going to be juried for a particular show so you can choose and
arrange your images to give yourself the best advantage. Most
shows explain their methods and their procedure in the appli-
cation; if they do not, I feel you have a legitimate question and
you should ask.
has resulted in artists having better slides if they take their own
shots. Digital photography is so much easier than film pho-
those who would argue with this, but I will tell you as an
untrained photographer I could never take a photo of my
work with film that would get me into a good show--with
digital format I can control the light and balance the color a
lot better than I could with 35mm format. The individuals
who learn how to use their equipment or those who use a
professional photographer have a big advantage.
recently working with artist's slides (online and at workshops)
they generally fall into two categories, terrible or amazing. It
seems there are more amazing slides than ever, and any that are
not amazing are surely rejected. Even among those fabulous
slides there are usually more of them than there are spaces at
the show. There was a time when poorly photographed fine
craftwork still might get a shot at getting into a show. Those
days are over; if you have amazing work and bad photography
you are handicapping your business. Because the jury is used
to looking at clear, clean and professional-looking slides, they
have little patience for poorly photographed work. It takes
top-quality photography to get into top-quality shows.
slides all together as a composition and not as individual slides.
(This is another side benefit of services like Zapplication. You
can actually see your slides as the jury sees them.)
than they can comprehend in the short seconds your slides are
viewed, they will score you down because they did not make
up their minds before the slides moved on to the next set.
that represent their best-selling pieces. This is a grave error. In
general what sells best is what the customers want. The media
made up primarily of artists who are looking away from com-
mercial and popular influences, seeking visual stimulation,
innovation and presentation.
grouping, like a necklace/earring set.
when they fatigue, care very little about technique. Jurying is
a HARD job, and weariness can take over quickly. I know
artists who stress and strain to make a particular technique
show up in a slide, but what really captures the jury's attention
is a compelling visual BLAST. If you wake them up with
refreshing and stimulating art, they will reward you for it.
Sometimes I see slides, particularly of beaded jewelry, where
the actual work is only 10 percent of the slide. This always
makes the work look tentative and not bold.
the jury is viewing your slides, in what order and by what
method. How long do they view them, are they discussed
aloud, or anonymously? Do they see a booth shot with your
work? Any other helpful information should be obtained.
lower. Make sure you have answered any potential questions a
juror might ask, such as what is the scale, what are the mate-
rials, what technique is being used and what is the object if it
is functional. Most questions are confined to these topics but
be sure you anticipate any other questions that might be asked
about your work.
make their work on a whim or a mood, and when it comes
time to have slides taken, they cherry pick this line for the
items they are going to have photographed. Often their
selections are based on what customers at shows like or
respond to. Does this line of reasoning sound familiar? If so,
here is a hot tip--create a body of work that has a strong
appeal, is innovative and bright. Remember visual stimula-
tion is the key. If you plan a designed and cohesive collection,
not only will you get better slides, but your customers will also
relate to work displayed in bodies and collections.
easy for the jury to understand. When you stimulate them and
make their job easy, you will find more acceptance letters in
your inbox.
expert to booth design. Visit his website at www.bbakerinc.com.