In the summer of 2022, my husband and I were asked to lead a workshop at our state summer conference. The main idea was to teach lighting on location. The location we were given was a hot shop and our model was a glassblower. Unbeknownst to the event chairman who asked us to teach, my husband and I are long time art glass collectors. So OF COURSE we ended up purchasing a piece from our model.
As I was placing the piece in my collection, making sure the light was hitting it just right and it was turned to the perfect angle (as you do if you’ve ever collected art glass!) I was thinking about how cool it was that after all these years we finally had a piece in our collection from an artist we had also photographed…. it was an ah ha moment! Wouldn’t it be awesome to see an art show with not only pieces of each artist’s work but a portrait of them working in their studio? I had the idea, I just had to find a way to make it happen. (Keep reading there will be some useful information I promise.)
One of the benefits of aging is you lose your fear of trying things you don’t know how to do. So, like most projects that are overwhelming, I started with what I did know. First, I know how to photograph environmental portraits. Second, I knew of a local art center that had a beautiful gallery and hosted monthly shows. What I didn’t know was if they would be willing to host the show.
I also didn’t know that this was where to find plenty of professional caliber artists. I didn’t know if the artists would allow us into their studios and could we find enough artists to fill the gallery? I just knew I was compelled to make this happen. (First piece of useful information—on a big project that you don’t know how to do, just start. Do the part that you know and figure out the parts you don’t know as you come to them. Read this once again, it’s important.)
I approached the director of the art center with my concept, and she was thrilled with the idea. She quickly compiled a list of artists. As we were looking at artists from across our state, many of them did not know us or our studio reputation, so the director made the initial contact. (Second useful tidbit, having an authority figure promote your ideas gives them instant credibility. The artist she contacted knew this was a legitimate project, because they knew her reputation.) A date was set for the exhibit and we started photographing the artists.
It was at this point that my second ah ha moment occurred. What if we were to create a book, featuring each artist and their artist statements? AND what if we provided it to the art center at cost for them to sell as a fund raiser? Our art center is a non-profit, so they are always looking for ways to generate income.
We had already committed to providing the portraits and frames for the show, so by allowing the art center to cover the cost of printing the books and reap the profit from sales, we weren’t out any more money. Remember this was just a personal project I wanted to see happen. I had no idea if we would generate any income at all but I knew at the very least it was great exposure. (Third useful tidbit—sometimes you just have to do something because you have a passion to make it happen. No bad thing has ever happened from me following my heart. Plus creating portraits that you just want to do is a great way to combat burnout.)
So, what were the benefits of this project? Firstly, doing the actual sessions was different then our everyday work, so it was a lot of fun. We weren’t trying to please a client; we were doing it just for the love of photography. Another surprise was just how invigorating and inspiring it was to spend time with other creative professionals. We all know how energized we feel after a photography convention spending time with like-minded people. This was the same thing only even more so. (Tidbit #4—break out of your comfort zone. It will keep your work fresh and keep you excited to get into the studio.)
It was so interesting to learn how each artist got started in their careers. One woman, an artist from a very rural area of Nebraska, when we asked how she started doing bronze sculptures, told us “Well 40 years ago when I got married, I wanted one, but I couldn’t afford them. So, I had to learn how to make them myself.”. Another artist started painting as therapy to deal with infertility challenges.
We probably spent more time visiting with each artist and making personal connections then we did in photographing. Something else we knew, but this project reinforced that knowledge, how many concepts of composition and design cross over all mediums, be it photography, painting, textiles or whatever. It made it easy for us and our subjects to understand what each was trying to achieve. (Another tidbit—always be open to the unexpected, you never know when a session may be the one that changes your life.)
In January of this year the show “Artists at Work” was featured in the main gallery at the Prairie Art Center. During the artist reception and the months since then, we’ve had dozens and dozens of people, including the director, tell us it’s the best show they’ve ever had at the art center. The art center ended up selling 150 books. This summer a community about 40 miles away, but still in our trade area, displayed the portraits in their downtown windows for over a month.
So, the exposure we have gained has been huge. We’ve had several artists purchase prints/digital files from their sessions. But probably the best thing is an artist group here in Nebraska, saw the book and has hired us to do something similar for their association. The Impact Artist book will finish up in early Spring, 2025. This time around it’s for profit, which makes it even more fun!
Last Tidbit—Pay attention to your ah ha moments. You never know where they will lead you.
