After some rejections from the publishers, I was a bit discouraged. All right, all right, very much. Then I had this opportunity talking to JP, a French Australian photographer who is basically self-taught and currently resides in Sydney.
On rejection
“You don’t want to be accepted at the first try. Because maybe they don’t know what they want from you.”
“This will be the first no of many no-s that you’ll get in this line of biz. I know this writer who has post all her rejection letters on the fridge. The fridge is COVERED with them. ”
“ Maybe the market is not up for that style; maybe it is the merchandise that they can’t sell. Go back to your works and think about its structure, or story line, or it is simply not good enough.”
“I started my career as a fashion photographer and held several exhibitions. Having a bit reputation, quite successful public showings; but still, there was no sales. The works are good enough, the reviews are good, but no one buys them. It is not until I have some PR making my works more “known” to the public…then, they (buyers) come. So you see, even if I have done this for so many years, I still am trying to make it happened. But I am much more relaxed now...”
On being an artist
“It takes at least 10 years in a field to achieve something. So, it is way too early to talk about if not now or never talk.”
“If you do not have to make money out off it, might as well just enjoy doing what you do.”
This is his site. Check it out.
http://www.bratanoff-firgoff.com/
