Book Response

Overall I found this book very insightful and informative.

I really enjoy how each chapter appeals to something about the reader, weather that be branding/marketing, setting goals, creating ideas, and writing about your work. Weather you’re a beginner or already knee deep in the photography world, this book has so much information that everyone could use. 

The exert on creating an artist statement because thats one of the struggles that I have throughout the who process of my work. I have so many ideas and concepts and thoughts that never shut off, so trying to take a project that took x amounts of months to complete into one paragraph is a bit challenging, but the book breaks it down so its not as intense. One section that really caught my eye was how Jennifer was telling you what to avoid instead of what to seek when writing your statement. The acronym is GRASP. So you want to avoid generalizations, reticence, artspeak, self-importance, and past tense. Its so funny because I do the exact opposite, so this section helped a lot. 

Sizing, editioning, and pricing are the next steps, if not already, in our life as Photographers. This is insightful because you want the viewer to see what you’ve produced. She gives you two generic options and then builds you up on different platforms, because different work calls for different sizes, but you never want to undermine the size of your print, because that takes away the quality. She touches on prices for the prints as well, but I feel like she could of given the reader an over view of photoshoot prices to push self-branding even more, but I guess its such a  broad topic that it wouldn't work.  

She breaks down commercial work vs fine art which is highly important because when you start out as an artist very young you create fine art because you don’t know what is considered commercial work. I really enjoy this section because she gives you insight on both backgrounds and how they can help you if you happen to be skilled in both. I enjoy commercial work but I also enjoy fine art so this section really gave me a better insight in both fields and how I can showcase both and still reeceive an income. She also talks about putting work on social media which is something this generation is doing because we have such an advancement in technology. We're already on there for other things, why not put yourself out there as well. 

The last couple things that resignated with me was that she talked about exhibitions / contests, selling work online, and portfolio reviews. These are are things that should be experienced as an artist and things that I want to achieve within my life as I grow into my career. There are so many contest, and for whatever reason I never enter, which bums me out. But even if I don’t get in it still creates character for the next contest and exhibitions to come, and to put myself out there. Im always baffled on what to sell because I feel that someone may not actually want to by this, so I just create a blog so people can admire. And thats why I dabble between commercial work and fine are because both make a profit, somehow, someway, weather they be shown in homes, hospital, offices or whatever.

In conclusion, this book has it all. It touches on every step a photographer should take into account. It’d easy to read, as if she talking to you that whole time and the chapters, or sections aren’t that long so its a breeze to read. I kind of wish I purchased this book earlier in life but I wasn’t doing big projects until this past year so its kind of perfect timing. I will probably read this book again for senior show because I do plan on blowing the viewers socks off, although I want to have an installation piece too. But overall, this book is super helpful and it gets you back on track if you stray away from your work or just need ideas or information. I really appreciate how she gives you a whole section dedicated to online blogs, magazines , and even review programs, very beneficial for up and coming artists. This book gives you all the tools you need to get started, all you have to do is want it just as bad.