When I first started learning photography, one of the big names that kept popping up was Scott Kelby. He is the CEO of Kelbyone, which is a photoshop and photography learning site. I quickly became semi-obsessed watching all of their shows and articles I could get my hands on. One of their popular shows is "The Grid," a weekly talk show where they bring in guest professional photographers and basically talk anything and everything photography. About once a month they ask people to send in their photos for a blind critique. They honestly say what they feel about the photos and explain why they think the way they do. People do not know who sent in the photos unless they are watermarked. I've often enjoyed these episodes as you get a professional's opinion on what they think makes a great photo or not, and what you can do to make it better for next time.
I've tried to submit my photos a few times but as it is quite a popular show I was not chosen. Well, yesterday I saw on social media that they were doing the show I quickly searched through my catalog to find photos to post. I had learned from episodes prior that they like consistency with the photos. I had tried to send some of my high school sports shots a few times and noticed that they don't really show those images, so I decided to send something different. I decide on three similar styled photos and two landscapes. As I get ready to send my photos, my computer freaks out and I need to leave for my real job, I reset my laptop and leave for work. Long story short when I get to work I have to choose a different photo as the one of the ones I originally wanted to wasn't on my laptop. I selected the others and send them on their way.
As I watch the show, they start with their normal spiel about how the blind critiques work and then get into it. All of a sudden my photo pops up on the screen! I couldn't believe it! I couldn't wait to hear how much they loved my work and wanted to call me down to start recording classes for them...
Then it happened, they told me and the many, many, people watching, and the thousands that will watch on youtube, what they felt. They weren't very kind with their words. In fact, Scott Kelby compared my work to overcooked bacon. My mouth dropped. How could they not like my work? It was all very surreal and was over and done before I knew it. My work was being shown in front of all these viewers and one of the most highly respected photographers and his friends gave their honest opinion of my work.
Now first I was upset and mad. I mean who wouldn't be? They weren't blown away by the photos as I had hoped. I immediately began to defend my photos. I kept thinking out loud, "but the lens I used shoots a bit soft and I wanted to make it look good!" and "but I just sold two copies of that prints of that photo and have heard nothing but great things about it!" Then I remembered I was watching it live and could see the comments of the viewers, I turned the comments on and again, to my horror, people weren't impressed.
After what seemed like forever and also an instant, they moved on to the next set and I was quickly left in a state of awe and thinking "did that just happen?" I was frustrated and started coming up with excuses to why they didn't like it. "Well if I would have shown _____ photos they would have liked it"
So here I am a few hours later, calmed down and able to think objectively again. I've come up with a few things I've learned from this experience that I would like to share.
Lesson one- You only get one shot, don't blow it...
Looking back now that I know my photos were picked, I would have chosen different ones, while I personally love the landscape photos I sent in, I agree with what they said about them. These are guys who are in front of photos 24/7 and see the best photos on a daily basis, either through their work on while browsing 500px. Do my landscape photos compare with what they normally see? God no. Would the sport photos? Probably not, but I would have loved to hear what they had to say about those INSTEAD of my landscape shots. I am left with good advice but wishing I had advice on other photos rather than the ones I sent in. As I teach my students, "you only get one chance to make a first impression" I didn't make the impression I wanted to my photography idols.
Lesson two- you can't always be around your photos to defend them
As Scott and others from The Grid have said before, your photos have to stand on their own. You can't be there to defend to the viewer why you shot in that location, or the troubles you went through on set to just get that photo. No one cares. They only care about the end result. Scott and RC didn't care that I had problems with my laptop and send in work that I didn't feel was the best. They didn't know about any of the excuses I talked about earlier in this post. They didn't care that I shoot a bunch of different types of photography and wanted to send in consistent work. They couldn't hear me say, "but everyone else loves the photo!" I chose work, sent it in, and they said what they thought.
Lesson three- don't take it personally
This took me a bit to get over. Scott and RC don't know me. I'm just one of the few people out of many fans that were chosen. They weren't attacking me personally, just my work that is personal. Like I said before, when I look back and what they said, I agree with what they said. They explained some things about my photos that I had never seen before until they said it, including Scott's painfully truthful comment during my football portrait. I humbly picked up the pieces of my pride, put them back together now with more experience and a better eye of to look for and will keep getting better.
Lesson four- don't stop..
These guys are inundated with photos at all times, they see the best of the best images daily and their job is to help others get better. It was a great lesson for them to not be blown over by my work because when I do compare it to other high level professionals I know 100% it does not compare. I am extremely lucky to have had my photos in front of Scott and RC and I took what they said to heart. I can see why they said what they said and will apply it into my next work. Just because one person doesn't like your work (or in this case did an honest evaluation of it) doesn't mean that you need to stop doing what you love or what makes you happy. I hope one day to get my photos in front of them again, and hope for a better response; or not. Either way I will take what I get and move forward and thank them for the opportunity.
Here is the link for the video. My photos come in about the 19:20 mark
Until next time, thanks for reading...