Taken from the Straub BLOG:
In January 2011, Straub Collaborative’s team of photographers took a trip down south for Photo LA, a multi-day Fine Art photography event with 100 + galleries and over 500 photographers represented. It was an opportunity for the team to take in a worldwide scope of photographers’ work, offering a full spectrum of styles, skills and subject matter for an infusion of inspiration + team building.
We had a chat with them to find out about their adventure; Straub Collaborative clients past, present and future should be pleased as to what they brought back with them to base camp.
Elizabeth: “There was so much to see, so many different styles from one gallery to the next…it was like walking through Communication Arts Magazine.”
Lance: “It was a great opportunity to remind ourselves that photography is not restricted to the commercial realm. Working with so many clients at the Collaborative producing consumer goods, it’s important to have a mental recess to recharge the mind, and remember that photography can be so much more.”
Each day, the Straub shooters arrived at the show as a united front, but once they hit the event space, everyone went their own direction, going their own pace and taking notes in anticipation of commiserating each evening.
What work evoked the most response from the team?
The subject of China was a focal subject for a number of photographers. One captured old world China images, while Yang Yi did a series about the Three Gorges Dam project with “A City Underwater” as the theme. The images themselves were beautiful while the subject matter controversial and disturbing at turns.
Claudio Napolitano from Brazil’s provocative images got the team buzzing about content and execution with his surreal portraits of children in richly-textured, theatric sets and costuming – young faces wrought with world-weary expressions.
A gallery of work shot by legally blind photographers captured the team’s imagination with beautiful, distorted images with deeply saturated color.
How did work at the 2011 event compare to prior years?
Elizabeth: “On our last trip to the event, darkness was predominant, both in subject matter and execution with color and lighting. This time, everything seemed lighter, brighter. I am guessing that the choices were happier because there may be a sense that that’s what people are looking for right now – seeking more up-beat images. We saw a work this time that was totally whimsical: it was made up of miniatures skiing down slopes of food. I’m sure you would not have seen that at the last Photo LA.”
I can see how Photo LA provided inspiration, but how is it a team-building activity if you spend the days on your own?
Team: “Looking at and critiquing other people’s work gave us, as a team that works together constantly, a neutral ground to talk extensively about what each of us looks for and values without putting one another’s work on the spot.
One of the things that we enjoyed was the fact that all of us have very distinctive, individual tastes, styles and interests, so you could almost guarantee that we would all like or dislike a single piece for completely different reasons.”
Jenn is drawn to the work of photographers who have strong advertising backgrounds whose skills shine through in their Fine Art photography. The artists who know their form and are applying it to high concept, more difficult subjects are who she finds most intriguing: “I was looking for ‘what’s next’ – Fine Arts is a place to explore, challenge the viewer, make commentary and focus on concept. I want to see where the medium is going to go.”
Scott was pulled in by the technical components: “I was drawn to the evolution of the physical frames on the photos… examples of fusing the image to Plexiglas. The surface itself becomes another dimension of the artwork – you can alter the shape and texture, allowing the frame to become part of the story.”
Lance likes documentary-style imagery: “I was pretty surprised at how much work was heavily stylized and photo-manipulated. I have to say that I like the work that comes straight from the outside world, with minimal direction. Mitch Dobrower and his infra-red storm pictures are a great example: framed, wide open plains with hauntingly apocalyptic cloudscapes placing the scale of man so small compared to the natural world -very powerful.”
Elizabeth is eternally haunted by lighting (it makes her wave her hands in excitement as she describes what she witnessed): “We saw pieces that actually didn’t execute as well as they should, and that was actually as educational as things where the photographer succeeded. There was one piece that was lit TERRIBLY! Bad printing! Under exposed! Flat! It could have been SO much better!”
“A lot of the artists in this show work primarily as commercial photographers but Fine Art is really a completely other part of your brain – it gives you room to stretch. We all need to do more of it to have a continued influx of creativity and not get caught in trammels. This trip gave me a renewal of my love for photography. Seeing other people’s non-commercial work helps one branch out, inspiring us to bring fresh ideas to our daily work.”
Jenn: “Since I am new to the studio, it was so helpful to get to know everyone outside the studio – build respect for each other by hearing their perspectives on photography but also learning about their lives beyond photography. Having those additional touch points makes working in the studio that much more positive, creating greater connection between the team members with increased familiarity, trust and admiration.”
So was it all business?
Lance: “Relaxing back in our hotel with the other Straub photographers was almost like being back in a dorm room – tons of jokes and laughter.”
There was plenty of light-hearted camaraderie at the event, and they made sure that their down time was fun. For a bunch of sun-starved Oregonians, the sunshine, surf and palm trees were salve for their soggy winter spirits.
At the Santa Monica Pier Arcade there were friendly competitions over Skee-ball, Air Hockey, Pop-A –Shot; later, everyone enjoyed the spectacle of Jenn’s hair whipping about madly as she screamed and laughed in the Squirrel Cages (video to follow, if she doesn’t catch us).
The crew rode bikes along the beach path from Santa Monica, arriving at the circus that is Venice Beach for breakfast, after which they wandered amongst the muscled-and-oiled strongmen, glass-walking street performers, roller-disco superstars, capturing other-worldly images (photos=business!) and taking in the sights.
Thanks a ton David!
-lk
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