Now Ye're Talking - to the PhotoIreland Festival Director

Boards.ie: Niamh

Today we have a guest from the PhotoIreland Festival, festival founder and director, Ángel Luis González Fernández.

PhotoIreland is currently running for the month of July with exhibitions and talks happening in a variety of venues across Dublin. It is a volunteer led organisation. You can view the 2015 programme here: http://2015.photoireland.org/

PhotoIreland wrote:

In 2010, we launched Ireland’s first international festival of Photography & Image Culture: PhotoIreland Festival was launched. We celebrated Ireland’s first Book & Magazine Fair in 2011, dedicated to Photography. It was the germ of The Library Project, a unique public resource library focused on the photobook opened in 2013. Our work continues outside the festival period with a varied programme that includes events like Après Paris.

PhotoIreland Festival 2015
Dublin 1–31 July - Exhibitions | Talks

Ángel also runs The Library Project in Temple Bar (mentioned above) which some of you may be familiar with. Please post any questions for Ángel about the Festival or the exhibitions

Ken.

What is the best photo you ever took?
What is the best photo of all time in your opinion?
and have you ever got in to a real life threatening situation to get a photo?.

flyingsnail

Are there any trends in modern photography that you particularly like or dislike.

PhotoIreland: Ángel

What is the best photo of all time in my opinion?

I can't answer that, too open a question.
Photographs do different things in different contexts. But images like those coming from Mars, or the Rosetta Comet Mission, or Pluto, are quite impressive. One of the best photos may well be the first X-ray (http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/30693/title/The-First-X-ray--1895/) or perhaps the first photo of Earth From space (http://www.universetoday.com/115641/this-is-the-very-first-photo-of-earth-from-space/), or even the first picture ever posted on the internet (http://gizmodo.com/5924748/heres-the-first-picture-ever-posted-on-the-internet). There are many amazing images out there, whether they were taken for scientific or for artistic reasons.

PhotoIreland: Ángel

I have no idea which is the best photo I ever took. They all served a purpose, and some did it better than others. I like to 'kill my darlings' as they say. No favourites.

PhotoIreland: Ángel

Have I ever got into a real life threatening situation to get a photo?
Nop, thankfully!

eternal

How do I get any of my photographs seen? I studied photography in art college and loved it.

Tiriel

What has been your favourite exhibition in recent years? Why?

PhotoIreland: Ángel

Any trends in modern photography that I particularly like or dislike?

If you mean trends regarding the use of Photography as an artistic practice, I dislike the widespread lack of joy, of happiness and of humour. Being critically informed does not mean you can not remain positive. It is refreshing to see a photographer or an artist enjoying the medium and the message that way.

Some things I would like photographers to consider more often is why does Photography need to be a printed medium, two dimensional and to be hung on a wall, framed. Think, are there other possibilities that can in fact help your project?

OldGoat

Canon or Nikon?

Vojera

For you, what elevates a picture from being just a photo to a piece of art?

PhotoIreland: Ángel

eternal wrote: »

How do I get any of my photographs seen? I studied photography in art college and loved it.

Usually, the best way to show photographs is to actively shown them, but where? Well, there are many websites that offer Photography forums where you can gain feedback regarding technical aspects, on your technique, etc. Of course, Boards is one of them. Also, Flickr seems quite popular at that level.

In my experience, our need to show our own work comes because we need to figure out where we are at, are we great or less so?, how can we improve? In the end, the more confident you are the less you would need to show your work.

The need for exhibiting your work is a similar process. You feel your work is awesome or not, but you need to exhibit it. You feel you want to show this images that took such hard work to make because you need that feedback. So always look for constructive critical feedback, not for those who love your work - it will help you progress and save you time.

PhotoIreland Festival is a good time to show your work, every July, because you will get a bit of extra exposure.

miamee

As someone who knows very little about photography other than I like to look at photos what exhibitions would you recommend I see before the festival ends? I saw the Greetings from Ireland exhibit in City Assembly House at the end of June and enjoyed that.

PhotoIreland: Ángel

OldGoat wrote: »

Canon or Nikon?

Fork or knife? Well, what do you need for the job at hand? I don't care about the brand, as long as it is a good one - cause it affects your own work. You must know how to make the most out of all the tools at your disposal, or make new ones. But don't get too stuck on brands, technology changes quickly. You know, who cares about Nokia today?

PhotoIreland: Ángel

Vojera wrote: »

For you, what elevates a picture from being just a photo to a piece of art?

Context.
We think there is a magic wand that turn anything into Art. But do ask yourself, what does 'elevate' anything to Art? It is context.

I will expand in the next post.

PhotoIreland: Ángel

miamee wrote: »

As someone who knows very little about photography other than I like to look at photos what exhibitions would you recommend I see before the festival ends? I saw the Greetings from Ireland exhibit in City Assembly House at the end of June and enjoyed that.

Great! Glad that you enjoyed the installation at the amazingly gorgeous City Assembly House. You can check a version of that at The Library Project in Temple Bar now.

Check the shows in The Copper House Gallery:
- Christiane Peschek, 13 Kinder. It is a great piece of work developed from a conversation with orphan kids in Austria.
- Island-Australia. A sample of Photography from Australia.
- The Asia Pacific Photobook Archive. Like The Library Project, the Asia Pacific Photobook Archive is a collection of Photobooks, a unique one, from artists based on that region. You know, we rarely hear from them so it is a precious chance to discover about them!
http://2015.photoireland.org/show/copper-house-gallery/

Also, if you have time, check the shows around Dublin 1, like Dominic Hawgood in the Oonagh Young Gallery, Katrin Koenning in The LAB, and the super fun '(It’s Kind of Like) Telephone':
http://2015.photoireland.org/program/dominic-hawgood/
http://2015.photoireland.org/program/katrin-koenning/
http://2015.photoireland.org/program/its-kind-of-like-telephone/

The Gallery of Photography runs 'Notes From the Margins':
http://2015.photoireland.org/program/notes-from-the-margins/

Loads to see!

Gloomtastic!

Is there anything you miss about silver halide photography or are you digital all the way?

If you had to photograph a cheese, what would your favourite type of cheese be?

PhotoIreland: Ángel

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Is there anything you miss about silver halide photography or are you digital all the way?

If you had to photograph a cheese, what would your favourite type of cheese be?

Personally, I don't think the technique or the camera, or the camera maker are relevant as a practice in itself, but for a specific project. I don't miss silver halide and I am not digital all the way. I do have a Hasselblad with film backs (loved when I used its digital sisters) and I have a Fuji X-Pro 1 for my everyday errands - my phone let me down far too often.

The cheese question stinks. Manchego is underappreciated, perhaps cause its beauty is deeper than in other cheeses. How about you?

PhotoIreland: Ángel

Tiriel wrote: »

What has been your favourite exhibition in recent years? Why?

Loads of people drool over Alec Soth's work, but I am definitely more of a fan of photographers that are playing with the medium, asking interesting questions in their practice rather than looking for awesome photos.

Two shows at LE BAL, Paris I loved:
-Paul Graham, Beyond Caring & The Present
http://www.le-bal.fr/fr/mh/les-expositions/exposition-passee/paul-graham/
- A new generation of Spanish photographers.
http://en.le-bal.com/fr/mh/young-photographers-at-le-bal/
Look at the work, the hanging, check their photobooks. Amazing.

From Ireland, I loved Patrick Hogan's Still - winner of the Gallery of Photography Artist Award 2012. http://www.galleryofphotography.ie/patrick-hogan-still/

From PhotoIreland this year, you MUST go and experience Dominic Hawgood.
http://2015.photoireland.org/program/dominic-hawgood/

These are some shows, the list could be huge.
Will share some more shows from abroad.

Gloomtastic!

Here's the last picture of cheese I took about a month ago



That Dominic Hawgood photo is just stunning........

PhotoIreland: Ángel

Ok, you are all asking great questions, but can I ask one? Here it is:

Why are Visual Arts free?
You pay in to see a gig, a theatre play, the circus, a dance performance... any cultural offering is a paid engagement, but a Visual Arts exhibition is free. Should this change?

dacogawa

This is one of my most liked/shared images on the internet

https://twitter.com/DavidCostelloDC/status/548834928373551104/photo/1

but it is one of the lowest performers sales-wise...

Do you think internet sharing/liking is a good or bad thing for photography? if people get a low quality photo (probably watermarked) on the internet for free they'll use it as a desktop picture/cover photo and wont want an original high resolution print?

Also do you think there are now so many photos on the internet (phone,etc) that some great photos are being missed in all the cannon fodder?

PS. What resolution do you recommend putting pictures on the internet at and should they be watermarked?

Thanks you!

PhotoIreland: Ángel

dacogawa wrote: »

Do you think internet sharing/liking is a good or bad thing for photography? if people get a low quality photo (probably watermarked) on the internet for free they'll use it as a desktop picture/cover photo and wont want an original high resolution print?

Also do you think there are now so many photos on the internet (phone,etc) that some great photos are being missed in all the cannon fodder?

PS. What resolution do you recommend putting pictures on the internet at and should they be watermarked?

Thanks you!

David,
There are great strategies out there regarding the offering of free items to promote sales, or upselling in general. Find some good books about these or seek advice from some Business Studies colleagues, or in fact look for mentorship from the Dublin City Enterprise Board. Then take your decisions.

By nature, we consume far too many images on and offline. To position yourself as a unique supplier of images is a tricky thing. I won't tell you how to do it because you can clearly see how others have done it and analyse it yourself: from Getty to Shutterstock, Imagefile, etc, to Giles Norman and Enda Cavanagh.

If it helps, there is always a market for beautiful images of things, landscapes, people, it seems. So no matter the level of complexity of your business (market stall, high street shop, online supplier, stock seller), you will always find a niche.

I would always EXIF my images properly, and I don't mind uploading them at 144dpi because I rather people see them at its best - I am talking about most of PhotoIreland related stuff online. If you still an image, sooner or later you will be find out, so I like to live with my concerns elsewhere.

PhotoIreland: Ángel

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Here's the last picture of cheese I took about a month ago

That Dominic Hawgood photo is just stunning........

I think you just broke the internet!

Keggy

Hi there.

Looking at getting a new GX8 camera from Panasonic. I have previous experience with their range.

What's your opinion on micro four thirds vs full frame ? Any experience of using both ?

I used to be a Canon user but switched to Panasonic a few years ago.

Thanks


Dave

Vojera

Do you think that photographers sometimes aren't as recognised for their work as artists who work with other media? When someone shows off a painting people can see that, even if they don't like it, it obviously took a lot of time and effort, whereas some people think photography is just a matter of point and click.

PhotoIreland: Ángel

Keggy wrote: »

Hi there.

Looking at getting a new GX8 camera from Panasonic. I have previous experience with their range.

What's your opinion on micro four thirds vs full frame ? Any experience of using both ?

I used to be a Canon user but switched to Panasonic a few years ago.

Thanks


Dave

What do you need the camera for?

wonderfulname

PhotoIreland: Ángel wrote: »

Ok, you are all asking great questions, but can I ask one? Here it is:

Why are Visual Arts free?
You pay in to see a gig, a theatre play, the circus, a dance performance... any cultural offering is a paid engagement, but a Visual Arts exhibition is free. Should this change?

Not all cultural offerings are paid engagements, and certainly not all other artists are paid, muscians for example can find themselves paid in "exposure" rather than the more useful "diesel money".

The current model in the arts is proven artists are paid, exhibitions and gigs cost money in relation to the artists notoriety rather than their work. In music this sees unsigned acts allowing free access to recorded material online, music downloads for free or by donation, gigs hopefully taking in about as much as they cost, and merchandise being treated as the actual revenue source. This is very far from perfect, people still don't support smaller muscians nearly enough and if they break even they're doing well, but it's an evolving attempt at squaring up music as a business with the modern reality that people expect to know exactly what they're getting before paying.

Is there anything comparable happening in the visual arts world that suggests it can be a business, as well as a social good?

Alternatively do you think that as a society, we simply undervalue the work done by artists and muscians?

Or do people even know? I would generally assume an exhibition where I didn't have to pay in was being funded by the sale of work or had recieved external funding.

PhotoIreland: Ángel

Vojera wrote: »

Do you think that photographers sometimes aren't as recognised for their work as artists who work with other media? When someone shows off a painting people can see that, even if they don't like it, it obviously took a lot of time and effort, whereas some people think photography is just a matter of point and click.

If you ask me is because that is your feeling, and I would agree that certainly there is an aspect of the image making process that feels effortless.

Load of things to consider there, but essentially, there are also a lot of types of Photography and one can not deny at times it is indeed all point and shoot.

In any case, it is a perception you can not go against. One must use that negative perception to in turn point out the uniqueness of one's work.

PhotoIreland: Ángel

wonderfulname wrote: »

Not all cultural offerings are paid engagements, and certainly not all other artists are paid, muscians for example can find themselves paid in "exposure" rather than the more useful "diesel money".

The current model in the arts is proven artists are paid, exhibitions and gigs cost money in relation to the artists notoriety rather than their work. In music this sees unsigned acts allowing free access to recorded material online, music downloads for free or by donation, gigs hopefully taking in about as much as they cost, and merchandise being treated as the actual revenue source. This is very far from perfect, people still don't support smaller muscians nearly enough and if they break even they're doing well, but it's an evolving attempt at squaring up music as a business with the modern reality that people expect to know exactly what they're getting before paying.

Is there anything comparable happening in the visual arts world that suggests it can be a business, as well as a social good?

Alternatively do you think that as a society, we simply undervalue the work done by artists and muscians?

Or do people even know? I would generally assume an exhibition where I didn't have to pay in was being funded by the sale of work or had recieved external funding.

The idea of the Arts, and particularly the Visual Arts being a 'social good' is great. The idea that all good things for society must be free is simply naive. It had its history, its context, and times have change. Certain offerings must remain free or somewhat affordable, like those coming from public collections or state own institutions, but in general we must pay for enjoying exhibitions. We must do it so we make sure all involved get paid properly.

I don't know much about the Music side of things, but paying for a gig is much better accepted than for enjoying a few photos in a wall.

dacogawa

Thank you for the answers Ángel, I really appreciate the advice!