Sandra Dyas

MW

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

SD

I started using my Dad's cameras when I was a little girl. The first one was a cheap Brownie. I was eight or nine. I dressed up our farm cats in my doll clothes and took their photos. Pictures of my family and cousins were part of my earliest work, too. In high school my Dad gave me his Rolleiflex twin lens. He had brought it home from WWII and he no longer used it. Mom took pictures of our family growing up, but I do not recall using her camera. I also used a Polaroid Swinger and a point and shoot in junior high and high school. My photos were always of people I knew. I really wanted to work on the yearbook but some of the teachers did not like my rebellious (very innocent) nature and voted me off of the yearbook staff.

Finishing high school I enrolled in a graphic arts program at a junior college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. How I got there is another story. It was indicative of the times... Mr. Wilson, our "guidance counselor" was aware of my desire to attend college for a degree in Art Education and said it was a "fantasy of mine". Matter of factly, he told me I would never make it in college because I did not like math and science. He convinced me to attend a junior college and enrol in Fashion Merchandising. I did not want to sell clothing and I promptly switched to Graphic Arts. This was 1971. My perception of my options in life was miniscule. Getting married, being a housewife or teacher, secretary, beautician or nurse...those were my options....as far as I knew. I was in the middle of nowhere on a rural farm in eastern Iowa.

I enjoyed the Graphic Arts program and learned a little about photography. My boyfriend gave me a Minolta SRT 101 for Christmas. It was the best gift anyone ever gave me. It was 1972. Following school I found a job working in the darkroom for a printing company in Dubuque, Iowa. By 1973 I was pregnant with my first daughter and I married my boyfriend, the one who had given me the camera. After Jenna was born, I began working as graphic artist in a printing shop in Maquoketa, Iowa. I did paste-up for brochures, business cards, etc. I made about $2.00 an hour.

I was married with a baby and needed badly to bring in more income because my husband's income was not enough and he was also young and irresponsible. In 1976 I was asked by a young woman in Bellevue, Iowa if I would like to buy her portrait studio business. My parents lent me a down payment for her business and I began photographing people for a living. I learned a great deal about people, lighting and business. It became a successful portrait business and lasted nearly twelve years. Being the portrait and wedding photographer in Bellevue eventually lost its appeal. I wanted something else and I knew it.

In 1987, my two daughters and I moved to Iowa City so I could attend undergraduate college at the University of Iowa. I had been divorced for seven years. In retrospect I can see I was making quite a leap and financially it was not such a good one. Going in debt with student loans, and being a single mom was difficult, oh and I was also learning how to be a student again. I loved school. After finishing a BFA in Intermedia (Performance Art and Video Art) I applied and was accepted into the Intermedia graduate program. During my long stint studying I was also immersed in fine art photography. The Lost Nation Photographs began in the later eighties and continued for nearly fifteen years. This work is a very personal and poetic exploration of the everyday world. Although Lost Nation is a small town in eastern Iowa, my Lost Nation does not occupy a physical place; it is a universal feeling and a metaphor for the human condition.

In answer to why I stayed in the field of photography, I would say, I love it and I think I am good at it. I enjoy the ability to go places with a camera I normally would not be permitted to go. Diane Arbus - an obvious influence of mine said once that she enjoyed the event of taking pictures. When I spend an hour or several hours with someone making their portrait, I am allowed into their personal space. Most of my work is on location. It feels very intimate. The title...The Two Way Lens speaks to this - there is always the photographer and there is always the person on the other side of the camera's lens.

Photography has taught me to pay attention to the little details in the everyday world. Teaching photography has done that too. I find myself talking to my students about getting in the zone, paying attention to the frame, slowing down and really seeing what is in front of you. Photography has taught me a great deal about life.

In 1999 I begun teaching photography part-time at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Teaching is something that is in my blood. I knew that when I was a girl. It is immensely satisfying and informs my own life as well as my art. Forming relationships with students keeps me connected. I can share my knowledge and passion with students who have similar feelings about art. Teaching is always about learning. I enjoy seeing their enthusiasm for photography.

I am at a crossroads once again. Maybe it is my age and maybe it is the economy but whatever it is, I have found it extremely difficult to obtain a full time tenured position in an art department. True, I have only begun searching three years ago. I continue to freelance and do commission work but what I would really like is a full time teaching position so as to be able to spend the rest of my time on photo projects. Who knows? It might be perfect the way it is now. I am ready for a new chapter though.

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?

SD

The internet is a wonderful way to network with other artists and photographers. Your work has a possibility of being seen if you have a website and/or blog or by using a photo network like Flickr. Entering competitions is another good idea for photographers. Jurors see your work. Sometimes your work is accepted and this gives you more presence in the photo world. Living in a community where you are part of an artist community is important. For me the quickest way to stop doing what I am doing is to isolate myself. I would like to live in a much larger art community but where and how are the questions. Making a living in the arts is very competitive. To live as an artist you have to be willing to live very frugally.

One thing I suggest to my students is to really study photography books. I am crazy about them and have a pretty large collection. They can teach

you so much about photography. I love reading interviews and essays about the photographers and why they make photographs. My books are a big source of inspiration.

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?

SD

I had lunch not long ago with two younger artist friends - one a photographer and one a writer. We were talking about how to make it in the arts.

I still do not believe I have made it - but they both said I had - that my status was as a successful artist working in photography. Funny.... Maybe it is that we never believe we are where we should be or where we want to be. Maybe there is always the constant search for more. I have accomplished some success by having my name out there, being recognized by some people and getting my work into solo and group exhibitions. But it feels like I am only just getting started and sometimes I wonder about it all. With the internet and digital photography the competition is real. Mark Brautigam, (he and I were both chosen for The 50 States Project) a photographer in Milwaukee, said to me recently in an email, he had been doing some thinking about the photo world and the vast industry of portfolio reviews, competitions, etc. It seems everyone is doing it. And as Mark pointed out it is pretty easy to just get lost in it.

My book "Down to the River; Portraits of Iowa Musicians" was published by the University of Iowa Press in 2007 and that is my biggest accomplishment. A series of steps were involved in making that happen. The photo project was a personal project I had been shooting for nearly twenty years in and around Iowa City. I had no preconceived idea of ever showing the work let alone publishing it. I was working on The Lost Nation Photographs at the same time and I saw that work as my more important fine art work. Justine Zimmer, a very close friend, suggested I show the work to Holly Carver at the University of Iowa Press. Holly was extremely supportive. From the idea of publishing to the actual hard-copy book, it took me over five years of work.

This past decade I have continued to make new work and to exhibit it in college galleries as well as a few museums in Iowa. I have also been in a number of group shows outside of Iowa. Two of my gelatin silver prints were in Onward '10, juried by Debbie Fleming Caffery. Over a year ago I was selected by Stuart Pilkington to be the Iowa photographer for his 50 States Project . If my work had not been present on the internet, I would not have had this wonderful opportunity.

A month ago I created a new video piece (EPK) for Pieta Brown's latest cd "One and All". My MFA was in video art but everything then was analog. The video I made for Bo Ramsey in 2000 was made using analog. This past December, I invested in a new Canon HD Vixia camera, another big external hard-drive and Final Cut Express to make this new piece for Pieta.

I work in film and digital photography as well as video. In order to reach any level of success in the arts, you must get used to rejection, be dedicated, hard-working and of course have some talent. I struggle financially to make ends meet. If you are young and a people person, I recommend wedding photography. You learn everything about being a photographer by doing it. I have shot about 600 weddings or close to it. It is emotionally and physically a very demanding job. Extremely stressful. I did love it and I always wanted to please my clients. It was a good fit but once again, I see myself moving into something else. Not really sure what... It is not easy to be an artist but it is my life so far and I do like my life. The financial struggle is real. I have considered other careers but everything so far has been linked to photography.

The Blue Chair, from the series Heaven & Earth

Red Lips, from the series Heaven & Earth

The Gold Curtain, from the series Heaven & Earth

Blue Birds, from the series Heaven & Earth

Ballerina Girl with Apple, Iowa City, Iowa, from the series The Lost Nation Photographs

Cowboy, Iowa City, Iowa, from the series The Lost Nation Photographs

Carnival Man, Iowa City, Iowa, from the series The Lost Nation Photographs

Greg Brown, Iowa City, Iowa, from the series Down to the River, Portraits of Iowa Musicians

Joan In Her Turquoise Dress, Bellevue, Iowa, from the 50 States Project

Mark Stevenson, Iowa City, Iowa, from the series Holding On; Portraits of People I Know

© copyright all images Sandra Dyas

Hiroshi Watanabe

MW

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

HW

When I was in a high school, I was told by my parents that I must study hard and go to a university. I didn’t want to study. I had a good friend who wanted to become an artist., and he was a painter. I was somewhat influenced by his idea, but I knew I was not good at drawing and I had no other particular artistic talent. So, I thought I would do photography. Photography sounded fun and easy and no hard studying was necessary, I thought. I found the university with 4 year photography course and I was successfully admitted, and that satisfied both my parents’ requirement and my wish of easy life. My father bought me a Minolta 35mm SRL and that was my first camera. I had no prior interest in photography. I played a lot and enjoyed the four years of college life, but somehow I became serious about photography as I studied it. When I graduated, I found a job in the US which happened to be a production company specializing in making commercials for Japan. I thought I would work for the company for a year or two and look for a photography job meanwhile. But one photographer whom I met suggested that I stayed on with the job. He said advertising and filming had much potential while photography had no future. At that time, I was starting a family and I had the responsibility. So, I stayed on with the job and a four years later I started my own production company. After I ran the business for 15 years, one morning, I woke up and all the sudden I decided to become a photographer again. I don’t know why but I had decided. I traveled and built up a portfolio between commercial jobs for 5 years and after that I closed down the business and became a full time photographer. It’s been 10 years since then and I am still a photographer.

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?

HW

Obviously, one has to start by showing his/her work, and there are many occasions nowadays—contests, portfolio reviews, grants, etc. I don’t think opportunity is an issue here. There are plenty of chances to be discovered if you are good. So, the question is, “Are you good? “ Simple, easy, and sure way to find out is you. No one can answer this question but yourself. If you aren’t sure if your wok is good, then probably your work is not good enough. Don’t ask somebody else. Instead, hang your work and live with it. If it makes you feel good and proud that you made it, your work is good. If you think, “He will be sorry.” when someone rejected your work, then your work is very good. When you are sure about your work, you are ready to be found.

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?

HW

I am not sure if I am successful professional photographer. If “successful professional” means I can live a good, somewhat luxurious, life by the profession, then I am certainly not. I am represented by well-established galleries in New York, Chicago, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, and others, and I sell decent number of work every month. But fine art photography requires a lot of money to produce. I spend a lot for films and prints and also traveling. I work full time 5 days a week and I don’t do anything else. My expenses are almost as high as my photography income and I have so little left at the end even when I am lucky. So, maybe I am not qualified to answer this question. Then why am I doing photography? I think it is a combination of passion and stupidity. For me, photography is intellectual, artistic, and curiosity fulfilling. I love making photographs.

White Terns, Midway Atoll, from the series American Studies

Maiko Takaku, Matsuo Kabuki, from the series Kabuki Players

Patient RC 2, Epilepsy, from the series I See Angels Every Day

El Arbolito Park, Quito, Ecuador, from the series Gods, Nations, and Histories

Aikichi 2, Suo Sarumawashi, from the series Suo Sarumawashi

Fukunosuke, Suo Sarumawashi, from the series Suo Sarumawashi

Santa Monica Pier, from the series American Studies

Bubble Man, New York, from the series American Studies

Sardar Market, Jodhpur, India, from the series Gods, Nations, and Histories

Ellis Island 2, New York, from the series American Studies

Marina Ema & Kazusa Ito, Matsua Kabuki, from the series Kabuki Players

© copyright all images Hiroshi Watanabe

Aline Smithson

MW

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

AS

From an early age, I was immersed in creative pursuits, whether designing doll clothes or drawing cartoons, and in college I was doing pretty much the same thing on an elevated level--I was focused on painting, and designing clothes on the side. After college, I moved to New York to become the next Diebenkorn, but ended up involved in fashion, while continuing to paint in my free time.

Becoming a photographer was a totally organic evolution—I had been surrounded by photographers all my life (my father and my uncle), we had a darkroom in our basement growing up, and I worked as a fashion editor alongside incredible photographers, but hadn’t considered it as a career until it sort of hit me in the face. Once I committed to photography, it felt like it was natural fit and it brought me back to my roots as an image-maker and artist. I realized I had spent decades looking at images—on album covers, in magazines, in galleries and museums, and I wanted to create my own.

At first, there was a huge learning curve, but my happiest days were those spent in the darkroom, figuring out my craft and sensibility. I only took a few classes, and the rest has been self-taught. I had two small children at home and had to contain my photography to the hours that they were in school. I had no community, except for the friends I made in the darkroom, and spent hours navigating the internet trying to learn from other photographers—seeing how they put together portfolios, what exhibitions they submitted to, what magazine accepted submissions. But I never had any doubt that this was my path. And in retrospect, taking things slowly was a good thing. And even though I wish I could have started earlier and earned an MFA, I think being a self-taught photographer has kept my vision unique.

I made many, many mistakes, got rejected many times, but when I started creating work that kept me awake at night with excitement, things started to happen. I got into Review Santa Fe, was offered exhibitions, and began teaching.

What sustains my vision is that I continually want to interpret the world through my own artistic lens.

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?

AS

The two biggest problems that beginning photographers face are learning how to edit, and making high quality prints. Beginning photographers forget that it’s not just the image that is for sale, but the print. Many students have never produced prints, even though they have made thousands of photographs, and perhaps the fact that they have thousands of photographs, doesn’t allow them to commit to a single image!

Emerging photographers have to remember that the art world has seen everything, and in order to produce work that gets the attention of those rarefied eyes; it has to be unique, meaningful, and professional. Oh yes, and interesting or important enough not only in concept, but worthy of the energy it takes to promote the work for years to come. It’s important for work to say something, to tell a story, to have a point of view, to have a voice, and to understand why you are making the work and who your audience is.

When a photographer is ready to “emerge”, they should be visually sophisticated, well versed in the photo world—being familiar with galleries, museums, major competitions, and other photographers—and be able to present a cohesive body of work with a smart statement and corresponding materials. The best places for emerging photographers to test the waters are at portfolio reviews, with a wide variety of reviewers giving critical feedback. Portfolio reviews can be very expensive, but there are many smaller ones cropping up that emerging photographers can take advantage of. In the beginning, I started by submitting to group shows, many that included mixed media, and to magazines, online and in print. I realized early on that the most important thing was THE WORK.

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?

AS

Success is an interesting concept…I do consider myself to be professional, but I am not sure what successful means anymore. As I achieve more personal goals, I find just as many or more that I have yet to achieve, and that keeps me working hard every day. There is no magic to this journey. It’s just putting one foot in front of the other, trying to keep the momentum going especially on those days when the last thing I feel like being is creative. Trust me, there are dry spells, periods of insecurity and defeat, but I have discovered that by celebrating and exploring other photographers during those times (well, all the time) and living a visual life, it keeps me engaged and energized.

In addition, developing a supportive photographic community is vital to success. I have to say that having the encouragement and friendship of photographers, editors, gallerists, etc has been one of the greatest rewards of this journey. One gallerist in particular, Crista Dix from Wallspace Gallery in Seattle, has been my champion and sounding board, and I have learned so much from her guidance and friendship, and one magazine editor in particular, Russell Joslin of SHOTS, helped create my first community of photographer friendships and got my work seen on an international level.

I can’t speak enough about the importance of good will and to giving back to this community. Take time to make connections. Let other photographers know that you appreciate their work, compliment a curator on an exhibition or an editor on a publication, be open to what is going on, and show up. Donate to auctions, support institutions that promote your work. I have been writing the photography blog, Lenscratch, for the past several years, and though it’s a lot of work, I have learned so much and connected with so many terrific human beings. Opportunities have come to me because of that hard work, but better yet, opportunities have come to photographers I have featured on the blog. And I find that incredibly satisfying.

Fur, from the series Daughter


Quincy, from the series Spring Fever



Shirley and Boat, from the series Paradise in Color



The Baths, from the series Dolls at Night



Mother, from the series Dolls at Night



Arrangement 10, from the series Arrangement in Green and Black - Portrait of the photographer's mother



Moving Trough, from the series Shadows and Stains, Notes from a Dark Room



Mother, from the series Inside Out



Rhino, from the series Unreal / Reality



John and Roy, from the series Paradise in Color



Arrangement 1, from the series Arrangement in Green and Black - Portrait of the photographer's mother



Brothel, from the series Dolls at Night


© all images Aline Smithson

Stefan Heyne

MW

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

SH

My first steps as a photographer are inseparably connected with the, at that time, divided Berlin. I was a student in East Berlin and lived very close to the wall. Beyond all the social symbolism which the Wall had for me first of all it had the effect of being a very present, physical view blockage. There was something, something behind it, that I couldn’t see. So for me it was succinctly connected with the uncertainty about, and only vague idea of, what lay behind it. On the other hand, the Wall was also something abstract for me, a big installation, which because of its monotone surface and endlessness appeared to be a big contrast to the pulsating chaos of the capital city. This was so fascinating to me that I absolutely wanted to take photos of it. Because it was forbidden to take photos near the wall, it was only possible under difficult circumstances, but mostly it was not possible at all.

And so today I am engaged with the narrow edge between the real and the abstract, between recognisable and unrecognisable conditions, between the habitualness of viewing and visual irritations. Greyzones and walking close to the border are still interesting subjects for me, so also the boundaries of photography.

The amazing thing about this is that only these boundaries lead into the centre, they come to the point of photography, what its own and unique reality actually is. If photography isn’t about these questions and is only used as a vehicle to transport content or subjects, the photographer doesn’t meet its uniqueness or potential.

Beside these more conceptual questions it’s always about the approach to the perfect image. This is my driving force.

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?

SH

From my point of view it is essential that photography itself - the making of images, the thinking about images and the viewing of images - is a basic need for the photographer. If you deal intensively with your own images, you quickly realize what is good and what is not going to stand up. A good image has to speak for itself and doesn’t need an explanation. If you still have the feeling that you have to enrich or support your own work with comments or explanations, this is a clear sign that the image does not speak for itself and isn’t ready yet. A good image burns into your mind so that even after you have seen many others, you don’t forget it, and even if you do, you would recognize it again immediately. This is of course the same for every gallerist and collector.

A second, essential point for finding your own position is uniqueness. The images have to have their own incommutable style.

In this context, I find the following quote from the German gallerist Gerd Judy Lübke most applicable: You always have to be searching for the stars and if you are good, the market will find you!

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?

SH

In retrospect, this is hard to answer. I think one thing lead to the next. For me, it was important that I certainly always believed in myself and in the power of my images. Besides this, it was certainly helpful that I sought out the first publications very early on. More important was that I looked for allies with whom I could reflect upon my own position and strengthen it.

Stefan Heyne, Strasse / Street, 2004, 138 x 92cm / 54,33" x 36,22"

Stefan Heyne, Rummel 1 / Carnival 1, 2005, 126 x 190cm / 49,61" x 74,8"

Stefan Heyne, Fach / Shelf, 2007, 120 x 180cm / 47,24" x 70,87"

Stefan Heyne, Szene 1 / Scene 1, 2006, 50 x 75cm / 19,69" x 29,53"

Stefan Heyne, o.T. 3330 / Untitled 3330, 2009, 180 x 120cm / 70,87" x 47,24"

Stefan Heyne, Auslage Display, 2006, 160 x 106cm / 62,99" x 41,73"

Stefan Heyne, Fünf / Five, 2007, 140 x 92cm / 55,12" x 36,22"

Stefan Heyne, o.T. 5913 / Untitled 5913, 2010, 120 x 180cm / 47,24" x 70,87"

Stefan Heyne, Gebäude / Building, 2007, 180 x 120cm / 70,87" x 47,24"

Stefan Heyne, Turbine 3 / Turbine 3, 140 x 93cm / 55,12" x 36,61"

Stefan Heyne, exhibition view

Stefan Heyne, exhibition view

© copyright all images Stefan Heyne, VG BildKunst Bonn

Tema Stauffer

MW

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

TS

I spent much of my childhood with my head buried in books or roaming my neighborhood for adventures and places to daydream. I collected baseball cards and wore cowboy shirts and pitched tents in my backyard.

Most of my friends were boys or tomboys. I was a thief for a while and stole coins from my mom’s purse and candy from the corner store. I took naps on the branch of a lilac tree and cried when I read That Was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton.

I was fascinated with stories and was determined to invent my own path. Among some of my early fantasies of what I might be when I grew up were a writer, an artist and the leader of a motorcycle gang.

My mother enrolled me in my first photography class at an art center while I was in high school. I took pictures of my friends in fields and cemeteries and jumped out of the car with my camera for the right stranger on the street - someone who looked as restless as I felt.

Photography was license for adventure and storytelling. I liked it even more than drawing, painting and practicing my violin. Taking pictures gave me an adrenaline rush. Photography was sexy and subversive.

If you merge a writer, an artist and the leader of a motorcycle gang, you might come up with someone who explores people and places in America and returns to a Brooklyn railroad apartment to share photographs and thoughts about those experiences. I love driving and searching. I also love nesting with a keyboard and a computer screen.

Photography transforms how I look at the world. Things that are sad, mundane, ugly or beautiful become more interesting and poignant. Both taking pictures and writing stimulate and deepen my perception of reality. I become more engaged in my experiences and capable of reflecting on the most difficult ones. If I stopped taking pictures and writing, I am sure my world would fall flat.

MW

In your opinion and experience, how can emerging photographers evaluate themselves as ready to start promoting their works and seek a 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?

TS

During my twenties, I was involved in a number of shows organized by peers in alternative art spaces. We were eager to show work and commercial galleries seemed out of our reach. Shortly after I finished graduate school, I curated an exhibition of work by twelve photographers at a warehouse space known as The Butcher Shop in Chicago. This kind of show was good practice for resolving work, getting feedback and building relationships with other artists. My first exhibition in New York was organized by a collective of women photographers called NYMPHOTO in a loft in Manhattan, which led to a series of exhibitions at Jen Bekman Gallery.

Artists develop their careers in part through their involvement in a community. Going to openings, supporting other artists, recognizing where one’s work fits in, looking for mentor figures and reaching out for advice are all important steps in this process. I wrote to a number of artists and writers whose work I admire, often with the result of forming lasting relationships.

The Internet has expanded the notion of an arts community, and it is critical for young artists to make their work visible in this environment. One of the most important steps I took was starting a blog, PalmAire, which gave me a place to share work-in-progress and develop my thoughts about photography and the photo community. Many of my opportunities have arisen organically through personal contacts and exposure on the Internet. My relationship with Daniel Cooney, who is currently representing my work, resulted from a friend mentioning my name to him and Daniel discovering portraits on my blog.

The efforts I made to write about photography on my blog furthermore lead to a position for an arts website called Culturehall, whose mission is to support the careers of a community of artists. Culturehall is an online resource where selected artists can share their work with curators, gallerists, collectors and other artists. My role as a curator gives me the opportunity to help artists create online portfolios of work and promote their exhibitions and events. Culturehall’s director, David Andrew Frey, and I also invite guest curators to bring artists to the site and write about their work.

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?

TS

When I first read this question, I laughed out loud and squirmed a little. The notion of a “successful, professional photographer” conjures a mythic figure with a studio, fancy cameras, interns, magazine assignments, and a substantially greater income. Of course there are many versions of a successful, professional photographer, but still, it isn’t the most appropriate definition for me.

It is more accurate to describe me as an artist and teacher whose life is deeply invested in the arts community. What constitutes “success” is subjective. I am driven and passionate about the arts, and my efforts and involvement have led to some significant exhibitions, recognition from my peers, and a relationship with a great gallery, which are some of the most satisfying forms of success.

On a day-to-day basis, I feel acutely more aware of my “struggle” than my “success.” Feelings of accomplishment are rewarding but also fleeting. When the high of one accomplishment fades, it creates an opportunity to work through a set of more challenging feelings towards the next one. For most artists, developing a career in the arts is a series of small steps over a long period of time. It demands the ability to experience rejections, creative blocks, financial constraints, self-doubt and anxiety. And then to brush off the dust, strategize, produce work and move forward.

Family, close friends, therapy, swimming, biographies of artists and writers, steady correspondence and supportive relationships with other artists are crucial to my own survival. I think there is good karma in helping others and I try to keep that principle at the forefront of my relationship to the art world.

Alberto and Jessica, Austin, TX, 2009

Car Skeletons, Highway 163, AZ, 2008

Teenage Boy, Austin, TX, 2007

Burning Brush, The Hill Country, TX, 2007

Jacob, Red Brick Wall, Binghampton, NY, 2008

Red Curtains, Dreamcatchers Sleep Lab, Dripping Springs, TX, 2007

Frye, Dreamers Adult Video Store, Austin, TX, 2009

Bedroom, Dreamcatchers Sleep Lab, Dripping Springs, TX, 2007

Annist and Rena, Kalamazoo, MI, 2009

Pit Bull, Chicago, IL, 1997

© all images Tema Stauffer