promoting ourselves on the Internet, blogs, contests, portfolio reviews, galleries,etc. It truly has been a blessing to have met you when I did. BTW, I LOVE your Harmony image and the story behind it. I have the visual of you making a U-turn to get your photo. And, your Hugos in Hollywood dolls. I love that image so much. Didn’t know you liked Elizabeth Taylor. Beautiful photography Aline, great interview. I also get overtaken by email. When it’s too much, I plan an international trip, disconnect from all devices and breath otherwise I would implode from the constant bombardment of data coming at me.

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By: Fabiano Busdraghi /2012/interview-aline-smithson/comment-page-1/#comment-5147 Fabiano Busdraghi Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:47:58 +0000 /?p=5239#comment-5147 Thank you to you Aline, it was a real pleasure to collaborate with you! Thank you to you Aline, it was a real pleasure to collaborate with you!

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By: Aline Smithson /2012/interview-aline-smithson/comment-page-1/#comment-5146 Aline Smithson Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:26:26 +0000 /?p=5239#comment-5146 Thank you Fabiano, for this wonderful opportunity to share my thoughts...and many thanks to Miss Aniela, K, Ann Mitchel, and Karen Florek for their thoughtful responses. Thank you Fabiano, for this wonderful opportunity to share my thoughts…and many thanks to Miss Aniela, K, Ann Mitchel, and Karen Florek for their thoughtful responses.

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By: Karen Florek /2012/interview-aline-smithson/comment-page-1/#comment-5143 Karen Florek Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:53:56 +0000 /?p=5239#comment-5143 This insightful interview affirms my recent experience, that high volumes of "hits", posts, shows and submissions do not ensure quality. Nor do they guarantee a deeper dialogue with imagery. Imagine going to a museum with a massive collection, and trying to take in every painting. I do better when I follow the call of work that speaks to me. These are the pictures I go to bed dreaming about. These are the photographs that shake me up. I have never regretted the suggestion here, to "unplug" from email and spend time in quiet reflection. Our uniqueness is a given. Aline's struggle for balance proves that wherever we put our attention, there is a beneficiary. In her case it is her community. Her readers. Her own creative expression as seen in her work. Her family and friends. How wonderful when so many win. This insightful interview affirms my recent experience, that high volumes of “hits”, posts, shows and submissions do not ensure quality. Nor do they guarantee a deeper dialogue with imagery. Imagine going to a museum with a massive collection, and trying to take in every painting. I do better when I follow the call of work that speaks to me. These are the pictures I go to bed dreaming about. These are the photographs that shake me up. I have never regretted the suggestion here, to “unplug” from email and spend time in quiet reflection. Our uniqueness is a given. Aline’s struggle for balance proves that wherever we put our attention, there is a beneficiary. In her case it is her community. Her readers. Her own creative expression as seen in her work. Her family and friends. How wonderful when so many win.

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By: Ann Mitchell /2012/interview-aline-smithson/comment-page-1/#comment-5140 Ann Mitchell Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:03:25 +0000 /?p=5239#comment-5140 Excellent interview, I love the clear and straightforward solutions to social media. Lovely work, inspiring advice. Excellent interview, I love the clear and straightforward solutions to social media. Lovely work, inspiring advice.

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By: -k- /2012/interview-aline-smithson/comment-page-1/#comment-5139 -k- Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:31:16 +0000 /?p=5239#comment-5139 First of all, this article has some of my favorite Aline Smithson photos (the very first photo, the woman in the swimming pool and "Harmony"). Plus, tho I'm still just a fledging photographer, I was even more of one 2 or 3 years ago but she nonetheless promptly answered my e-mail question with an on-target suggestion. First of all, this article has some of my favorite Aline Smithson photos (the very first photo, the woman in the swimming pool and “Harmony”). Plus, tho I’m still just a fledging photographer, I was even more of one 2 or 3 years ago but she nonetheless promptly answered my e-mail question with an on-target suggestion.

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By: Miss Aniela /2012/interview-aline-smithson/comment-page-1/#comment-5137 Miss Aniela Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:50:53 +0000 /?p=5239#comment-5137 I've taken some advice on board from this article - such as structuring the effort spent on self-promotion to a certain amount of time per week. I'll also take yours on board! Sometimes there is the temptation to do everything, submit to everywhere, feeling that a minute not spent on waving that 'flag' means you slip back. Instead I want to have some self-esteem to consider my work can stand on its own two feet quite easily whilst I go and take time out to 'live' - and breathe properly. :) I’ve taken some advice on board from this article – such as structuring the effort spent on self-promotion to a certain amount of time per week. I’ll also take yours on board! Sometimes there is the temptation to do everything, submit to everywhere, feeling that a minute not spent on waving that ‘flag’ means you slip back. Instead I want to have some self-esteem to consider my work can stand on its own two feet quite easily whilst I go and take time out to ‘live’ – and breathe properly. :)

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By: Fabiano Busdraghi /2012/interview-aline-smithson/comment-page-1/#comment-5133 Fabiano Busdraghi Sat, 28 Apr 2012 11:53:06 +0000 /?p=5239#comment-5133 Natalie, you are definitively right about the lie concerning real creativity, especially in the fashion world. I was used to work as a fashion retoucher, and I was puzzled by what I saw daily. The photographer pushed the shutter to fast, the light did not flashed, and all the people in the studio screamed "WOW! That so beautiful!", while for me it was just a casual under exposed photo. It happen everyday. Thank you for sharing your experience (and frustration) on the net. I think maybe is a problem of target. You can get a lot of hits from the average public, mainly amateur interested solely in technique. But how is possible to reach the right audience? All those gallerists and curators that potentially can transform online appreciation in real business? I think Aline Smithson suggestion is really the key: make a certain selection. Chose the blogs, contests, portfolio lectures, places, etc that really matter (or maybe that you really like). Hope this can help all of us! Natalie, you are definitively right about the lie concerning real creativity, especially in the fashion world. I was used to work as a fashion retoucher, and I was puzzled by what I saw daily. The photographer pushed the shutter to fast, the light did not flashed, and all the people in the studio screamed “WOW! That so beautiful!”, while for me it was just a casual under exposed photo. It happen everyday.

Thank you for sharing your experience (and frustration) on the net. I think maybe is a problem of target. You can get a lot of hits from the average public, mainly amateur interested solely in technique. But how is possible to reach the right audience? All those gallerists and curators that potentially can transform online appreciation in real business? I think Aline Smithson suggestion is really the key: make a certain selection. Chose the blogs, contests, portfolio lectures, places, etc that really matter (or maybe that you really like). Hope this can help all of us!

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By: Miss Aniela /2012/interview-aline-smithson/comment-page-1/#comment-5132 Miss Aniela Sat, 28 Apr 2012 11:15:19 +0000 /?p=5239#comment-5132 It does speak of the syndromes described to say that I was rushing to get this article read, all I could think about was getting down to the bottom and commenting... I had to try imagine the webpage as a print article to just savour the leisure of not reading it, as Aline describes, like 'fast food' or a 'soundbite'! That's why I like Fabiano's blog - it encourages me to read it like a magazine. It was great to read this interview because I have been thinking much lately about the myth that photography/artistry is all about the work. Just putting it online is not enough, it's about getting it into the right places online. About being clever, mixing physically with the right people and places, waving that 'flag' tactfully so that people will look over at something wild you've done, and then they will look at the next possibly more subtle thing you do, gaining a foothold into people's short attention spans. It's about making a 'story' out of yourself, almost as if we're news commodities. And then there is the issue of safe boundaries in this current climate that does not want to take the risk of anything too risky or new - everyone loves to throw around the lie that they want unique and original creativity, for example in fashion photography. But really, innovation or 'originality' must always lay within the boundaries of accepted commercial trends. It's about successfully pulling off the illusion of 'difference' whilst really being the same. Whilst self-marketing, and commercial vs. self expression have always been sticking points for creatives, it's fair to say that the internet has brought along some new implications, primarily increasing the amount of material out there, and reducing the attention spans to absorb it. The issue of being noticed also makes us consider how good our work looks onscreen. The 'cultural consumerism' Aline describes, of people's short attention spans on the internet, has made me consider and critique how pretty my work is to look at, how good it looks at thumbnail-size, how immediate and arresting it is - how many Facebook 'likes' a certain picture or series will get. And then, one of the main frustrations to my own internet-spawned career is having all these 'hits' on one website and another, but those hits not translating into anything ostensible or lucrative per say, and most of the interest that does come to my work being from people who want to know how to grab some of those seemingly desirable 'hits' to try replicate the life and success they think I've got. The internet creates a big illusion. Artists make work and share it, and their work might have lots of popularity online. In that popularity they accrue a mass following of inspired people, some of whom are fixated on winning the same label of artist - they want a shortcut to get what the artist apparently has (which may be little more than just internet hits) without realising that first they need - and should want to - make a body of work that, without years of dedication and marketing, might never make them any money at all. My head has been full of these topics recently, especially being caught up in trying to target opportunities/contacts etc in both the 'fine art' and 'fashion' worlds… and other things in between. Whilst this diversity of approach stems from not wanting to be labelled, I also fear lacking focus. Whilst I am learning all the time how important self-promotion, marketing etc is, I definitely agree that more time needs to be spent on making the work. And I like the idea of 'rebooting' as Aline recommended… from all the accumulated distractions and open browser windows. I think I will do that now - figuratively and literally! It does speak of the syndromes described to say that I was rushing to get this article read, all I could think about was getting down to the bottom and commenting… I had to try imagine the webpage as a print article to just savour the leisure of not reading it, as Aline describes, like ‘fast food’ or a ‘soundbite’! That’s why I like Fabiano’s blog – it encourages me to read it like a magazine.

It was great to read this interview because I have been thinking much lately about the myth that photography/artistry is all about the work. Just putting it online is not enough, it’s about getting it into the right places online. About being clever, mixing physically with the right people and places, waving that ‘flag’ tactfully so that people will look over at something wild you’ve done, and then they will look at the next possibly more subtle thing you do, gaining a foothold into people’s short attention spans. It’s about making a ‘story’ out of yourself, almost as if we’re news commodities. And then there is the issue of safe boundaries in this current climate that does not want to take the risk of anything too risky or new – everyone loves to throw around the lie that they want unique and original creativity, for example in fashion photography. But really, innovation or ‘originality’ must always lay within the boundaries of accepted commercial trends. It’s about successfully pulling off the illusion of ‘difference’ whilst really being the same. Whilst self-marketing, and commercial vs. self expression have always been sticking points for creatives, it’s fair to say that the internet has brought along some new implications, primarily increasing the amount of material out there, and reducing the attention spans to absorb it.

The issue of being noticed also makes us consider how good our work looks onscreen. The ‘cultural consumerism’ Aline describes, of people’s short attention spans on the internet, has made me consider and critique how pretty my work is to look at, how good it looks at thumbnail-size, how immediate and arresting it is – how many Facebook ‘likes’ a certain picture or series will get. And then, one of the main frustrations to my own internet-spawned career is having all these ‘hits’ on one website and another, but those hits not translating into anything ostensible or lucrative per say, and most of the interest that does come to my work being from people who want to know how to grab some of those seemingly desirable ‘hits’ to try replicate the life and success they think I’ve got.

The internet creates a big illusion. Artists make work and share it, and their work might have lots of popularity online. In that popularity they accrue a mass following of inspired people, some of whom are fixated on winning the same label of artist – they want a shortcut to get what the artist apparently has (which may be little more than just internet hits) without realising that first they need – and should want to – make a body of work that, without years of dedication and marketing, might never make them any money at all.

My head has been full of these topics recently, especially being caught up in trying to target opportunities/contacts etc in both the ‘fine art’ and ‘fashion’ worlds… and other things in between. Whilst this diversity of approach stems from not wanting to be labelled, I also fear lacking focus.

Whilst I am learning all the time how important self-promotion, marketing etc is, I definitely agree that more time needs to be spent on making the work. And I like the idea of ‘rebooting’ as Aline recommended… from all the accumulated distractions and open browser windows. I think I will do that now – figuratively and literally!

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