Why Sid, you handsome (melancholy) devil! :) Great shots and a good
beginning for your website. I'll be cranking out a site soon too, I hope...
Jim
----- Original Message -----
From: Sid Barras <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2001 11:43 PM
Subject: OT: My fine art/ photography exhibition/ 15 minutes of fame
adventures
> Hi all:
>
> Well, I'm back, at least temporarily.
>
> I've spent the better part of two months either hunched over the matt
cutting machine, the enlarger,
> or the trays of ferricyanide, selenium, sulphites and bromides; I've
built frames and bought them.
>
> I've shaken the hands of more strangers in the last month than I have my
entire life previous. I've
> combed my hair to get that "artist's disheveled" look. I've worn that
tweed jacket to things other
> than funerals. I've seen the sun rise on an all night darkroom session--
brought warm memories of my
> long ago college days, cramming the finishing touches on my presentations
for those egotistical
> professors.
>
> I've fearlessly (NOT!) ended my well paying day job. (There are health and
phyical reasons for this.
> I don't blindly leap ahead for that completely assured career in
lucrative photography, which by
> the way, doesn't include gawdawfull Wedding photography)
>
> I put together a photography exhibit. I have an agent. I got incredible
publicity. I got a TV spot
> on the local news coming; a sort of "Local character who does things that
are unique" type of 10
> minute segment the local NBC affiliate does a couple of times a month.
I guess it's been slow for
> them........
> But, with this wonderful Lady at the helm, she has arranged newspaper
feature articles, regional
> museum showings, coffee shop hangings, etc, etc.
>
> I met and joined a group of local artists who call themselves the
"artisan's Gallery". I have access
> to Arts and Humanities council's grant proposals.... (Ms. Monteith
claims to be an expert grant
> proposal writer......)
>
>
> I have a WEB PAGE!!
>
> I announce it carefully. It's just a front page, and there's 99% of the
work left to be done, but,
> it's beginning.
>
> www.sidbarras.com
>
> And right now, it doesn't work too good in Explorer, or any browser that
doesn't like overlapping
> layers. But, both Ms. Monteith and I are just learning Dreamweaver, in a
month or two, it may look
> as good as some of the very nice ones I see among our pentax brethren.
>
> Much more to say and boast about, but, my point of the letter:
>
> the reality check.
>
> I had hundreds of people walk through the exhibit. Out of over 200
invitations sent out (plus some
> great print publicity which encouraged anyone to come) I must say, most of
them did come. I had very
> "famous" local celebrities tell me how great my stuff is. I had a museum
curator for a museum in
> the next big town over promise me I could hang a gallery in their very
notable museum. (This is
> probably the biggest thing I got out of this whole deal.) I got a
commitment for the month of July
> in a small museum in our sister city.
>
> All in all, I'd say, my first time off the launching pad was an enormous
success.
>
>
> But, if I keep succeeding this well, I'll need a loan to buy any more
film, if I plan on taking some
> more pictures.
>
> Ah, well, not that bad. I probably did a little better than break even.
And I've got lots of my
> stuff still available and framed for the next show.....
>
> But tell me someone. There's got to be some folks on this list who
traveled this road before.
>
> Can you make money behind the lens if:
>
> 1. You don't (and won't) do weddings.
>
> 2. You would do portraiture, sure. But I don't want to be Olan Mills. If I
do portraiture, I want to
> do black and white mostly. And outside. In infrared.
>
> I guess every one starts with some sort of "idealistic purity" I have
this idea too. That my
> photography is art first and foremost. I don't want to be a contractor,
bidding on jobs against
> other contractors. Or being told exactly how my picture should be taken
before I take it.
>
> So, all you callous old shutterbugs, you cynical yet wiser now veterans.
>
> Is there a way to sustain this dream I've got playing now?
>
> Or will I succumb to the harsh reality of "what people really
want.........
>
> Cheers,
>
> An exhausted playwright.
>
>
>
> -
> This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe,
> go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to
> visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
>
-
This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe,
go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to
visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
