No two ways about it…2020 was a bust for me - print sales wise. This is especially painful coming from a very successful 2019.

In other years…my typical first-quarter activity centers on re-printing work which had sold during the previous year - which also means creating multiples of my “greatest hits,” speculating (usually with some accuracy), that these particular photos will remain especially popular for the upcoming season.

In past years I’ve embraced the reprinting of (sold) work with gusto…in the anticipation that it will sell once again (which I find motivating), to ensure that I’ll have enough time to print new work to add to my inventory, and to create some space so I might continue to venture out with my camera.

While I’m usually well into this “restocking” process by the end of a given January, I’m now finding myself having hardly begun - I've simply not yet been able get myself “up off the mat” (seems like an apt metaphor).

Right now…I have a very exciting new 5x7 negative - of a small, exquisite frozen waterfall…which I photographed in late December. I’ve loaded this into my enlarger to examine the projected image. I’ve lined up my trays in the sink. I’ve mixed new chemistry. I’ve cleaned and re-loaded film holders. Heck…I’ve even re-set a few mouse traps, regardless that there has been no evidence of mouse activity in over two months! In other words, I’ve been doing anything but starting to print.

Yes, I realize that by posting this, even in the business section…I’m possibly inviting a bit of flaming from those who feel that any thought of equating art with commerce reeks of “impurity.” But make no mistake…any aspect of “sales potential” is, with complete honestly, the last thing on my mind as I create photographs. I live to create photographs…I cannot help but do this. But to the extent that this “personal” work has attracted an audience (albeit small) of buyers as well as collectors, and that I find this attention validating/motivating (who wouldn’t?), I’m now feeling a bit lonely…especially with my recent retirement from teaching…which has meant that I’ve also left the community of my photography faculty and students who, especially now that the college where I taught has closed its doors, are now scattered far and wide.

A recurring thought…that I should suck it up, double down, and finally update my website. Lots of ideas here - introduce more content, more categories of work, create instructional videos, etc. And what about social media? Thing is, while part of me feels that its been somewhat miraculous to have gotten as far as I have without addressing my lack of effective self-promotion, I also feel a fair degree of skepticism that any such efforts would make a bit of difference…and would simply become a huge rabbit-hole/time and energy suck. I’d love to hear some comments on this!

At any rate…I just thought I’d throw this out there, mostly to invite comment and perhaps commiseration - with the knowledge that, in addition to the “purists” among us, there are those for whom a bit of commerce is also part of our equation, and that “getting back up off the mat” might feel a bit of a challenge in light of what 2020 has thrown at us. Anybody?