Portfolio Reviews Review: A Review
Written by John MacphersonGrant Scott at The United Nations of Photography has just published a review of the process of providing Portfolio Reviews, so Duckrabbit has decided to review it.
In the spirit of the piece we’ve decided to do this review of Grant’s work for free.
So here we go.
“It is excellent. Read it. Heed it.”
There now that wasn’t so painful was it.
Job done. Review given.
No silver exchanged. Honour upheld.
Knowledge shared.
As it should be.
But there’s a serious point here – those starting out in the business of photography are the least able to afford a review and the most in need of the guidance such constructive criticism can offer. I was lucky to receive guidance and criticism (for free) when I was young, and those lessons in photography, but crucially about freely sharing knowledge, have stood me in good stead ever since.
In this new digital age where practitioners are expected to work for free, sorry….work for ‘exposure’….. and some ‘professionals’ view those who refuse to do free/unpaid work as “arrogant” (link) its more than a little troubling that the process of even getting your work reviewed (so you can work in an industry that will often expect you to work for free) requires you to pay! Its a lose/lose situation for some (the providers) and a win/win situation for others (the users).
And that can’t be sustainable.
Author — John Macpherson
John MacPherson was born and lives in the Scottish Highlands. He trained as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards, before completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter, and then qualified as a Social Worker in Disability Services. Along the way he has cooked on canal barges, trained as an Alpine Ski Leader & worked as an Instructor for Skiers with disabilities, been a canoe instructor, and tutor of night classes in carpentry, stained glass design and manufacture, and archery. He has travelled extensively on various continents, undertaking solo trips by bicycle, or motorcycle. He has had narrow escapes from an ambush by terrorists, been hit by lightning, caught in an erupting volcano, trapped in a mobile home by a tornado, kidnapped by a dog's hairdresser, rammed by a basking shark and was once bitten by a wild otter. He has combined all this with professional photography, which he has practised for over 35 years. He teaches photography and acts as a photography guide & tutor in the UK and abroad. His biggest challenge is keeping his 30 year old Land Rover 110 on the road. He loves telling and hearing stories.