What I've learned from being part of 3 exhibitions in a row

I'm fortunate to be selected to participate in 3 major exhibitions in Budapest this summer. The first was the Leica 5x5, the second the Unio Mystica and the third was the Paralel Hungary street photo exhibition. While being exhibited is an amazing thing, I think it is equally important to learn from it, because as a photographer, there are great lessons that might help to develop further.

Printing labs matter

It's a wide topic, but obviously, there is a difference between care and expertise among different printing labs. Fortunately, in Budapest, there are several excellent services available, and all exhibitions were prepared and printed by two of the top names in the industry.

If possible, I suggest not simply sending your TIFF files in and waiting for the results, but ask for a consultation with a printing professional. You can see what your prints will look like in a fully calibrated environment, receive suggestions and most importantly, correct possible errors before the final print. It is invaluable. These experiences changed how I edit today.

Paper choice is one of the biggest factors that can change the outcome. It's not a surprise that cheaper papers don't look that good, and if you're willing to spend the money on high-quality Baryta papers, your print will shine.

Dark and bright are not simple terms...

There are a million shades of grey, shadows, darks and brights. It seems obvious, but it becomes painfully obvious once you start to print your work. I have a great professional, calibrated monitor, and I still had surprises at the print lab. For me, two types of shots worked the best:

- high contrast, where there are very few midtones presented in the picture

- full-spectrum shots that contain a fair amount of different grey tones, and all the darks, shadows, highlights, and whites are present

I struggled with shots that depicted moody, foggy weather. I should've done test printing before sending those to the lab. There's a fine line between being moody and being too dark. With minor edits, you can easily ruin your print, so be careful and double-check your edits and make test prints.

Curation

I always thought I had a great gut feeling about what to choose and what to leave out. I know a few guidelines, but more importantly, most of the time I just feel what's right. At least this is the illusion I was in. Curation can really elevate your work and make your part of the exhibition so much better.

At first, it was a bit strange, as I am no longer in charge of making the final selection. I was asked to make a pool with many photographs, and the curator made a much smaller selection. We talked about it, and she made her final selection. Of course, nothing is final until you send the files to the lab. At the end of the whole process, you can find that you seem like a much more versatile and multifaceted photographer than you originally thought. And realised that even if I thought about different shots to include, the final selection is stronger. It is teamwork, and it is hard. Because if you consider your shots are good enough for an exhibition, every shot is your favourite. So, excluding some might hurt your precious feelings. :) I have only one advice here, trust the process.