The blessings & evils of "explanatory text"

[Drew Wiley]

I've read quite a few well-written monographs about various historically or artistically influential photographers. Some of these wordsmiths are better than others,
and in fact make interesting reading. There might be some bio or historical context in place. But its pretty damn rare they ever seem to understand what we photographers are actually thinking (or not thinking). Largely speculative BS, just like all things appended to images. A few times I've labeled a print for some minor detail hidden way back in the background somewhere, just to drive people nuts looking for it. I actually got cussed out once for showing a print with a lot of spatial
discrepancies that unnerved certain viewers - but it happened to be the curator's favorite one, so at least someone could see the world the way I did, though I
had the advantage of seeing it upside-down (which is how I've displayed prints from time to time anyway). We should combine this principle with the Maverick's
thread - how to display a wave shot simulating what a surfer last saw as he went under, head-down.

[Bill Burk]

Not very much time, so much to say...

This made me laugh as I recalled an interesting experiment...

This is a job for the Amazon Mechanical Turk.

http://mattrichardson.com/Descriptive-Camera/

[Darin Boville]

Not very much time, so much to say...

This made me laugh as I recalled an interesting experiment...

This is a job for the Amazon Mechanical Turk.

http://mattrichardson.com/Descriptive-Camera/

Really liked the link--thanks.

--Darin

[Tin Can]

Those darn conceptual art students, even know how to hack!

Great idea and execution!

Not very much time, so much to say...

This made me laugh as I recalled an interesting experiment...

This is a job for the Amazon Mechanical Turk.

http://mattrichardson.com/Descriptive-Camera/

[Heroique]

"My landscapes unsettle the viewer, causing them to question their most basic ideas about love, sex and taxidermy." Shut up, artist. You have no idea how your work affects me. You do your job, I'll do mine.

This was my favorite part of your great post!

Among the many splendid tips in this thread.

One of my additional considerations is that text (never mind its content) can offer relief from sustained eye strain on the image. Kind of like looking away from something for a moment, so you can see it more clearly when you look back. A physiological issue.

[Drew Wiley]

Yeah ... I'm always amazed at how eloquent the prose is on the cards next to wretchedly amateurish inkjet prints.

[Tin Can]

Even at the big fancy museums, I try to ignore the white cards and simply look.

[Darin Boville]

Not very much time, so much to say...

This made me laugh as I recalled an interesting experiment...

This is a job for the Amazon Mechanical Turk.

http://mattrichardson.com/Descriptive-Camera/

You know, I was looking at this again and the really cool part is the Amazon Mechanical Turk aspect. The box, camera, processor is all fun but not necessary. We already have all the hardware we need, ready to go.

We just need an app. Anyone know of one? Anyone interested in writing one? I'd love to make use of such an app...

--Darin

[Stephen Willard]

Hmm...

I have found that people who buy art want to hear the artist voice. They are deeply intrigued about the artist and how he goes about creating. It is part of the experience of buying art, hanging it on their walls, and telling friends and family about the art they have purchased.

In response to this, I go all out on my website to include a comprehensive listing of everything I used to take the photograph and how I printed it in the darkroom including the GPS coordinates where the photograph was taken. I have gotten emails from other landscape photographers and people who have purchased my work how they used the GPS coordinates to hike to the very spot where the photograph was taken. And they loved it.

In a way, I sell my work as experiential art of something I saw and felt, and so I include a narrative of every photograph I sell. The narrative is a short story about my experience of taking the photograph. To me the making of a photograph is an intoxicating adventure. Each narrative chronicles the struggles and challenges I must address as I make the photograph. In most cases, I never really talk about the content of the photograph. I leave that to the viewer alone. The narratives are intimate in nature and intended to be a fun read. My customers and views love them.

Every photograph on my website has a link to the applicable narrative, and every photograph I sell has the narrative pasted on the back of the framed print.

[Tin Can]

I think you are correct, buyers buy the artist.

I advise several artists, sometimes they don't listen...

Hmm...

I have found that people who buy art want to hear the artist voice. They are deeply intrigued about the artist and how he goes about creating. It is part of the experience of buying art, hanging it on their walls, and telling friends and family about the art they have purchased.

In response to this, I go all out on my website to include a comprehensive listing of everything I used to take the photograph and how I printed it in the darkroom including the GPS coordinates where the photograph was taken. I have gotten emails from other landscape photographers and people who have purchased my work how they used the GPS coordinates to hike to the very spot where the photograph was taken. And they loved it.

In a way, I sell my work as experiential art of something I saw and felt, and so I include a narrative of every photograph I sell. The narrative is a short story about my experience of taking the photograph. To me the making of a photograph is an intoxicating adventure. Each narrative chronicles the struggles and challenges I must address as I make the photograph. In most cases, I never really talk about the content of the photograph. I leave that to the viewer alone. The narratives are intimate in nature and intended to be a fun read. My customers and views love them.

Every photograph on my website has a link to the applicable narrative, and every photograph I sell has the narrative pasted on the back of the framed print.