I have watched several episodes of this show and have mostly enjoyed it. I like the insights in to what the photographers are doing--or trying to do. I like the somewhat pretentious artiness of the opening and transitions. It skirts eye rolling at times but never becomes unbearable.
Isabella Rossellini is a good host and has the right mystique for something like this. She has a warm, quirky appeal and a history as a model and actress that makes her appropriate for this kind of a show.
The photographers themselves are an interesting group. They come from many different esthetics and are often made, by the challenges, to work outside those comfort zones--which is where my problem comes in.
The judges and "mentors". Some are better than others but I wish, instead of photographers they had art critics. The mentors are sometimes helpful but more often want the artists to work in their (the mentor's) aesthetic. Thought there is lip service to "show us who you are" the judges are not often able to think outside of their own views on what photography should be. I think critics might be able to have a more expansive view. And a few of the judges are just crabby--which I'm sure has to do with the years they've spent defending their own work.
I still enjoy this show but as the seasons progress I hope they reconsider their judges.
Isabella Rossellini is a good host and has the right mystique for something like this. She has a warm, quirky appeal and a history as a model and actress that makes her appropriate for this kind of a show.
The photographers themselves are an interesting group. They come from many different esthetics and are often made, by the challenges, to work outside those comfort zones--which is where my problem comes in.
The judges and "mentors". Some are better than others but I wish, instead of photographers they had art critics. The mentors are sometimes helpful but more often want the artists to work in their (the mentor's) aesthetic. Thought there is lip service to "show us who you are" the judges are not often able to think outside of their own views on what photography should be. I think critics might be able to have a more expansive view. And a few of the judges are just crabby--which I'm sure has to do with the years they've spent defending their own work.
I still enjoy this show but as the seasons progress I hope they reconsider their judges.