My 13 Career Best Images
How does one measure the artistic accomplishments of an entire career? Is that even possible in today’s chaotic, highly opinionated environment? More importantly, how does one actually make these selections?
These are important questions that are often difficult to answer. And these answers tend to be more personal and subjective rather than quantitatively measured.
Still, measurement involves achieving a sense of personal accomplishment, growth, and satisfaction in one’s chosen field of work. Success in a career, especially photographic art, is not solely based upon financial wealth or status, but also by factors such as job satisfaction, work-life balance, personal development and growth, and contribution to society.
My work ethic ingredients consisted of persistence and hard work. It helped me to overcome many of my technical and craft issues as well as navigate the many peaks and valleys along the journey of my career. Some times I felt like I was a participant in the Myth of Sisyphus, doomed to rolling my boulder of failure up the mountain and watch it roll back down, all the wile knowing I had to repeat the process.
An artist must always learn to pay his dues. This includes establishing a routine to train the artistic eye to readily identify a successful image. Practice and patience are required entrance payments.
And, of course, training, formal or informal, allows one to understand the creativity and craft mechanics with my mentors. I also paid for one-on-one sessions which uniquely addressed and proposed a variety of approach solutions.
My included selections here are ordered by significance as seen through publications and gallery shows around the world. I have also chosen personal favorites that reflects a unique thematic speciality as added dimension of my art: Abstraction, montage, travel, satire, and architectural images. Photography became the starting place for most of my art.
And the following quote has remained at the center of my artistic motivations. “Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone.” It is only here that one can find the courage to explore the boundary risks of creatively. This helps to reduce complaceny and helps to find avoid the crutch of niche comfort which tends to prevent flexibility. Yes, the failure rate may have been higher used this way, but I feel the rewards exceed these with intrinsic, satisfying, meaningful values. If one cannot find enjoyment within the journey, then why continue the journey?