Photo collecting: The shoebox under your bed doesn't count.

 

I was lucky enough to attend a special viewing of the newest Sebastiao Salgado exhibit, GENESIS, at the ROM yesterday evening.  I was struck not only by the content of the photos, but by the way in which they were shot. For me it seemed as though he had given movement to things that you would expect to be still such as rocks, ice and dirt.  Which is actually quite apropos considering this collection is about how the world is changing all the time.  I won't go into a review here as I don't really know that much photography and I'm not about to pretend.  But I will say that if you enjoy looking at black and white photos and have an appreciation for nature, this is an exhibit you should visit. 

Sebastiao Salgado, GENESIS

The exhibit features over two hundred photos and is split into two sections as the ROM was not able to accommodate the entire collection in one space.  But that worked out perfectly as we were treated to a special talk after viewing the first half of GENESIS.  Deepali Dewan, ROM curator, offered us a little background on Salgado.  He was born in Brazil, fled persecution and lived in France for many years before returning to Brazil when he inherited some land.  When he returned to Brazil he discovered that his land was not the lush green paradise he remembered.  It was now desolate and desert-like.  The trees had withered or been cut down, the river had dried up and the wildlife had moved on.  There was nothing left.  This change prompted two things, the photo collection that I just had the privilege of seeing and an organization for reforestation and conservation called Instituto Terra.  I am happy to report that his efforts have had very positive results and the river flows once more, over 2 million tress have been planted and the animals have returned.  Hurrah! I love a happy ending.



We were also treated to some information about starting our own photography collections by Contact co-founder and gallery owner, Stephen Bulger. Currently, the only photographs that I have on my walls are my travel photos, which works into Stephen's first tip: photography collections should be based on a theme.  Hey, I got that part right! His personal collection is of wedding photos through time. Selecting a theme is the easy part. Now you have to understand the monetary value of a photograph.  And with price ranges from $30 at the local art fair to nearly $4 million at auction, this gets a little tricky.  And because I know you are bying to know what a $4 million photo looks like, here they are:

Cindy Sherman, untitled #96

Andreas Gursky, The Rhine II





The name of the artist as always is important.  My photo taken of Perito Moreno and Salgado's photo of Perito Moreno will have significantly different price tags based on our names alone. Then you also have to consider the quality of the photograph.  Each photographer's work is rated on a scale of their own photography.  Is this one of their best photos or is it just mediocre by their standards? 

1,000 copies of Ansel Adams'
moonrise have been printed

There are also processing criteria for determining the value of a photograph.  There are technical aspects of course regarding the printing techniques and the materials used, but photographs are also valued based on the timing of the print.  Was the print developed at the same time as the negative? Was the print made at a later date?  Was the photographer still alive when the print was made or was it produced posthumously?  But wait, there's more! You also have to consider the rarity of that photograph.  And rarity has two measures: 1- is this subject matter of the photograph rare?  Does it capture something that few other shave been able to capture?  and 2- How many copies of this photo exist?  1? or 1,000? 1000 copies seems like a lot, but if it's a really famous photo, then there will always be a buyer.

And there we have it, the start of the research involved when you're ready to begin a collection of your very own.  But let's keep it real for a moment here.  None of that matters if the photograph doesn't speak to you.  Collect with your eyes and your heart before you collect with your knowledge. 

A special thanks goes out to the Young Patron's Circle at the ROM for a lovely event.

The linkage:
Salgado at the ROM: http://www.rom.on.ca/en/exhibitions-galleries/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/genesis-sebastiao-salgado?gclid=CMuWisCYmLcCFaZFMgodoScAKw
Contact photography festival: http://scotiabankcontactphoto.com/