A comment at the Denver gallery show last month really stuck with me

I was showing my new series of digital landscapes (you know, the ones with the layered skies) and this older guy, named Frank, spent a long time looking at one piece. He finally said, 'It's not about the pixels, it's that you made the light feel like it's 4 PM in October.' That specific time of day thing, from a total stranger, hit me harder than any technical feedback. Has anyone else had a viewer point out a mood or feeling in your work you didn't even fully realize you put there?

3 comments

3 Comments

piper47016d ago

Wait, he said 4 PM in OCTOBER? That's crazy specific. Not just "afternoon light" but the exact hour and season. It means he wasn't just looking, he was actually there in the picture. That's the kind of comment you remember for years. Makes all the work worth it for that one person who gets it on that level.

spencerh9516d agoMost Upvoted

You ever think those super specific comments were just people trying too hard? I used to. Then someone pointed out the exact type of clouds in one of my shots, the kind that only show up before a cold front. It's not showing off, it's them being there with you. Totally changed how I see it.

emery_hall16d ago

That's the good stuff right there. When someone gets the vibe you didn't even know you were sending.