Expert: Don Wood - 7/5/2006

Question
Hi,

I'm an amateur photographer; I'm looking into taking a course in studio photography in September, but I don't ultimately want to become a professional. I'm happy taking pictures as a hobby - it's something that brings me en endless amount of joy, and I'm very enthusiastic about it.

What I want to do is share my photos with the world. I realise this might come across as very conceited, and obviously if a reliable, impartial person told me that my pictures weren't good enough for an exhibition, I would accept that. That said, my main aim if I can develop my skills enough is to be able to display my work in an exhibition, and my question really is how might I go about doing that?

Thank you,
Rachel  

Answer
First, I would investigate in finding a photography club. You can find both amateur and professional clubs in the big cities. Most run a monthly contest for its members. Some may have seminars in which you bring pictures and the group comments on them.
Don't rush to judgement about the course in studio photography, you may find that this type of photography is very satisfying to you. Go to the library and look at some of the books of both Art and Photography. Try to figure out how to duplicate the pix you see. You are using this to develop your photographic eyes. You will see that oftentimes moving a foot to the right, using a different lens, backing up, or getting closer will change what you are trying to emphasize in your picture. Sometimes we need to figure out what we want to say rather than just snapping the shutter and manipulating the results later through retouching, reprinting, or using a photo application such as Photoshop to manipulate the results.
Just be patient, join the club, use the contests as stepping stones to your goal of exhibiting your prints.
Sometimes, restaurants, night clubs will have wall space that they allow artists, photographers, to display their work. Ask about them. Perhaps your school counselor, the art department, may have some contacts. Sometimes the photo magazines run contests and publish the winners.
Be patient, keep working at developing your skills, after paying your dues (time spent developing your skills) you'll start to achieve the rewards you're seeking. Good luck. If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.