The Critique

If there is one thing that stuck with me from the Open House that SPF and I attended at Brooks back in October, it would be this sentiment: "Brooks is not an art school." That is to say, when you learn perfect technique; crisp negatives, professional printing, and a critical eye for dodging and burning; you still have to please the client. During the Open House, one of the parents chimed "But what if my daughter really likes the image? Why should she get a bad grade?" The speaker replied, "Because I am the client. You have to please me. The grade I choose to give you is payment."

Today, I presented my first work to my client.

The assignment was "A Day in the Life of Santa Barbara." Two images as perfect as you can make them and returned to the client for inspection.

There are several different "payments" that you can receive, listed below from best to worst.

- Pass
- Remount
- Reprint
- Reshoot

A Pass is a completed assignment. No more worries, move on to the next task. A remount is not so terrible because you have a good negative and you know how to print it, you just need to practice mounting more. A reprint is slightly worse, because that means that your negative has potential, but you haven't mastered printing technique. A reshoot means you are not getting it. Any of it.

The Client reviewed a lot of work today. My first image was reviewed about halfway through the Critique. This is the image that I already knew that The Client liked, seeing as how I had gotten the thumbs up of approval during printing. He had glowing praise. So much so that not only was it a Pass, but he recommended that I set this aside for one of the Final Five assignments. This is a huge compliment. It means that not only is the negative excellent, the print well printed, and the mounting appropriate, but The Client actually approves of the subject, composition, and presentation of the greater thought.

My second image was the last that he reviewed. The one that other members of my class had actually gasped at (well, one had a sharp inhalation before she told me how beautiful it was.) The one that I was stunned by. The one that, right before it was reviewed, the girl next to me said "Yours will pass for sure" with a look of sheer confidence and reassurance to my anxiety.

What happened next I was not expecting.

The Client picked it up, reviewed it for a moment, and reacted to the image with what can only be described as apathy. His comment was "There is nothing wrong with this print except for the image. It is exposed correctly, printed correctly, has good contrast and tonal range, but the image doesn't do anything for me."

To this my instinct replied "No! This is the definition of beauty! This is a classical woman with classical features presented with a background that has been diminished to further accentuate her cheeks, her eyes, her locks. You have to like her. You should be overcome with emotion at the sight of her!"

My actual reply? "Okay."

Why, you ask? This is not an art school. I am here to learn to read my client, to present to them what they want by using the tools and the expertise that I garner from this school and my education. My Client is all that matters.

And what of Mona, you ask? I will love her, frame her, and place her on my wall, because with myself as the client, I couldn't be happier. The art comes in to play when I print what I want to print for no one but myself. But I am not here for the art at the moment, and what I learn here will only bolster the closet artist. Do not fret, friends. This blow, though unexpected, is not proving detrimental. Mostly because I understand more about My Client, as well as understanding more about myself and my tastes.

Do you still want to follow my adventures?