This is a self portrait I took to enter David Alan Harvey's SP "contest" on his "Road Trips" blog. This blog has become very important to me both as a photographer and as a citizen of the world. It's quite interactive--400 comments for each thread is not unusual--and like PBase, the participants are photographers from around the world. What I'm finding most stimulating is the opportunity to discuss an incredible variety of issues/ideas relating to all things photographic. I'm also consistently blown away by the quality of photographic essays these folks create. Most of them are photojournalists and many are professionals.
And what can one say about David Alan Harvey, or DAH as he's often called? The man is not only a superb photographer--belongs to Magnum, four photo books published, work seen in National Geographic, NY Times, etc.--but he is a committed mentor to what he calls "emerging photographers." Last year he set up an Emerging Photographers Fund that in 2007 awarded $5000 to Sean Gallagher for his "Desertification of China" photo essay, and in 2008 will be awarding significantly more money to deserving photographers. David gives workshops around the world as well as mentoring countless photographers online. I am honored that he has taken me on and just today posted a comment responding to my "From the Inside" gallery of photos. In it he said,
"ok, my dear, you can do and should do a book....
you are a long way from being finished or maybe even from being "started", but you have all of the "tools" and "grist" for creating a body of work that will sing sing sing....
it was interesting to me how the picture you submitted as a "self portrait" was quite different from all of your other self portraits in the form of "daily life"...hmmmmm...well, no matter....you are "on to something"..
your big decision and question is this: do you want to have yourself in every picture or do you wrap in the "view from here" as part of the narrative??....
in other words, do you need your specific circumstances in every picture?? for example, in a book layout, it could be really provocative for the viewer to go on for a long time not even realizing your "special place" on this planet...
the sequencing, title, and overall feel will be so important..i would not make an attempt at editing just yet....not important now....
this is something that will require lots of thinking...in any case, surely your book will be a continuous self portrait overall, but you might want to think how you would see "out" and "in" simultaneous....
at some point we will need to meet...i cannot do online what i can do with you in person...do you live in Santa Fe?? for some reason that, or somewhere southwest, sticks in my head... but wherever you are, perhaps i can stop by on my cross country sojourn this summer.....
now, i think you should do whatever you may want to do for your book as an assignment here....a good way to begin....try things...reject things....push push and push....i know you have faced many challenges...this will be another, but totally symbiotic with your life....
ready to go to work???
Well, what do YOU think??? Of course I'm ready to go to work. As you know, I never stop working, but this will be different. This time I'm thinking BIG. And this time I have an experienced mentor to walk with me, give me a kick in the pants when necessary, keep a close eye on what I'm producing, how I think about it, how everything fits together, the editing/selecting/sequencing of the project.
Oh my gawd, I am too excited for words!!! I can't believe this is happening. It is beyond my wildest dreams. But it feels right. Somehow it feels right.
And don't worry. I plan to stay here on PBase. Can't leave you dear people! And I'll be continuing my Hannan House "Elders In Action" project too. I am committed to that! But I am going to be one busy woman, so please forgive me if I don't respond to your kind comments, visit your galleries, or remain faithful to my daily PaD. Yes, my life has just gone to a new level and things are going to be different indeed.
