COME AND HAVE A GO...

A nice Harbour in Cumbria (MD)

After an episode of a prunes over dose and the aftermath that followed (I should point out that I love prunes and dont eat them because I am old or constipated..) I approached my agent with a project idea (which shall of course remain secret until such a time I feel he need to release it here on the big fat B). The project itself is a mamoth undertaking but I feel I am at the right time in my life/career/peak physical fitness, to push the boundaries of my photography and land the all consuming big one. Let me just say its not anything to do with England (a tricycle everyone seems to be riding at the moment), neither is it America, China, Iceland etc, etc..
First we looked at ways of funding such a project, the first step of any project ( I know apart from the idea) and usually goes like this;

Agent,

"We could approach 'Big Bad Betty From The Chippy, but she will want this that and the other plus a some big framed prints and some new shoes in return' (bad example)

Artist (Moi),

"Stuff that I will fund it myself.."

Up to now I have always funded projects off my own back, but always from photography ie, print sales. People tell me I should apply for this, or this, but for some reason I never get a bean and to be honest I often think Why Should I! I am but a photographer helping no one but myself. I will stop there..
We then discussed a fair few other photographers and how they funded their big projects which made me feel quite sick especially with the likes of Eddy Burtynsky getting his first 'bit of funding' as soon as he left college which was when I got my first bit of dole..
After a little weep we move onto how I would shoot the project.

"Large format of course, all film, usual technique..brilliant.!"

And then something struck me which although blatantly obvious I had never really thought about before. Gallery Agents, Commercial Agents, Art Directors, Picture Editors, and anyone else in this realm, cannot make a good photograph. They can critique your work, give you ideas, tell you what they want, and even talk like they could produce some masterpiece, but they will never be able to do what you do. Some of them might think they can and maybe even try it, but they usually fail (big time). Chances are they even studied photography back in the day, but for some reason they never saw the light or tried to capture it. This is certainly not a dig, these people are a bundle of talent and I could certainly not do what they do. They are just not photographers...
I felt quite good after this apiffany but then I got side tracked and talked about something else.