Last week I had the privilege of attending PhotoNOLA as a portfolio reviewer. As someone who spends a great deal of time writing about photography on the internet (and in print), it was nice to get out from behind the screen. The photographers who sat at my table presented both finished and in-progress work in a variety of genres. I was very impressed by the quality, and also their eagerness to have a discussion about their work, rather than simply expectations of praise and opportunity. I can only hope that they enjoyed the experience as much as I did.

Portfolio reviews. If you look closely, you can see the back of my head.

I was only able to review 24 of the 70 participating photographers, but the folks at PhotoNOLA organized a portfolio walk on Friday evening where each photographer presented their portfolios at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. All of the reviewers as well as the general public wandered through the tables to see photographers whom they did not review. In addition to the new photographers I met, I also had the opportunity to finally meet several people who have been published in Don’t Take Pictures.

Here is some standout work that I was fortunate enough to encounter.