Doug DuBois

MW

What inspired you to start taking photographs, and what is the primary inspiration for you to keep working in this field?

DDB

When I was in high school, I found an old 35mm camera in a closet and convinced my father to have it repaired. I photographed for my high school yearbook and had a few friends who were into photography. Basically I was a quiet, nerdy teenager and photography gave me the courage to approach people and go places that were intimidating – which for me, at that time, was pretty much anything outside of my small, suburban existence (and much that was within).

My best friend Brook had a darkroom in his basement and we spent a considerable amount of time down there teaching ourselves how to process film and make prints. Our knowledge of photography came directly out of the Time/Life series of photography books on loan from the public library. My father helped me set up my own darkroom in our basement and one day brought home a Cartier-Bresson book called “Man and Machine.” Brook and I would put on music (we were really into progressive rock - don’t laugh) and entertain each other by making up stories to go along with the photographs. The ability of those photographs to evoke an entire world, at once strange and familiar to our adolescent sensibility, is what kept us glued to that book.

Books still provide an important and critical source of inspiration. I’m not a collector, my books take a hit by repeated handling and occasional spillage, but the solitary and private rhythm of turning pages provides, for me, the best way to contemplate photographs, think about the medium and find inspiration to make my own work. Films are a close second and I use DVD’s to watch films at my leisure – stopping, starting and repeating sequences. I keep files of film stills on my computer and from time to time, use them as models for my photographs. Galleries and Museums are another thing altogether. There, I mostly ogle and scrutinize the photographic object. I also pay close attention to the sequencing and installation, but the experience is fleeting and difficult to retain and study, which is why, I find myself returning to books.

MW

In your opinion and experience, how can emerging photographers evaluate themselves as ready to start promoting their works and seek broader exposure for their photographs? What is one vital action you would recommend photographers undertake to find their audience, be included in exhibitions, and gain professional representation?

DDB

I think there are so many paths that artists take to sustain and promote their work that it’s difficult to distill down to one, essential piece of advice, but the key to this question, or at least the central issue, is how do you evaluate yourself? It’s a tough balancing act to maintain a critical, yet confident inner voice. The critical voice is what compels you do it again and again until you get it right, the confidence is what assures you that you will eventually produce something of value. In theory this all sounds reasonable enough, but in practice, this balance is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve and maintain on your own. That’s where a network of friends and colleagues come in to offer a critical eye, a boost to your artistic ambition and a check on your hubris. In the end, however, it’s still up to you to make the decisions – no artist works by committee.

The process to get your work out into the word is not arcane – the interviews here offer plenty of good, practical advice. One thing that I’ve learned over the years, is to watch, if you have the opportunity, how people look through your portfolio or book. Pay attention to where, when and if they pause to linger over particular images or sequences. A reviewer offers a multitude of non-verbal cues about how your photographs are or are not communicating and simultaneously the level of reviewer’s interest or distraction. Teasing out the difference between the two is tricky. Portfolio reviews have popped up everywhere and offer a relatively efficient, cost effective context to show, watch and question people about your work. Just be aware that the person sitting across from you at the table may not always be on their game, generous or particularly insightful, but if you notice a pattern of responses among the reviewers, I would pay attention.

MW

How did it come about that you achieved the status of successful, professional photographer? What steps were involved in reaching your level of success?

DDB

Success is a difficult measure, as is status. I’m not terribly comfortable with either and I think if that is your goal as an artist, you are likely to be disappointed. But as I write this, it feels disingenuous. We are all interested in success -- for better or worse, it’s part of our national character. I like Ron Jude’s description of his success as meandering. I think that’s the experience of many artists and it’s definitely mine.

I got lucky by having several wonderful teachers and mentors when I was a student. I had an early success dropping off my work at MOMA while I was still in graduate school and I can still, occasionally convince a museum curator or collector to buy a print or two. I’ve received a few good grants and fellowships and stumbled into a modest amount of editorial work. Mostly, I rely on some very smart friends, curators, colleagues and editors to look at my photographs and then I do my best to internalize the smartest comments and forget the rest.

The other half of my professional life is in academia – a career and in some sense a calling I have pursued since I was a few years out of grad school. While I was a student, I never really considered a future career as a commercial photographer or an artist, for that matter. I made my living initially, as a printer and got to know Mitch Epstein, Larry Sultan and several other really wonderful photographers via the darkroom. For a while, that’s what I did to pay the rent and produce my photographs, but I admired my professors and actively pursued teaching jobs. Universities have their own issues, headaches and frustrations, but if you take teaching seriously and don’t let the cynical aspects of the institution bring you down, you are doing good in the world.

Really great artists, the ones that seem to live, breathe and exude profound and challenging work are like a force of nature. I have no faith in genius, but making art requires an intense and unflappable concentration that is difficult to attain and rarely sustainable over time. When it happens, even briefly, all the confusion, anxiety and self doubt are worth it.

Jumping the wall, Russel Heights, Cobh, Ireland, 2010, from the series My last day at seventeen, Ireland 2009 - 2010

Aaron, Cobh, Ireland, 2010, from the series My last day at seventeen, Ireland 2009 - 2010

Ben in Eirn's backyard, Cobh, Ireland, 2010, from the series My last day at seventeen, Ireland 2009 - 2010

Eirn and Kevin, Russel Heights, Cobh, Ireland, 2009, from the series My last day at seventeen, Ireland 2009 - 2010

Roisin, Russel Heights, Cobh, Ireland, 2010, from the series My last day at seventeen, Ireland 2009 - 2010

My Father in the Kitchen, Bridgeville, PA, 2004, from the series All the days and nights, Aperture, 2009

My father in the ocean, Naples, FL, 2006, from the series All the days and nights, Aperture, 2009

After the wedding, Gloucester, MA, 2006, from the series All the days and nights, Aperture, 2009

My mother's scar, Gloucester, MA, 2003, from the series All the days and nights, Aperture, 2009

My father commuting, Summit, NJ, 1984, from the series All the days and nights, Aperture, 2009

© copyright all images Doug DuBois

Jane Fulton Alt

MW

What inspired you to start taking photographs, and what is the primary inspiration for you to keep working in this field?

JFA

My photographic beginnings were very basic, initially. I was taking a trip to SE Asia and wanted to learn how to use a new camera. I had been taking various art classes at a local art center at the time and decided to enroll in a photography class. I had a wonderful photography teacher, Dick Olderman, who exposed me to the poetry of photography. I was an avid quilter at the time and had explored ceramics, drawing and painting. I realized that the camera allowed me easier access to exploring the world around me.

Essentially, my photographic explorations have drawn from my life and from asking questions about what it means to be alive. I am a clinical social worker (of 35 years) and raised a family of 3 children. I have also had the privilege of extensive travel, which has fueled my inquiry into what is universal to all people, regardless of race, religion or culture.

Contemplating man’s universal striving for love/connection, I have focused on the tension between love and separation. Man’s very first separation or disconnect happens at the moment of birth, when the umbilical cord is cut. This led me to explore pregnancy and how we all enter into life. After “documenting” several births, I created my first conceptual body of work, “Before the Butterflies.”

I then decided to explore our last and final separation, the moment of death. Death is one of the great mysteries of life and it is the only thing that is certain in life. This exploration has been ongoing and will probably continue until I take my last breath. I have visited slaughterhouses in Louisiana, Mexico’s Day of the Dead, and worked with hospice, both as a photographer and then as a volunteer. All of these experiences have enriched my life, both spiritually and photographically.

I have numerous bodies of work, many of which were created after exposure to places or events. In the fall of 2005, I discovered the power of combining my 2 professions, social work and photography. Previous to then I had kept the 2 careers very separate. I volunteered in the relief efforts post Katrina for 2 weeks in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans on a program called “Look and Leave”. After 3 days of accompanying residents back to their homes for the first time since fleeing, I had a melt down. I returned to my hotel room and realized I needed to more. I needed to photograph what I was seeing and hearing in order to be the ambassador for the people I was serving, as a way to keep their needs in focus and their stories alive. It was a turning point in my life as I realized the power of merging both professions. This integration has continued and infuses my work with a potency I had not previously known.

The Burn is my most current work. It addresses the life cycle. My artist statement communicates my current “take” on life….

“While accompanying restoration ecologists on prescribed burns, I am drawn to the ephemeral quality of the single moment when life and death are not opposites, but rather parts of a single process to be embraced as a whole.

As fate would have it, this project began on the same day (and actual hour) of my sister’s first chemotherapy treatment, having just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The parallels between the burn and chemotherapy were immediately revealed to me as I photographed with my sister in my heart and mind.

Burning helps reduce invasive vegetation that crowd out native plants, allowing sunlight to reach the seedlings. By opening the woodlands to more daylight, the fires prepare the soil for new spring growth, and the cycle of renewal continues. So too, chemotherapy removes unwanted growth, allowing for new healthy cells to reestablish themselves. It was with this deeper understanding of the life cycle that these images were created.”

I have found several quotes to be very helpful to me in trying to understand why I do what I do…One is by Andrey Tarkovsky, the genius of modern Russian cinema who died in 1986. He wrote Sculpting in Time, where he discusses his philosophy of filmmaking and art. He states in chapter 2, Art…A Yearning for the Ideal, that “The goal for all art…is to explain to the artist himself and to those around him what man lives for, what is the meaning of his existence…Art is a means of assimilating the world, an instrument for knowing it in the course of man’s journey toward what is called absolute truth.”

Another quote is from a poet, Wislawa Szymborska, who spoke on inspiration after receiving a Nobel prize December 7, 1996….

“I've mentioned inspiration. Contemporary poets answer evasively when asked what it is, and if it actually exists. It's not that they've never known the blessing of this inner impulse. It's just not easy to explain something to someone else that you don't understand yourself. When I'm asked about this on occasion, I hedge the question too. But my answer is this: inspiration is not the exclusive privilege of poets or artists generally. There is, has been, and will always be a certain group of people whom inspiration visits. It's made up of all those who've consciously chosen their calling and do their job with love and imagination. It may include doctors, teachers, gardeners - and I could list a hundred more professions. Their work becomes one continuous adventure as long as they manage to keep discovering new challenges in it. Difficulties and setbacks never quell their curiosity. A swarm of new questions emerges from every problem they solve. Whatever inspiration is, it's born from a continuous "I don't know." ….. This is why I value that little phrase "I don't know" so highly. It's small, but it flies on mighty wings. It expands our lives to include the spaces within us as well as those outer expanses in which our tiny Earth hangs suspended.”

MW

In your opinion and experience, how can emerging photographers evaluate themselves as ready to start promoting their works and seek broader exposure for their photographs? What is one vital action you would recommend photographers undertake to find their audience, be included in exhibitions, and gain professional representation?

JFA

Art does not exist in a vacuum and needs to be seen by others. Feedback is essential.

Artists are constantly evolving and sometimes it is difficult to know if one is prepared to put the work out in the public. It is important to have feedback on the work, thru critiques, classes, portfolio reviews or individual consultations. Enter photo competitions but do not be discouraged if you are not included. Rejection is just part of the process. There is a blog that belongs to a writer that is solely devoted to all of her rejection letters!

I think it is important to look at other people’s work, via books, the internet, or galleries.

That said, I know that my work only progressed as it did because I was and am not making it for a “market.” My goal was never to “make it.” My path has been different from many photographers. I did not formally study photography and have not looked to photography for financial support as I had another source of income (thru my social work). My goal has always been to attempt to express my inner most concerns thru the photography. I rarely photograph for others and see my photographic practice as “sacred space.” This has been how I have carved out my practice. I think the challenges are great for the photographic market today.

MW

How did it come about that you achieved the status of successful, professional photographer? What steps were involved in reaching your level of success?

JFA

There have been many factors in getting the work out there. First and foremost, the work needs to be strong. Secondly, one needs to have the work seen. A web presence is essential and has led to tremendous opportunities for me. Portfolio reviews are efficient ways to have the work seen by many curators and collectors who would be very difficult to approach in other circumstances. Another alternative to the expense of traveling to a portfolio review is an online review such as Critical Mass (sponsored by Photolucida) which costs a fraction of traveling to a portfolio review. If the work is strong, it will be picked up.

But really, what is most important is just going back to doing the work.. and loving what you are doing.

My advice to emerging photographers is…

There is nothing more meaningful than being true to yourself and finding your own voice. Follow your heart and don’t let anyone discourage you. I once attended a portfolio review session providing feedback from 4 internationally renowned photographers. I had brought 20 photographs and saw each reviewer separately. In the end, I was surprised that each expert cared for different images, and had varied suggestions for how to continue my work. If each expert had been my teacher, I would have pursued 4 different directions and lost my way.

It is vital for any artist to nurture and protect that which will make your vision unique. One need to go inward instead of outward and learn to trust your own inner guide, preserving your identity and finding the answers from within.

If you must have a rule to follow, I suggest cultivating a dialogue with your inner voice and photograph with your heart. If you listen to the clues your own images offer, the resulting work will be fresh and authentic. Fall in love with your world, shoot a lot, and technical problems will straighten themselves out.

Burn No. 26

Burn No. 45

Burn No. 74

Burn No. 49

Burn No. 50

Burn No. 72

Burn No. 23

Burn No. 99

Burn No. 85

Burn No. 81

© copyright all images Jane Fulton Alt

Charlie Grosso

MW

What inspired you to start taking photographs, and what is the primary inspiration for you to keep working in this field?

CG

I wish I could tell you a story of how a family member gave me a brownie camera for my birthday when I was 5 and I haven't been able to stop taking pictures since. Instead this is a story of contest of will and of sheer stubbornness.

The first thing I remembered wanting to be when I was little was an artist. At the time I was too young to understand the concept of medium and as an artist you had to work in at least one particular medium. At one point I remember telling my mom that I wanted to be a fashion designer in part inspired by her interest in fashion (she had attended a fashion institute and made a lot of my clothes and her own when I was young). I remember my inspiration was not well received. To be exact, "NO!" was the answer. Much of the first 11 years of my childhood was in search of an artistic medium that would not be rejected by my parents, anything from drawing to calligraphy to writing stories.

Then came adolescence. I moved from Taipei to Los Angeles and spent the next couple of years learning English and adjusting to a new world. Before long, I was back in search of an artistic medium that would win the approving nod of my parents. Theater was medium that occupied every bit of my time and energy from age 15-22. I loved all the different design elements and the narrative structure. I loved composing a visual scene with the actors and utilizing the designs to relay the subtext. Without surprise, pursuing a life in theater caused as much objection as the desire to be a fashion designer. But as time went on I became less and less concerned with winning the illusive approving nod.

I picked up the camera on a whim the summer between high school and college. I had the summer off and I thought that I needed a hobby. My grandfather is an amateur photographer and I grew up watching him photographing and working in the darkroom.

I spend the summer of 1997 with a private photography teacher who was once a student of Ansel Adams. One faithful sunny Southern California afternoon, he pulled out his Rollei Twin Lens Reflex and handed it to me. I looked down through the ground glass and I fell. Down the rabbit hole I fell and I was in love. Magic happened when I looked through the ground glass. I saw a different world. I still get the same feeling every time I look through the view finder of my Hasselblad or the ground glass of a large format camera.

Photography ended up being the perfect medium.

Some times I don't know if I have finally found the perfect medium or if all the different art forms before were in preparation for it. Did it find me or did I find it? Perhaps a little bit of both. Photography combines the compositional elements of stage direction, different aspects of design and contains the potential of story telling. I love it for so many different reasons and most of all because it is a synthesis of seemingly contradictory elements. It is technical (left brained) yet you must incorporate the artistic, give into the moment (right brain) in order to capture the decisive moment. It requires a lot of control from the artist yet the art demands an equal part of surrender as well. It is perceived to be the medium of TRUTH. What is photographed is real therefor true. Yet the moment captured is an edit of a scene, an edit of time, an edit of the total shoot. It is true and it is a lie. It can be the summation of a complicated story and yet it is only a part of the whole. To achieve mastery you must find the synthesis between opposing concepts. These are just some of the reasons why I love photography. Plus, I am also highly impatient and photography offers (nearly) instant gratification.

MW

In your opinion and experience, how can emerging photographers evaluate themselves as ready to start promoting their works and seek broader exposure for their photographs? What is one vital action you would recommend photographers undertake to find their audience, be included in exhibitions, and gain professional representation?

CG

I feel the most important thing an emerging photographer can do is be very critical in editing their work. Shoot a lot and then edit, edit, walk away, have a drink and edit some more. It is important to develop a personal style and an artistic voice and that is much easier to achieve if you have a very clear idea of what is you are trying to communicate. How do you see the world? How is that particular vision articulated? I see the world with equal measure of irony, sarcasm, delight and compassion. It is apparent in all of my work, both commercial and fine art.

For a commercial photography career, I think it is wiser to show a portfolio that is diverse but driven by the same style. For a fine art photography presentation I think a very concise single body of work is more advisable.

One of the best career advise I had ever received is to never over invest in equipment. Your work is not your gear. Money is always better spend on creating new work and or promoting the work. The newest and latest gear will not make you a better photographer. Running more film through the camera or creating opportunities to shoot will.

I believe it is important to have a good understanding of the business aspect of the profession, whether be the commercial photography world or the fine art world. Aside from the act of creating something excellent there is a business and marketing reality to the life of an artist that I think is often neglected and always an after thought. Its great to create breath taking work. This amazing work that you create will do you and world at large no good unless it gets seen. To do that, you need to learn about marketing, branding and business practice in the arts in general. Artists needs to be able to develop the language to discuss their work. I don't believe it is enough to trust for the work to speak for itself. Help people understand the work you create and why it is worth their time.

If there is one vital thing that I could suggest for emerging photographers is to know your BIG picture goal. Where do you want to be and what kind of work do you want to do. To love the work you do, always ask how you can do it better but also check in and make sure that the work still brings you joy. There is 7 foot limited edition print of mine from an exhibit in my bedroom (Buying Chicken, Guangzhou, China, 2006 from Wok the Dog series). I look at it everyday and ask myself if I still think the image is good, if the work still brings me joy and how can I improve. Be true to yourself but never stop challenging yourself.

MW

How did it come about that you achieved the status of successful, professional photographer? What steps were involved in reaching your level of success?

CG

Success is a funny concept. I think everyone has a different definition of it. It comes slowly for some and all at once for others. There is no road map and a lot of conventions are being challenged as we speak. Only you can define what success is for yourself. I cannot say that I fully understand all that has occurred that has gotten me to where I am now. What I am sure of is the passion I have for the work. The sense of certainty I have. I read a lot about business and marketing. I am obsessive about my work and so I spend a lot of time thinking about it, researching different opportunities and finding ways around existing conventions. I don't take no for an answer and I simply try try and try again. Sometimes I think success can be as simple as having the sheer human stubbornness to keep on showing up.

Never underestimate the power your passion has to inspire other people, move mountains and create amazing things.

One Part Passion + One Part Certainty + Armful of Ever Expanding Knowledge + A Dash of Stubbornness = Where I am Today

Blue Cages, Havana, Cuba, 2010

Nap, Havana, Cuba, 2010

During Eid, Cairo, Egypt, 2010

Butcher Against Orange Wall, Havana, Cuba, 2010

Intricate, Kamil, Morocco, 2010

Butcher, Walking Away, Havana, Cuba, 2010

Boy and Camel, Fez, Morocco, 2010

Number 14, Casablanca, Morocco, 2010

Fish Stall, Casablanca, Morocco, 2010

What Is Left, Georgetown, Malaysia, 2010

In Conversation, Casablanca, Morocco, 2010

© copyright all images Charlie Grosso

Jess T. Dugan

MW

What inspired you to start taking photographs, and what is the primary inspiration for you to keep working in this field?

JTD

In retrospect, I have always had an interest in taking photographs. As a kid in Sherwood, Arkansas, I would create elaborate scenes in the backyard with my cats and teddy bears, shooting roll after roll of film and waiting impatiently to get the photographs back from Walmart. I moved to Cambridge at the age of 13 with my family, and I have a vivid memory of daydreaming about setting up a photo studio with a black velvet background in my new room and creating portraits. However, despite all of this, I didn’t get a chance to study photography in a formal way until my last year of high school. Throughout high school, I found solace in the art department and spent my days drawing and throwing pots, but photography was the most popular course and I wasn’t able to take it until my last year. Once I got in, I was immediately hooked. I would often completely skip whatever class came after photography, too immersed in my work and unable to pull myself away from the darkroom. I began photographing incessantly. Though I was exposed to other kinds of art before, I had finally found the way I was able to connect and communicate with the world and was completely addicted. As a young queer person, photography also gave me license to explore my identity. My first real photographs, taken at age 16, were of my fellow queer and gender variant friends and peers. I was just learning how to use my camera and technically, the images were not very good, but the process of making this work was my first experience with the power of exploring identity through photography.

By the time I fell in love with photography, I had already applied to art school, and I began studying at MassArt the next fall. I immediately enrolled in a photography class and never looked back. Luckily for me, I had the chance to study with an absolutely amazing group of photographers: Abe Morell, Nick Nixon, David Hilliard, Barbara Bosworth, Sage Sohier, Shellburne Thurber, Laura McPhee. I realize more and more each day what a privilege it was to learn from these inspiring artists. As a practicing artist, I am very aware how important my time at MassArt was. It gave me a solid foundation on which to stand, both in terms of technical knowledge and my sense of self as an artist, and for that I am unbelievably grateful.

I make photographs because I have to. It is the way in which I relate to the world around me, and the way in which I am able to know and understand myself. I primarily photograph people, and my camera functions as a way to get to know a wide and diverse group of people very intimately. One of the things I love about photography (and this is a sentiment borrowed from Barbara Bosworth) is that is gives me a reason and medium to explore absolutely anything I am interested in. My camera functions as an access card in many ways, giving me a reason and opportunity to know someone or something in a very personal way.

Right now I have two bodies of work going concurrently. The first is called A Place so as to Stay and is an exploration of people within their spaces and environments. I have absolutely loved making this work because every single person I photograph is fascinating and unique, and for a few hours, they let me into their world and show me who they are, at their core. This kind of access is not something I take lightly, and I am continuously grateful that people share their lives with me with such openness and trust. The second body of work is called Open View, which is a year-long documentation of a small, sustainable, peace and education oriented fiber farm in Western Massachusetts. It is one of the most amazing and beautiful places I have ever been, and I am thrilled to be making a long-term body of work there. Making this work has been an incredible experience, as I visit the farm for 2 or 3 days at a time and really immerse myself in that world. I only began shooting this work in May, but already I feel like the people on the farm are like family to me. Even in a relatively short amount of time, I have forged very deep friendships with many of my subjects and look forward to spending time with them every time I visit. In this way, my commitment to making pictures enriches my personal life in a way that is profound and meaningful.

I am always photographing other people, but in some ways my images are always a reflection of myself. If there is something I don’t understand about myself, or something I’d like to explore, I make images about it until I do understand. My image-making process ebbs and flows, sometimes more internally focused and sometimes focused only on the outside world. Being an artist, to me, means constantly evaluating and re-evaluating your own thoughts and emotions. It’s not for the faint of heart. If I’m not able to be fully present and aware of my own self, I can’t make good work. And sometimes that happens, and it is ok- I just shoot through it, and wait for that presence to come back.

MW

In your opinion and experience, how can emerging photographers evaluate themselves as ready to start promoting their works and seek broader exposure for their photographs? What is one vital action you would recommend photographers undertake to find their audience, be included in exhibitions, and gain professional representation?

JTD

I think a very important part of beginning to show and promote your work is having solid work to begin with. I see a lot of photographers who are so eager to show a body of work that they don’t give it the time and emotional energy to let it develop to its fullest potential, whatever that may be. That being said, I find it incredibly helpful to have a network of trusted people who I can show new work to and who will tell me, honestly, what they think, long before I’m ready to put the work on a gallery wall. It is so important to have a sense of community and people that you trust to look intelligently and critically at your work, and unfortunately, this is something that you really have to make for yourself once you’re no longer in the comfort zone of art school.

Once you feel like the work is ready, I would recommend taking steps to get it seen as well as becoming a part of the local art scene. Apply to group shows, attend openings, go to lectures, go to museums, look at other photographers you admire and examine what it is you like about their work. Talk with other artists in a similar stage in their careers and also talk with artists who are more established. I have found it very helpful to reach out to those who are in a place I’d like to be in someday and ask them how they got there, while keeping in mind that everyone has to figure out their own path and the same actions might not work for different people.

I am an obsessive looker, sometimes almost to the point of exhaustion. I like to know what is out there and what other artists are doing, but I also recognize when it’s time to pull back and sit with my own work and thoughts. The art world can be seductive- there is always another show to apply for or another contest to try to win, and it is easy to look around and see what everyone else is doing and feel like you somehow missed the boat or fell behind. At the end of the day, it is critical to find your own rhythm for making and promoting your work, and to be aware of the art world at large (and perhaps more importantly, the world at large), but not be driven by it. It is much more important to be able to continuously make your work and stay true to yourself than it is to get swept up in the tides of shows and “success.”

MW

How did it come about that you achieved the status of successful, professional photographer? What steps were involved in reaching your level of success?

JTD

Success is a tricky concept. When I first left MassArt, I had a pretty rough transition from art student to working artist, largely because of my own expectations. For better or for worse, I left art school with a skewed sense of what it meant to be a working artist. I imagined an endless stream of residencies and traveling, constant states of change, eating ramen and freezing in the winter, etc. Very bohemian and unrealistic. I also left with the expectation that I would continue to be as productive and make as much work as I had been able to in art school, and for the first year, I struggled with letting myself down constantly. I had to find a job, pay the bills, find a way to afford my film, build a darkroom for myself, and discover that ever-slippery balance of time versus money, art-making versus real-world responsibilities. Eventually I adjusted my expectations and found my own rhythm, making work slowly but surely, printing one day a week and shooting when I could. For me, this is success. Finding a way to continue making work that I find meaningful and exciting amidst the confines of going to work and paying my rent represents a huge success to me.

The best kind of success, for me, is when someone sees my work and it makes them feel something. I never feel more excited about my work than I do when someone tells me how much they connected with it and that it had an emotional impact on them. This is something I love about having shows, more than the excitement and the reviews, is that people get to see my work in the way I intended it to be seen and I get to witness their reactions and hear their thoughts. Success is connecting with other people, whether they are my subjects or viewers of the work, on an intimate and meaningful level.

On a more tangible level, I have worked very hard to get my work seen and to make connections with galleries and other arts professionals. The summer after leaving MassArt, I interned with Joseph Carroll (of Carroll and Sons Gallery in Boston, MA) at the Bernard Toale Gallery, which was an invaluable experience and gave me so much insight into the way that galleries work. While working with Joseph, I met a lot of artists and people involved with other galleries in Boston. I also met Arlette Kayafas (of Gallery Kayafas in Boston, MA) and identified her gallery as a place where I would love to show my work. Over the next year, she and I forged a friendship and working relationship, and she gave me my first solo show of my black and white portraits in October of 2008. I recently had a second solo show of my series of large-format Polaroid photographs, Coupled, in March of 2010. Having gallery representation has been critical to moving my career forward, and I am so grateful to be represented by such a wonderful gallery and person. It is truly a blessing to find a gallery representative who understands and supports your work for exactly what it is. I have also continued to apply for group shows, grants, etc, especially those juried by people I respect or in spaces where I’d really like to exhibit. In the beginning, I applied for shows much more widely to try to build my resume, but now I try to be more selective and choose calls for entry that are appropriate for my work or that I feel will advance my career in some way.

Since joining Gallery Kayafas in 2008, I have gained representation in Chicago and regularly exhibited nationwide, from New York to San Francisco. I was recently in a group show at Carroll and Sons Gallery, and among the other artists in the show were David Hilliard and Sally Mann, and I was absolutely blown out of the water to share the wall with these folks.

Ultimately, it is important to know why you do what you do and to have faith in your own work. While it feels good to get into shows, get reviews, etc, you can’t depend on this kind of feedback to motivate you as an artist. There are always ups and downs. Sometimes you’ll feel on top of the world and other times you’ll feel like nothing is going your way and you’re totally lost and can’t figure out where to go next. It is all part of the process. Arlette has assured me on more than one occasion that the quiet time after a show or major body of work is as important as the excitement of exhibiting or achieving some kind of tangible “success.” What is essential to continuing to be an artist and to making photographs is your sense of self and your belief in your work. This, for me, is unwavering, and it is the anchor that keeps me grounded when things around me feel a little rocky or uncertain.

Lastly, you can’t do it completely alone. I have been influenced and positively affected by so many people, whether they are subjects in my images, curators or jurors who select my work for exhibition, or friends and colleagues who I go to for advice, friendship, and support. So many people have supported me and helped me along the way, and for that I am so grateful and hope that I am an equal support to others in return. My work and my life as an artist is as much about forging meaningful relationships as it is about the end product of seeing my work on the wall. For me the excitement and power is in relating to other people, and making photographs is the best way I know how to do that.

Dan, from the series Open View

Barb holding Frankie, from the series Open View

Suzi, from the series Open View

Violet, from the series Open View

Emmy making a basket, from the series Open View

Michael and TT at home, from the series A Place So As To Stay

Dad with his shotgun, Little Rock, Arkansas, from the series A Place So As To Stay

Shellburne at home, Cambridge, Massachusetts, from the series A Place So As To Stay

Ted and Virginia, Cambridge, Massachusetts, from the series A Place So As To Stay

Jon and Dixie, from the series A Place So As To Stay

© copyright all images Jess T. Dugan