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| Scranton Lace #7460 ©Michael Borek |
Multiple Exposures
Gallery (MEG) member Michael Borek is on a roll. In just the past few months
alone, he's:
- Earned a spot at Photo '11 at Artisphere
- Reached the final round at Critical Mass
- Launched a solo show at Multiple Exposures
Gallery
- Joined an exhibit of PhotoSlam winners at
Photoworks at Glen Echo
- Received second place honors in Fotoweek
DC's 2011 International Awards Competition
Below, Michael describes his approach to gaining recognition
for his photography and how he decides what to submit:
Congratulations on your recent successes. Have you always
pursued opportunities for exhibits and awards or does your recent success
reflect a new focus on gaining recognition for your work?
I haven’t really changed my focus, although I think I have
gotten better at editing my work.
I have also realized that good photographers show only their best
works. I’ve always pursued what I
found interesting, without thinking about whether it will be a success, so that
hasn’t changed.
How do you decide which opportunities to pursue?
I am trying to have my work judged, juried, and hopefully
recognized by people from whom I feel I could learn something and/or who work
for the galleries or museums that I respect.
Several of your recent winners were from your
Scranton Lace Factory series. How do you choose among your many wonderful
images when deciding what to submit if there is no specific requirement or
theme you must adhere to?
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| Scranton Lace #7553 ©Michael Borek |
There is a lot of editing behind that. I spent a total of
eight days of shooting at the Scranton Lace Factory, and I generated a lot of
material. But I spent much more time editing my work, printing proofs, hanging
them in my studio and living with them to see whether I still like them after a
while. Also, I showed my work to fellow photographers and other artists and
discussed my work with them.
Sometimes I followed their advice, other times I didn’t, but their
feedback gave me a lot to think about.
After selecting what I feel are the best images comes the
hardest part—sequencing them and eliminating those that don’t fit in. I may
have several pictures that I feel are good, but if they don’t go with the flow,
I don’t submit them. My goal is to have a consistent body of work that flows
naturally. And it is good to start and end with your best images.
Many photographers feel rejected when they submit
work that isn't selected by the jurors or judges. Have you ever felt similarly
frustrated and if so, what did you do to make sure it didn't stop you from
pursuing opportunities again?
I deal with it the same way as I do with parking tickets.
When I get a parking ticket, I write the check immediately, mail it, and forget
about it. Obviously, I cannot write a check after a rejection and consider it
done, but I try not to dwell on it and just move on. There’s no need to read
the entire letter that starts: “Dear Artist, there were many excellent entries
this year and the judge had hard time deciding, blah blah blah....” One has to
realize that there are many more good photographers than opportunities to
show.
Rejection comes with the territory. If you spend time and
energy feeling frustrated and sorry for yourself, you are not spending that
time and energy on your photography. And there are only two logical
explanations for your rejection: either your work wasn’t good or original
enough, which you can change, or you are a misunderstood genius and it is just
a matter of time before you will be discovered. So it is a win-win situation.
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| Scranton Lace #7594 ©Michael Borek |
But seriously, if you can’t deal with rejection, you are not
serious enough about your art. There will always be rejection, and even though
it is obviously nice to get recognized, the recognition should be viewed only
as a nice side benefit and one should get the main enjoyment from doing the
art. Easier said than done, we are all fragile and insecure, but that is the
way it is.
What advice do you have for photographers to increase
their odds of success when submitting work for awards or exhibits?
Statistically, you can increase your odds by submitting into
more competitions. Many people
feel that $30-40 fee is exorbitant, although they don’t hesitate to spend $1000
on a new lens. New equipment won’t make you a better photographer, but I have
found the whole process of submitting your work will – if you do it right.
By “doing it right,” I mean being thoughtful, editing your
work, discussing it with people whose judgment you trust, and having an
original body of work. And maybe doing a little test. Ask yourself whether you
would buy the photographs you are submitting if you saw them in a gallery. If
the answer is no, don’t bother submitting them. If they don’t excite you enough
to “buy” them, how can you expect that they would be selected from hundreds of
other entries?
You also have to decide on the appropriate level. The odds
that you will be selected in an international competition with thousands of
entries juried by a prestigious curator are very low, particularly if you are a
beginner. It may be better for you
to start on a local or regional level. On the other hand, if you are being
consistently selected on these levels, it may be time to move up (but prepare
yourself to deal with possible rejection).
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