tine sparkles

My website is my portfolio and I showcase my best work in it putting my best foot forward. This piece you see here  is called 'Migration of the swallows'. Every now and then I change my mind about a piece, take it off, add a new one. I do it in an intuitively the way I feel is right. It's all an organic process. Since I don't have a scanner I take photos of everything which is difficult sometimes due to lighting and equipment.

When I started this weblog just over 2 years ago I was fascinated by all the possibilities. It re-connected me with photography which is awesome because I hadn't taken a single photo nor touched a camera in 5 years ever since I had received my diploma as a professional Photographer. I had thought I was done with photography.
In retrospect I now know that what happened was that I was totally blocked during my 3 years of apprenticeship wihch was due to high expectations, pressure, way too high standards, too much critique and the absence of praise, shyness, perfectionism, too many rules, abstract theories. It made for painful, hard and very long and awkward three years with my mentor. It had its highlights such as flying a lot in helicopters above the city and all the way to bordering countries since my mentor was specified on aerial Photography and industrial Photography and Filming as well. I am deeply grateful to have had this opportunity of a lifetime. But all passion for photography itself was deeply buried and frozen inside myself. At the end I had only two great photos to put in a portfolio, if I ever made one. The rest of hundreds of photos were all just a bunch of crap that I was embarrassed and ashamed of because I had graduated so poorly. No portfolio.
All that changed and it slowly woke up like a giant iceberg melting inside myself. My weblog dissolved my block. I began to enjoy myself and the ever critical voices? I ignored them simply and did my own thing and pushed through it all. I have my small Canon and love it. I love taking photos for my portfolio. I do miss the photo studio at times though with the proper equipment but it's alright and I am alright with the way they turn out. Each piece fuels me to take the best shot of it and position it in its best light.

The most difficult part about a portfolio is to decide which pieces to put in it. The strongest ones have to be in it. Art is so subjective and everyone loves different things and has different opinions. I'm a Pro when it comes to great photos but I'm not a Pro when it comes to portfolios.
I think that oneself should feel great about the pieces. Don't judge in your head but your heart. Your heart always knows what's best. Don't be artificial or try too hard to impress some people just because. Don't give someone else power over your work but keep your power. You are the one who created it and no one else! Be yourself and show the real you that's what makes it authentic! And only then can it work. Put in it the pieces you love and are the most proud of and have the rest ready for when Oprah knocks on the door so you can show it to her if she asks and if she doesn't you show it to her anyway just to make sure ;-)