Be Judged
A few weeks ago I posted about how much I love to print out my work and why you should be printing your photos as well. This week I want to bring up another way I improve my photography. I let my work be judged.
I have found that entering competitions, exhibitions and juried art fairs are a great way to push my photography to improve. Why is this?
I think exhibiting your work, being compared against other photographers or artists will drive you to improve you work. I have also found the atmosphere extremely pleasant and know that I can ask questions and get critique from experienced artists.
Competitions and juried art fairs also offer you a chance to receive feedback and praise for your hard work. It is a wonderful experience to see a winning ribbon, be recognized, or receive a prize for the hard work you have put in.
I know that the process of entering a exhibition, competition or juried art fair really makes me take a critical look at my photography, much more than I would if I was not showing my work publicly.
If you have never exhibited your photography, you owe it to yourself to try the experience at least once. It is very rewarding and your work will improve because of it.
If you are in the Chicagoland area and want to try your hand at exhibiting check out “4th Fridays” at The Starline Gallery the monthly event has an emerging photographer competition that is great. Not to mention that the Starline in Harvard is a beautiful gallery.
Behind the Shot 