power in the House

On a recent March Sunday I had went to the 3rd Annual powerHouse Portfolio Review. I had signed on in January, printed every Sunday for two months, and gathered all of my materials and thoughts on the day previous. Still my heart was in my throat when I opened the door of the powerHouse Arena.

If you've never been to a portfolio review before, as I hadn't, it can be incredibly overwhelming at first glance. Many folding tables set up in one big room with distinguished looking photography professionals ready to grill you and probe you and advise you. However, powerHouse did a great job of organizing the event to make sure it ran very smoothly. They even matched me up with reviewers that were more perfect for me than I even think that they knew.

I spoke with Thomas Roma, the Director of Photography at Columbia University, about the purpose of MFA study and degree, and learned how he has worked enough on his personal work throughout his life to publish 8 books while heading some of the best MFA programs in New York City. I met with Nancy Eklund-Later of the Princeton Architectural Press, who I think was as excited as I to speak about beginning an architectural photography career, and what her press looks for in their proposals. And I had another great review with Anthony LaSala of PDN, a magazine which continues to be a bible for the industry. Very encouraging and supportive, he liked my work, and that always feels great.

It was a great portfolio review, and a week and a half later I am still chewing on thoughts and ideas from that day.