about five minutes ago i had to make a "tough call"….i made the decision not to name the stipend recipient today as was originally planned…i am so sorry to disappoint those who have probably been anxiously waiting for the final results…but in my desire to make my self imposed "deadline" of december 15, i was running the risk of rushing the edit….i just flat out need some more time…..here’s why…
looking quickly at the 250 "portfolios" overall is amazingly easy, but once inside each of your folders and looking closely, i have a much more challenging job than i originally thought…or, even thought yesterday!! first of all, less than half of you put in the metadata any kind of information on the essays at all…i was spending way too much time just trying to analyze the content of many stories….in some cases, there was not a clear breakdown from one story to the next, if there were multiple stories….i may send a few private emails to some of you requesting more info….and with about 8 exceptions, most of you need a serious edit…i think maybe there were only 3 or 4 of you who had a 20 picture cohesive essay…most could be cut …and i have no problem in doing this……i love to do this……but, it will require some thoughtful time consuming work and contemplation…
i would rather "catch a little flak" right now for being late with my decisions, rather than think i committed "rush to publish"….one of the "sins" of our craft….
picking the one recipient of the grant can be done fairly easily…this is not the problem, nor even the point….i am down to a healthy handful…if i had to, i could make that decision right this minute…but, this photographer is only part of the equation…in a way, the smallest part….because what is impressive is the whole body of the best of your work which will be edited down to a nice tight collection…..i will probably publish online about 6-10 of the finest essays….and perhaps 30-40 singles….this number could come down when i see the whole package…the worst "look" would be if i run too many pictures….
i will tell you right now there is some interesting variety in your work…a very nice combo of color and black & white and of straight documentary and more subjective interpretation…in most cases, "bearing witness" to a subject, but with a very broad interpretation of narrative…and i am so so pleased about this…there will be many different "styles" in our final show….
now my schedule during the upcoming holidays is like everybody’s schedule during the holidays…do we not all somehow need to be everywhere at once???….in any case, i am off to Paris tomorrow for a Magnum board meeting and then on thursday to see my family in Colorado…home cooking…yes, apple pie….to be realistic (a word i rarely use!), i think the best thing is to make the announcement the first week in january…with the work of the stipend recipient and the chosen best of everyone else all viewed together on the new website being constructed specifically to display your work….
many of you have been with me through the whole thinking process of this forum…it is, and always has been, a "work in progress"….i do apologize for the delay, but i do hope you will appreciate this extra time as time spent making sure i "got it right"….
i will continue looking at comments here and in the previous two or three postings….to answer any questions and just to keep up our usual musings….for me , this was a tough call tonight….i anguished over making it…..but now , it feels better just to have "cleared the deck" and done it….how about you?? is it easy for you to make "tough calls" or do you dwell on decisions you do not want to make??
Of course I can’t wait to see the pictures and comments, but don’t worry for the delay, I don’t want this blog to be a big official competition. Finally the delay makes it more convivial, more like “we’re just between us” style, which I’ve appreciated in this blog. Though this might be more unnoying for the more professional photographers who played with, and for those who feel have good chances to win! (Hey guys, don’t spend the stipend on christmas presents before making sure you won it!!!)
I usually dwell long on decisions I don’t want to make, and I must “face reality”, that’s very bad!! Oh, and this will be my new year good resolution for this year (my first “new year good resolution” ever).
I was just looking today at all the old pictures I’ve taken in the last years, and was scared to see how bad most of them have been!!! This blog gave me some insights in what photography is, and some opportunities to progress. Without the time extension I could’nt have posted any pictures, discovering the blog quite late through the magnum blog. 10 days before the submission I was still thinking I wouldn’t probably sent the taken pictures at all…
Time to come back to the (so bulky) camera!!! I usually don’t take many pictures at all, and haven’t got a single roll developped since I submitted my pictures about one month ago! So bad! But not making excuses! :-)
Jerome
Hi David,
No need for apologies. On the contrary… it appears the vast majority of people here (myself included) continue to owe you a debt of gratitude.
Regarding decisions: my day job is basically to develop decision analysis algorithms and software, but I am somewhat indecisive in practice… “somewhat”: I can’t even decide if I’m indecisive. Pathetic!
So here’s another vote in favor of postponing the “deadline” in favor of doing the right thing. Have a great holiday-
Asher
One thing i can say is that i love magnum…David,Paolo, Nikos Economopoulos,Koudelka,… but nobody reaches out to the crazy,
impatient … 250 “groupies” … just like David Allan Harvey does…
The only photo-genius that i know that doesn’t act like a ’70′s
“rock-star”… David is not untouchable,he is not hiding…I cant wait
for your next book… You are to the 250 just what “Leonidas” were for just 50 more…
Peace.
p.s:I also love Nikos E. work…We are both from Greece…Guess what:
“Nowhere to be found…unless you pay…for some kind of workshop… i guess”
Hey man…once again: “Thanks for being around”…and if you ever find yourself in L.A. dont forget to stop by at one of our parties…!
TOME…
your work is here..safe and sound…
CATHY…
yes, i will do this feedback as per promised..
i am sitting here with michael…we can think of no way to literally do an online editing excercise…unless we just took one photogs portfolio and showed the “before and after”…would that work for you???
surely, i will write as much as possible on the process , including a new post discussing this very issue…as i have said many many times, editing is just as important as shooting and layout/typography the same….
STEFAN…
i think the best thing i can do is to give feedback on individual entries as is cathy’s request…i cannot imagine displaying the “not so good work” as being stimulating in any meaningful way, unless it was in the context of editing..
ALL…
off to paris in 45 minutes..i do not know if i will have time in the next two days to do much posting, but i will try…
by thursday, i will be in colorado and will be able to do posting…
so please, everyone enjoy your holiday time…back to you soonest…
peace, david
David-
Just the fact that the whole package is more important than the winner is so telling of what you’re trying to do here, and your amazing guru qualities!
Seeing the variety in how we see, think, organize our thoughts in the same 4 month period will be so much more rewarding for me personally than just winning images. To be able to open that “new” web page and be overwhelmed with images of all kinds, exciting!
It is so much harder to make decisions concerning other people. My rational side doesn’t allow me to anguish over myself; few important decisions are wrong, they just lead down different roads. But when other people are involved…whatever choice you make is gonna shoot an open can of worms at you.
I always feel better once a decision is made. I hope that any of the lingering anguish has dissipated! It was a good choice.
Bon voyage, ami.
And as for everyone else, I hope wherever you spend your New Year is as beautiful, fresh, clean, and provocative as my snow covered wonderland here in Michigan!
“unless we just took one photogs portfolio and showed the “before and after”…would that work for you???”
The bottom line is that it’s your blog, the rest of us are here as guests. You try very hard to keep it “democratic” and everyone appreciates that but whatever you do must work for YOU. I just wanted to give my “vote” for including us in your editing of our work…any way you can find to do that is most appreciated.
As you wrote to Stefan:
“i think the best thing i can do is to give feedback on individual entries as is cathy’s request…i cannot imagine displaying the “not so good work” as being stimulating in any meaningful way, unless it was in the context of editing..”
Here’s a thought…
Are you planning on giving the feedback “publicly” here on the blog or thru private e-mail? If we were in a workshop you wouldn’t be taking each one of us aside to critique our work privately, or would you?
In previous workshops I’ve taken the entire class sees and hears all critiques together so if everyone is up for that maybe we could all learn from each other and see examples of what you are critiquing.
checking 250 essays is one hell of a task i guess so i was surprised when you said you want to do so in the pre-christmas time. anyways, i’d be more than happy to get any kind of feedback.
take care,
David – If I made you laugh this morning then I’ll call it mission accomplished. My half-hearted rant was just that—and since I’m not likely to be one to stir the pot in person, I figure I can get away with it through the electronic veil, where I can regret and squirm in private :)) It was really just in the spirit of giving “a little flak” which you had already resigned to catching.
Maybe I just needed to hear it in terms I could relate like “… dudes, I was waaaaaaay to hung-over after the Magnum party to look at your work on Saturday… you’re gonna have to give me a few days…”
But seriously, on to editing and captions. I probably fall into the group that’s lacking in both areas. I consider myself pretty savvy digitally, but the idea of putting the entire story in metadata kind of flew past me, as it probably did for most. I had expected that if the work itself was compelling enough, that a request for a descriptive paragraph or two would follow. Maybe a text form field on the site can be created to accompany the submissions of future projects.
As for editing I (probably as most) maxed out with 20. I had asked this question in the past, but never found the answer: Beyond just shooting, is this a fine art exercise in editing, or an editorial exercise in building a relationship with an editor? (In this case, DAH.) If it’s the latter, then I would expect the submissions to be loose and maxed, as I presume an editor would prefer, but makes the process longer (therefore the need for David’s extension.) Most of us could probably edit the work of others, but struggle with editing our own.
You’re probably right that a “teaser” has little point so close to the end of this project, but maybe on the site for future projects, a weekly random favorite could be posted. The Photo Friday thing I have going kind of has that feel.
Is there any way to do a case study of the selection process for one of the submissions, even if it only starts out as a written piece? Maybe that’s something a photographer from one of the workshops could write.
Lastly, this isn’t completely related to this entry, but I have to comment anyway—I’m not entirely buying that more time necessarily creates a more thorough process. Of course it depends on the task, but a refreshing type of focus comes from being under the gun, and the efficiency can be quite surprising. David I’m not suggesting you’ll procrastinate on this, but I bet you’ll still have the same rush at the end when it comes to final decision making. Otherwise, what fun would it be?
So thank you, dankie, gracias, ahsante, muito obrigado. Your tireless efforts are why we are a community.
Best of luck in Paris and CO.
David M
PS Did I win? :))
PSS I’ll let you know if the Aaron Siskind Foundation meets their deadline. :))
David, thank you for your response and your gentle offer, should you stroll through Tuscany you’re welcome here (not for editing, but a glass of wine ;) ).
“the entire class sees and hears all critiques together so if everyone is up for that maybe we could all learn from each other and see examples of what you are critiquing.”
That’s what I think too. Of course you can’t publish all the 250 entries, but some perhaps you can, let us see all the 20 pictures (or how many were sent for the specific essay) and tell us which are in and which out, and if the case also why. I don’t even think too many words are necessary, seeing and thinking by our own why you have decided one way instead of another would be very stimulating. So basically what you wrote:”however, when the best work is published, maybe i can show some examples of stories where there were many good pictures, but many superfluous pictures also…” would be very appreciated!
Saluti, buone feste :)
David
Festina Lente=Hurry slowly[sort of Latin]
Your party=your rules= your abilty to reschedule if required.
Cripes-give the guy a break-all this FOR FREE!
Festive thoughts
Clive
Christ, yu brought this on yourself:) Did you REALLY think David that you would get through 250 essays in a month’s time with a WKSHP in BKK and Xmas in the same month?:) LOL, David, and you struck me a such a realistic guy when I hung out with you for those 2 weeks in Seoul.
1. You did us a huge favor. We dont have the right to bitch.
2. Just doing this was a favor for 90% of us: it got us thinking along the same lines as a professional: projcts and editing. Thats the biggest step anyway, the rest is a matter of learning.
3. Who really expects to win? I dont, so what do I care when you show us the work? Now, if I was expecting to win then maybe I’d be pissed…but would never admit it in public.
4. 250 photographers? You were lucky it wasnt a thousand. Im shocked it wasnt much more than a thousand to be truthful.
Beside my etymological comments about ‘flak’, I would also like to say that I really see no reason to complain, given the informal character of this forum and the fact that David does all this ‘for free’. This is not a ‘business’ thing and, as pointed out by several people, this is also what makes it so enjoyable. Now, I understand of course that one may become a bit impatient to know the outcome but, being among those who have no chance to win, I am not so much curious to see the one winning submission as I am to see the whole set of selected pictures. I guess the “best one” will probably be not that much better than the “second best” anyway (if it makes sense at all to rank essays in this way)… And, like Eva, I think it would be very interesting to know why some pictures were selected and why some weren’t, at least for a small number of essays.
Regarding the captions, I am also among the people who put very little information. But when I look at photography books, most of the time I only see the place and date. Now, the pictures in these books have, by definition, been very carefully edited, and there is certainly a “visual thread” in them, as you said, which may lack in our submissions. But, on the other hand, I think that sometimes the theme of the essay may be quite clear and, even if the edit is not good or should be cut, would the captions make much difference then?
It is also true that in books, there is most of the time a short introduction, foreword or afterword… This is generally very interesting to read how the photographer feels about his own work, about the place/people he photographed and what his intentions were. And it may help understand the photographs at a deeper level. But, at the same time, does it make the pictures any better? One may not even agree with the photographer’s interpretation of his own pictures, but still love them. So I see these texts more as interesting bonuses than as an integral part of the work. I think the same about titles. They may be very subjective and, quite often, other titles could fit as well. Just like novels’s titles, about which authors sometimes change their mind several times before making a decision. What do you think?
i just returned from an overnight snowshoeing trip to the mountains. I’m totally exhausted. I was thinking about the results on Saturday during the hike and felt regret that I will be late to congratulate the winners.
So I was elated to hear you need more time!
Great~
yo, David…just left u a comment under Tell It Like It Is :)))))
running
hugs
b
David, There should be no apologies regarding this undertaking. You should do what you need to do, when it can be done. What else?
But on a slightly different note, I do believe it would be a shame if the key operational/logistical details of this project were lost, so maybe they should be written up — just a very short account — for use on the Magnum site… If this just adds to your workloads then maybe an intern or even one of us could volunteer to do it…copy back to you for factual additions, fact-checking etc… Just an idea.
cheers–
alun
Hey Dave,
Am here in Winton , the heart of Petterson country,on the verandah of the Tatt’s Hotel accross the road is the North Gregory Hotel where our od mate Banjo got into a litle trouble with some sheila named Matilda.
It’s taken me 2 days driving to get down this far from Darwin, It’s hot, theres no one around,the flies have only just gone down , someone stole my spare tyre , Have you ever seen a movie called the Proposition?
It was filmed around here ,the main character , a policeman walks out into the street a week before Christmas , High summer , and says
” Australia! What fresh hell is this?”
So spare a thought for the southern hemisphere when your up in Colarado – We are baking here!
The hardest wait is to see the work online. Really curious to see the diversity of work (Editing that is going to be a big challenge I bet). Wary of the internet after today. Someone hacked into my ebay account and managed to list 200 Pink Hair curlers from my account. Very weird.
Your honesty is like a breath of fresh air.
Can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking
the time to get it right. Happy Holidays to
one and all.
Oscar
David,
I am wondering whether you guys printed the submissions out on some sort of contact sheets or whether the it’s all done on a computer screen?
GLENN,
You’re just saying that to taunt us, aren’t you, given that it is a balmy 28 with a windchill of 15 here in our happy little burg [that's -2 with a wc of -9 for those of you on the Celsius scale, and yes, we are all freezing our bahakas off here in the northeastern US of A]
Have hardly slept the last 3 days because I had to prepare a last minute gallery show, that will start right when I come back from Scotland. I got the news on friday evening and had only the weekend and half of today to get all done. I only wish I could make it a smaller show or have some more time for preparation …
Minutes ago I was thinking of making a call and “call it off”, because I cannot take decisions anymore – my head feels like it is full of wet&used tea-bags.
But I am so over the edge, I cannot even decide to make the call… I just want to sleep …
I will not make the call, i know it, and I will be glad for that. I knew it would get very tough, so the first thing I did was a huge to do list. I am just following the list. Brainless as I am right now. Just following the list until the very end and hoping, I did not forget anything.
I took the decision of not making the call right at the beginning. Right on Friday. BUT if anything would not have worked out as written on my list, I would have tried for a change in time or amount.
But apart from this very special situation – and I have not read all the posted comments yet – it is very important to be able to revise decisions if situations change. Something that is ok today might not be ok tomorrow anymore.
History is full of examples…
I will be departing now. And I wish all of you a wonderful time with friends & family & fresh pies & whatever your hearts demand.
If I manage to get online, I’ll write from Scotland, otherwise I’ll hopefully be back in January.
(have not sent anything in for this contest of yours, David, but I am looking forward to see the wonderful portfolios that surely got sent in. And I am sure most of the people did not aim for the money but for the chance of having you reviewing it…)
All the best for all of you,
Lassal
Hi Lassal
Your off to Scotland, thats awesome, I am actually Scottish myself and my dad is there in Edinburgh, just out side, called Kirkliston. anyway where are you going, are you on Holliday or wrk? make sure you have some extra layers, it’ll be freezing there.
have fun, and to you and David, Bon Voyage!
i’m under no illusion of winning; just excited to see who did! gotta be some great stuff…
but Mustafah:
u r an EXCELLENT photographer…and so damn young!!!!!! ;)))))….
listen: i am NO illusions either, but I cant wait to see ur essay too :))…
running
b
He’s running again.
Hi Bob.
I’m afraid that I’m the only person who didn’t write her contact info too! but I’m not sure still you receive the pix. it was first time I use ftp by my mac and it made me confused a bit.
any way Noushin Najafi Birgani is me with this emil address :-)
David,
I always wondered how on earth you would be able to come up with a choice in a month, so I was somehow relieved to see you extended the deadline ! Postponing sounds like a wise and considerate decision, and I think it actually shows respect to the photographers, by taking the appropriate time to review their work properly. I confess I have a bit of a hard time understanding the people who complain: this is not an assignment with a deadline and some cash at the end ! This is about you, a Magnum photographer, deliberately willing to dedicate some of his time to help others (and even raising money for that purpose) !
As for taking tough decisions, well I guess it all depends: sometimes it helps to have friends’ advice, others it’s better to ponder on your own, you can follow your head or follow your guts, sometimes it’s good to doubt and wait, sometimes it’s better to rush and “jump in the water”… I think the worst is having regrets about not having taken a decision ?
Anyway, enjoy your Xmas holidays and have a happy New Year :-)
hey paul :))))…yea, always-always ;)…what else to do? ;))))
cheers
running
b
Very nice work, Mustafah.
Hi “w robert”,
yeah, cannot wait. Should be packing because I leave in some hours but … stuck here ;-)
Will be on Davaar Island for the first week. Half work and half fun – need some peace of mind for some tasks and thought that the island would be best. Meeting Rose there, the landlady, and her family. Don’t know if anybody else will be there. We will be renting the Lighthouse house, which just sounds perfect.
Hope it is not going to be too cold. Gulf Stream and all… but I am prepared to have a bottle of Lagavulin in front of the open fireplace every day while reviewing my essays!
Well, maybe a glas of it. Or three… For the sake of orthography. (Thankfully it is going to be in German)
I’ll pass through Edinburgh. Looking forward to see it.
Call me crazy but we are trying one night in a bothy… yeah. During wintertime… Hmmm … Guess I’ll have to put everything on I have. ;)
Cheers,
Lassal
Wow, I just love your work, Mustafah!