A Portfolio this is Not

I recently received a communique from someone complimenting me on several photographs that I’d posted. It was a bit of a backhanded compliment, however, as this person went on to state some puzzlement over the sense that–I’m paraphrasing–not all of the photos that appear on this blog are of equivalent quality.

The Fire Wave at Dusk, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Let’s set aside any discussion of the inherent subjectivity of “quality” when it comes to art. We’ve been down that road on this very blog a number of times previously. The truth is, I share the opinion that the quality of imagery that appears on this blog is uneven. This is particularly the case when I endeavor to chronicle photo expeditions. I am deliberately not limiting the imagery that I post to that which I consider my best work.

Wilson Creek Beach at Sunset, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, California

More than a decade ago, I laid out an image typology. Using the parlance of that post, there is a lot of Category 2 material that appears on this blog. In fact, the vast majority of the photographs that appear here fall into that category.

Virgin River Intimate black & white, Riverside Walk, Zion National Park, Utah

Why is that? Why don’t I limit myself to posting portfolio-quality imagery?

There are two basic reasons. The first…[looks furtively in multiple directions]…I don’t have that much portfolio-quality imagery upon which to draw.

Shhhhhhhhh!!!

Little Cut, Coconino County, Arizona

Seriously–and, again, without getting into an ultimately pointless debate about what, exactly constitutes a portfolio-quality image–there’s simply a finite selection of truly top-notch images from which to choose. In short, if I limited myself to portfolio-quality imagery to accompany blog posts, I’d be recycling images with regularity and I’d have to dramatically limit the number of images accompanying each post.

Aspen Intimate, Dark Canyon Loop Trail, Kebler Pass, Gunnison National Forest, Colorado

The second reason is, in my view, the more important: the primary purpose of this blog is not to showcase what I consider to be my best work. (If you want to see what I consider my best imagery, go here and here.) This blog’s principal purposes are 1) to relate an experience; or 2) to make a point. (Or occasionally both.) In my view, sometimes this is best accomplished by posting some of what I consider to be my best work; frequently it is accomplished with imagery of secondary and tertiary quality. Regardless, the imagery selected is intended to support the theme of the post. (On the very rare occasion when irony rears its implacable head, showcasing what I consider to be my best imagery is the theme being supported.)

So, yes, the image quality is uneven, purposefully and inevitably. A portfolio this blog is not.

Kekaha Beach at Dusk, Kauai, Hawaii