Final Reflection (Blog 8)

 I was inspired to do this project as a means of furthering my photo knowledge. I find that in the process of learning about photography, each answer comes with several deeper questions. Whether it's the history of photography, great photographers, camera techniques, darkroom processes, or editing methods I enjoy learning about it all. However, my knowledge was never really compared or related with any knowledge of the current interworking of what is known as the “art world”. I sought to gain experience in the so-called art world. As most of my photographic endeavors have not taken place in an environment of full-time art enthusiasts.

My main question as I went into this project was: In what ways can photography convey ideas and deepen perspectives?

I have now realized that one of the main objectives of the medium is to push the boundaries of its own use and application relating to meaning and perspective. The question has an almost infinite number of answers, and in the search for these answers, the question is raised: in what ways can people get meaning from a photograph? I have found that a lot of times, meaning is derived from the capture of two aspects of a photo interacting, literally or figuratively, as opposed to an object being simply captured in space. For example, I learned that my one photo of a squirrel wasn’t as interesting as it could have been. This is due to the fact that my picture of a squirrel, is one of many, and it is not necessarily the best. Therefore, to be more successful it must have nuance that is deeper than just a picture of a squirrel. `

I feel like I was able to gain a lot of knowledge about the inner workings of a gallery. I got to meet a lot of really great people. I learned about the important rapport between the artists and the gallery owners. I learned that a lot of spaces can be used as gallery space or somewhere to hang art. I came to understand the importance of exposure and connections. Originally though, I hoped to meet younger artists that I could perhaps relate more to, but there was still lots to learn from the older people I did connect with. In the future, I think that it would be interesting if the photography class at Hawken could receive extra credit if they attended an opening at Foothill Galleries. I think that it is important that people planning to do a project next year understand that there are times when they have to be flexible. I think that my biggest takeaway is that even though photography isn’t my planned career path, there is no reason that I shouldn’t continue to peruse it going forward. At the end of the day, I owe the whole experience to Michael Weil who has been a very informative and courteous mentor. I am super grateful that he propositioned me to put together a show in his gallery and keep me busy for three weeks.

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