You think the New York Photo Festival in Dumbo was bad last year: Be reassured, it was even worse this year. Last year was the premier for the festival, so we could understand that it was somewhat disorganized. But there can't be an excuse for the amateurism and incompetence on display this year. On the opening night,last Wednesday, four exhibitions were closed, and one had still the prints on the floor. Most offensive were the portfolio reviews: If you were a starving artist or student, you had to pay $500 to have your portfolio looked at—far too much in the current economy. In France we describe this kind of proposal by saying, Do not shoot on the ambulance. The organizers may well be unable to find any wounded suckers next year.--Jean Jacques Naudet
Jean-Jacques, you are incorrect. All of the curated pavilions were open and ready; you also joined the tour late. The prices for the reviews were not $500; they were much less, and far less for students. Your magazine's Digital Days was a featured workshop producer of the Review Pavilion—not mentioned above—and our feedback from reviewers and from attendees was superlative, as was each and every response about the content of the exhibitions. Your complaints do not seem grounded in critical analysis, but rather subjective; this festival has only 7 days to mount, exhibit, and take down. We do not have a summer like they do in the south of France.
Posted by: Daniel Power | May 19, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Hmmm, flawed, maybe. But it was a Photo festival in New York City and the place to be. I met the most incredible people during those four days. I learned alot. Your review seems alittle too pat, and too cool. It is always easy to criticize those who do things. The people who went and the people who were involved care deeply about what they are doing. That's what I saw. And I think that is what is important.
Posted by: Holly Van Voast | May 19, 2009 at 03:28 PM
Yes there were certainly many passionate photography industry people who attended the festival but I must agree that the displays were poor and sadly the work was not shown at its best. Many of the exhibits barely had an signage making it impossible to know who the photographers were.
On Thursday Mr Power CEO of PowerHouse Books, the creator of NY Photo Festival and a publishing company that rarely pays it's authors' royalties, entitled his lecture 'The Death of the Photo Book' telling his audience that he intends to have authors pay him to produce their books. Has he not heard about Blurb and other online
publishing companies?
Afterwards at the well attended festival opening party the overworked PowerHouse staff, many of whom are now taking a pay cut and working less hours, mingled with disgruntled authors. Fans of their wonderful books made purchases while the authors gamely mingled and signed books knowing they will never see their share of the sales."
Posted by: chatterbox | May 19, 2009 at 04:40 PM
"still the prints" ???
How about that writing and editing skill?
Posted by: William | May 19, 2009 at 09:19 PM
Neither I, nor Jean-Jacques, suffer fools and you, sir, are a fool. Perhaps you have never seen a text error caused by editing or human error. It is very likely that the word was dropped by mistake. But there's no mistake about you. You are a dolt and a bore. Learn some manners.
Sincerely,
Clairabell Omnibus
Posted by: Clairabell Omnibus | May 20, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Hmm...I went to the NYPH website and pulled found fees for portfolio review:
>Registration fee for five one-on-one reviews: $415. Includes a festival pass to all exhibitions and daytime programming of the New York Photo Festival (can be combined with concierge fee).
>Registration fee for three one-on-one reviews: $265. Includes a festival pass to all exhibitions and daytime programming of the New York Photo Festival (can be combined with concierge fee).
>Student Rate for five one-on-one reviews: $315. Includes a festival pass to all exhibitions and daytime programming of the New York Photo Festival. Valid student ID required at check-in: only a 2009 spring-semester photo ID or a copy of your spring 2009 class registration will be accepted (can be combined with concierge fee).
This certainly doesn't jibe with your $500 figure you cited in your review.
Posted by: jim | May 23, 2009 at 12:29 PM
still too expensive for students
Posted by: jenny | May 28, 2009 at 04:23 PM
Yes the New York Photo Festival staff were passionate about their job, of course they were, they worked night and day and heart and soul into putting it together. Daniel Power on the other hand- worked his people raw. He had everyone- even unpaid interns running around all 7 days that week, from morning till night- I don't understand how the shows weren't ready by Wednesday night, when all pH and photo festival staff did the beginning of the week was run around like chickens with their heads cut off, at times in vain.
How can a bunch of disgruntled and unhappy staff put together a huge festival such as this- when they weren't even getting the appreciation they deserved?
Posted by: photobiff | June 13, 2009 at 02:41 AM
take daniel powers out of the new york photo festival, and you'll get infinitely better results next year.
Posted by: iminlikewithyou | June 13, 2009 at 02:45 AM
sagar
Please do not make fool of each other. That leaves no impression.
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