TY RANDALL WINS MORE AWARDS!

Ty Randall collects two more awards this month from the state-wide competition of the New Jersey Federation of Camera Clubs. Below is a brief interview with Ty conducted by his webmaster, Will (whom Ty calls Willie because he thinks it sounds better with his title).

Will: Hey, Ty. I hear you collected more ribbons. What did you win this time?

Ty: I'm glad you asked, Willie. For the latest state-wide competion this month I won an Award of Merit for "Cycler In the Park" and an Honorable Mention for "2 Sleeping Ducks." The "Butterfly Preparing For Takeoff" won Honorable Mention in the last state competition. I think I also won a couple others from my local camera club in their last competition.

Will: You think? You seem sort of non-chalant about it.

Ty: Sorry. I don't mean to be. It's just that the competitions have been happening pretty quickly lately.

Will: Don't you like winning ribbons?

Ty: Yeah, they're nice. I like the Merit Award more than the Honorable Mention. But really, when I think about how many people live in New Jersey and how many take pictures and how many could join a camera club and enter these competitions...and then the fact that they are judged by 3 different people who don't know you...I guess winning even an Honorable Mention when you consider all that is kind of cool.

Will: That's right. It's all about the ribbons. Isn't it?

Ty: I don't know. For some people it might be, but it's not for me. That's not why I take a photograph. I don't shoot something hoping that I'll win an award with it.

Will: Maybe not, but it's nice when you do. Right?

Ty: I guess so. I mean, winning something is better than not winning. It is a certain validation on some level. I really just enter a print in a competition for the education of it, to see what this particular group is looking for to validate, not to collect more ribbons.

Will: Why do you need the validation? After all these years, don't you think your work is good?

Ty: Well, it's usually new work that I enter in a competition so it helps validate if I'm heading in the right direction with it. I'm in a few different groups with varying levels of expertise and sophistication. They all have different criteria, which is why I joined all 3 groups. One photograph might be loved and win awards in one group, while another group would hate the very same image. And then again, I have had the same image hated by all 3 groups and it turned out to be one of my best sellers last year. So it all just goes to prove that you never know with photography, it's all subjective and you can't totally listen to anyone about your own work. You can however listen to what they have to say and use whatever of that information you want to proceed. So that's what I've been doing in the last year or two and I think it has helped my photography.

Not to get carried away, but here's a good example for you - I personally do not like the image of the Bicycler in the Park that won the award. I've never shown it before and I don't have it on my website because I just don't like it. Yet, that's the one that won. That tells me something about that group of people and also about my photography. See, I don't do it for the ribbons, I do it for the learning experience so I can get better. Everyone should strive to get better at whatever they do. Shouldn't they?

Will: Yes, they should. So now that the Bicycler won an award, what do you plan to do with it?

Ty: Well, I won't be hanging it on my own wall. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean others won't though. I'll probably either trying selling it for stock or make a greeting card or postcard out of it and offer it up like any other image. I have others that are available for sale that are not my favorites, but different people like different things.

Will: As you said, it's all subjective.

Ty: Yeah, I guess that's probably the thing getting pounded in the most lately. Now that I'm selling more work, I'm actually doing more that I'm not personally wild about, but I think others might like. The main point is to take as good a photograph as I can and hope somebody will like it. Or more specifically, several people will like it.

Will: You mean, you've sold out and you would take any photograph just to make a sale?

Ty: No. What I mean is that I've learned that my personal taste in art is very specific and not so popular. I usually shoot things I like and I try to produce the best photograph I can, but sometimes the images I prefer are not the ones that sell most, or at all.

Will: Oh, I see what you mean. Well, anything else you want to say before I get back to work?

Ty: Just that you're doing a great job and I really appreciate it. I'm excited about the changes we've talked about and can't wait to see how they turn out. Maybe you could let people know that I've been busy working on some new ideas lately which involve keeping me more out of the public eye (ie; exhibiting) for now, but my cards are available from the Borders in East Brunswick and everything else from me directly until I let you know otherwise.

Will: Ok. Thanks.

Ty: Thank you Willie, and thanks to everyone who reads this.

Willie & Ty together: Peace, out.

Update: June 2007 Two of these images have since been entered into additional competitions and won more awards. Ty is now out trying to shoot more award-winning photos.