I first met Robert Shults as a student in his class, Personal Expression in Photography. His eloquent and articulate discussion of technical, philosophic and artistic aspects of photography was inspirational and highly effective to me in my quest to identify my photographic style and learn great techniques. Plus, he’s got the best vocabulary of any non-Latin major I’ve ever met. So prepare to be edified, y’all.
Before you read any further, even if you never read another word on my blog, please read “The Small Corners of Existence,” which is Roberts artist’s statement.
How does reading that statement change the way you look at this photo?
Would you like to see more of his work?
Robert, knowing you and your work blows away every stereotype I have about homelessness. What would your work be like now without having had that experience in your life?
A binding thread of “The Small Corners of Existence” and others I have made is a focus on design and architecture. In my current work, I have used the aesthetic design of publicly-accessible buildings to examine the psychological and spiritual significance of shelter and space. In other series, I have used the design elements of various objects and spaces as metaphors for other experiences by altering my compositional approach to the objects themselves.
Whatever subjective issues I might wish to explore, I imagine that I would still rely on design as practical subject matter.
You have a solo exhibition planned for November. Tell me about that.
There will be eighteen images from my series on “the architecture of homelessness” on view at the L. Nowlin Gallery in Austin from November 3 until January 2. A public opening reception will be held on Saturday, November 7 from 6 to 8 PM. A portion of the proceeds from all prints sold during the exhibition will benefit Austin Resource Center for the Homeless.
Editing a body of work is one of the most critical, yet most nebulous, processes that a photographer performs. A series will only be considered as good as its weakest image, and I prefer to show a smaller number of my very best photographs. This is true whether selecting photos for a major exhibition or simply putting together a gallery for use on a website.
I find the best results come from a collaborative approach. We photographers tend to love certain images and include them in every presentation for all the “wrong” reasons. When I am editing a focused body of work, I get as many opinions as I can from my gallerist, curators, critics and other photographers. Their thoughts can be hard to accept when one has a deep affinity for a particular image, but I try to incorporate any common sentiments I notice among their comments. Emerging photographers should seek out critiques from anyone whose opinions they respect. Joining Flickr groups and peer-to-peer education sites such as Photo.net can facilitate feedback from people who would otherwise be inaccessible.
Over the next week, I’ll feature a series of excerpts from my interview with Robert. He has great tips to share on:
- His top 4 items of advice for getting great pictures of kids
- Pose ideas for children
- Portrait lighting
- Composition
- Tips on making your B&Ws as impactful as his
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
So pleased to read your comments about my son! Thanks so much for the kind words. The best. Bob S
Can’t wait to see the tips in the upcoming weeks!
good interview
.-= rowlind´s last blog ..Salute to the great songwriter Johnny Mercer =-.