Snapshooting vs. exhibition work

[fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Dr. George A. Themelis)]

>     I'd rather please myself than someone else...

Allan Carrano's comments hit right home.  For my first 5 years or so I was
taking 3-d pictures in isolation of family, vacation and things that I
liked.  All of them snapshots with the occassional above average picture.

It's been about two years since I joined postal slide circuits and started 
sharing my slides with others, one and a half year since I joined Detroit 
and a few months since I started entering PSA competitions.

I now think that it is possible to do both, take pictures that please you
and pictures that please "the judges" too.

I'll take my Realist anywhere I go, I'll shoot birthday parties, picnics,
family events... I'll shoot vacation record shots and will do plenty of
good old-fashion snapshooting.  From time to time I'll drag my twin SLRs
out of the closet to go for a special assignment or do macro work at home,
slide copying and other special projects and creative activities.

It's good to shoot for the fun of it but it is also good to take up a
challenge and do well.  It's good to have a personal collection of slides
of your family and vacation that you like but it is also good to have
slides than the average judge (not particularly interested in your first
born) will like.

Who says one or the other?  You can do both as long as you have time to
spend and money to burn... ;)

George (short of both...)


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