Spring 2024 Gallery Event

Putting on a gallery event for the very first time in early 2024, I was excited to invite many friends and visitors alike.

Overall, the show was a big success and with a great turnout – especially given the limited advertising leading up to the 4-day event. So a big thanks to everyone who attended! You helped make that possible, and I greatly enjoyed all of the conversations.

I also knew there would be some great learnings and takeaways. Below are a few that stood out.

1. Where a photo was taken (the location) doesn't matter as much as the capture itself.

Putting on an event in Ho Chi Minh City, the exhibition focus was primarily on places in Vietnam with 27 of 30 total photographs representing the country (the three others were captures from the US). To my big surprise, locals in Saigon especially were very drawn to a couple of those USA images, even though many had never visited the exact locations or even the United States at all.

How come? I think in part we like and are attracted to places that are new and different. That likely explains, at least partially, my own fascination and love for Vietnam. Locals, of course, liked many of the Vietnam images as well, but it was the USA interest I hadn’t expected.

The two US photos receiving lots of attention were The Needles, Last Summer Glow (Cannon Beach, Oregon) and Dock Pilings at Low Tide (Chinook, Washington). Foreigners and expats like me also liked these two, but overall leaned a bit more towards Vietnam captures.

2. The most popular photo was… actually, quite a few!

The one question I made sure to ask anyone who visited, before they left, was if they had to choose one as their favorite, which photo would it be and why? A few photos garnered almost equal attention, but I was pleasantly surprised that almost half of the 30 images on display got at least one vote as being someone’s favorite.

By a slight margin, the photo that probably received the most attention was Three Pools, Nets of Gold – Hoi An. But it was closely followed by En Garde, Golden Hour (also captured in Hoi An) and a few others, like Muong, Tea Picking II.

The takeaway? We all identify with different captures and for unique reasons sometimes. And that’s part of the fun.

3. Flow and presentation.

A few visitors commented, unprompted, on how certain frames matched particular photo captures extra well, and of the gallery layout. That was meaningful to me, more than they probably knew, because of just how much work goes into setting up a gallery display for the first time the day before you open.

Deciding where to put each photo feels a bit like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle. You want to create variety throughout the gallery, but you also want to pair certain images (and colors) together in particular places. I felt good overall with the final result, and it was fun to have a few others appreciate the thought that went into it.

4. Repeat visitors.

A very welcome surprise, also, was a number of visitors who came back a second time! And whether it was to bring a friend or family member with them, or to take another quick look again, it was great to have some repeat visitors.

5. A photo might be worth a thousand words, but words are still invaluable in providing background and insight.

For each print in the gallery, there was a small write-up on a plaque beside with the title of the image and details about its capture. Images can show and tell us things at times that words simply cannot. But words also can do the same. A number of people spent great time reading about each capture, and that was fun.

6. Young visitors, dragging their parents in with them.

As the son of two teachers, and as someone who has spent a lot of time working with kids over the years, there is an enthusiasm and excitement in so much of what kids do that is infectious.

"We're here because our daughters wanted to come,” two moms shared. It was fun having a number of younger visitors join their parents, and to see what stood out to each of them.

7. The impact of big prints.

Lastly, I’ll say that it was very fun just to see people hanging out, socializing, and not being on their phones while looking at large prints. There is a physical presence to the finished artwork, framed and on a wall, that a digital screen can’t match.

Instead of someone scrolling past your photo on social media in half a second (or less), in the gallery there was really nothing to distract. Just the print. And you. And that was fun, seeing people notice all kinds of little details and asking questions and getting a chance to fill in some of the blanks.

Good photos are conversation pieces, and the physical print helps make that possible. It’s part of why I love “the print” – when you have a capture worth printing. It’s a completely different experience.

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