The editor from National Geographic, for example, spent several minutes before even opening my box of prints, explaining the numbers game at a magazine such as his and how it's virtually impossible for someone like me to come along and get an assignment.
The woman from the Open Society Foundation told me that for the past several years, due to budgetary constraints, hardly any magazine or foundation calls photographers to say "Hey, we're doing a story in Haiti, and we need you to pack your bags and go there to shoot for the next month." What she did say is that the next time I go to Uganda, for example, I should write her (and others with whom I will hopefully develop a similar association) and say, "I'll be in Uganda for the next three weeks. If you have a story you'd like for me to cover while I'm there, please let me know."
Both those sessions were informative, and I did get good feedback about my work. My meeting with the book jacket designer from Knopf was good, as well. Since they have already used one of my images for a cover, they are definitely interested in knowing about new projects I'm doing.
Some of the best commentary I received, though, was at the "portfolio walk" last night. This was a crazy, hot, crowded three hours when we photographers hawked our wares to 300 - 400 photo-interested folks from the Santa Fe area. The reviewers came around, also. This meant I got to show my work to some with whom I did not get an appointment. The best crit came from Jamie Wellford from Newsweek Magazine.
I sneaked away from my post quite often during the course of the grueling three hours and took a look at other work. There's some really good stuff here. I love Isa Leshko's "Elderly Animal" series. And Dimitri Mellos' New York street work, just to name a couple of wonderful bodies of work.
Gearing up for six sessions today. Fun fun!
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