Collective Thoughts by Andrew Darlow

I have had the pleasure of spending time and working with Andrew at several photo events during the past 3 years. On each occasion, I found Andrew to be not only a digital photography guru, but an insightful photographer who has the talent to connect with and inspire his audiences. Andrew's upcoming seminar and workshop page can be found here.

Andrew Darlow is a photographer, author and digital imaging consultant based in the New York City area. He is editor of The Imaging Buffet, an online resource with news, reviews and interviews covering the subjects of digital photography and printing. His new book, "301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques: An Essential Printing Resource for Photographers" (Course Technology, PTR), covers tips and techniques for prepping, printing and displaying prints using inkjet printers. For more information, and free chapter downloads, visit www.inkjettips.com.

This image from the exhibition, entitled "Ryokan Highway," was a handheld exposure of six to eight seconds, photographed on 35mm transparency film. This image was shot at the end of a long day of temple and shrine exploring in Kyoto, Japan. The lights are coming from a taxi moving from right to left in the frame. A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. I've had the opportunity to stay at many Ryokan over the years, and every one was an unforgettable experience.

Over the years I've been fortunate to live for extended periods of time in Japan, Germany, Hawaii, and my home state of New Jersey. Living in New Jersey, and having a father who worked in New York City, I often found myself on school trips or family outings in the big city. The Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Natural History were all familiar to me from a young age. Once I started to pursue photography in my early teens, The International Center of Photography's midtown gallery (and the uptown gallery on 5th Ave) became favorite destinations.

What I realized after visiting many museums and delving into photo books and magazines (especially Aperture magazine), was that most exhibitions and books have a single theme that is chosen, and then discussed with words and pictures in a way that helps bring cohesiveness to the collection. The "story" can be a single artist's work or a compilation of the works of many. I think that at its essence, this underscores our desire to share stories with a specific focus.

In many ways, a theme can bring a seemingly disparate group of images together like a quilt sewn together in small sections from the individual efforts of hundreds or even thousands. A show named "Hope Photographs" from 1997 at The National Arts Club in New York City is just one example of how a theme can attract a very wide range of imagery. I've had the honor of being a juror for shows with themes that helped make the shows very strong. Two examples are "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," and "People, Places, Things," both held at The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, CO.

After living in Japan and traveling from the southern island of Kyushuu to the northern island of Hokkaido at different periods from 1988-2000, I thought a lot about ways in which I could bring together a few exhibitions of my work. After much thought, and after being invited to do a show at The American Buddhist Study Center in New York City, I produced a series of 20 framed pigment inkjet prints. The show was entitled: Approaching Nirvana: A Modern Day Look at the Influence of Buddhism in Japan, and it was on display from October 19-December 10, 2000.

Shown here is one image from the Approaching Nirvana: A Modern Day Look at the Influence of Buddhism in Japan exhibition. Click Here to see all 20 images in the exhibit.
Copyright, Andrew Darlow.

While the show was up, I gave a series of guided tours in which I talked about both about my experiences in Japan, as well as the Buddhist-related history and meaning behind the places I was photographing. Since I was and still am not an expert in Buddhist history, I researched the history and specific locations I photographed, and I also consulted with the priest who presided over the New York Buddhist Church, housed in the same building as the American Buddhist Study Center.

While the show was on display, I also gave a slide presentation, followed by a tour of the show. I also produced a 5.5x8.5-inch printed catalog with information about each photograph. The catalog was a lot of work to produce, but it was worth the effort, and I recommend anyone who is planning an exhibition to seriously consider producing a show catalog. It can help you to get additional publicity from journalists who may not be able to see the show in person, and it can also help with sales because people will often not remember their favorite images unless they have a visual reminder of them. Today's on-demand printing options make it even easier to have exhibition catalogs produced. For example, Blurb.com is a company who produces many on-demand photo books, and they also make it easy for artists to sell their books/show catalogs through their Blurb Bookstore.

For another show I recently had the honor of being a juror, within a few weeks of the images being selected, a full-color book featuring the selected work was produced. The show is entitled "Urban Legends and Country Tales," and is on exhibit at the Bonita Museum in San Diego from Oct 4 to Nov 15, 2008.

The more I think about collections, themes and stories told with pictures, the more I realize that each of us has many stories to tell, and many experiences to share. A group of images can be so powerful, and I encourage you to find the thread that pulls together your images and life experiences.