Category Archives: Photography
(My blog turns 8 years old on July 15! As I have done for past anniversaries, I am republishing the very first post from July 15, 2012.) Q: What does it take to be an artist, especially one living and working in New York?
Barbara’s Studio (in 2012) with works in progress.
A: The three Big P’s – Patience, Persistence, and Passion. Without all three you will not have the stamina to work tirelessly for very little external reward. You can expect help from no one.
There are so many obstacles to art-making and countless reasons to just give up. When you really think about it, it’s amazing that great art gets made at all. So why do we do it? Above all it’s about making our time on earth matter, about devotion to our innate gifts and love of our hard-fought creative process.
And, my God, it even gets harder as we get older! So what do we do? We dig in that much deeper. It’s a most noble and sacred calling – you know when you have it – and that’s what separates those of us who are in it for the long haul from the wimps, fakers, and hangers-on. I say to my fellow artists who continue to work despite the endless challenges, we are all true heroes!
__________
What I wrote eight years ago still rings true.
Most importantly, THANK YOU to my 60,000+ subscribers for taking this journey with me!
Comments are welcome!
Happy Fourth of July! Travel photo of the month*
Washington, DC
* Favorite travel photos that have not yet appeared in this blog
Comments are welcome!
Travel photo of the month*
On the road in Bolivia
* Favorite travel photos that have not yet appeared in this blog
Of all the countries I have visited so far, I’d say that the most beautiful, awe-inspiring landscapes are to be found in Bolivia! The people and the sights and sounds of Bolivia truly won my heart. I hope to return.
Comments are welcome!
Q: Do you have a favorite among your thousands of travel photographs from around the world?
Tile worker, South India
A: I do! It is this photograph of a family matriarch filling a water jar. I don’t remember the name of the village, but it was somewhere in South India at a clay-tile-making workshop.
Walking in, I immediately stopped in my tracks. Had I just traveled back in time to some 18th century workshop? I found her appearance and demeanor extraordinary! (Regretfully, I did not ask her name). She was tiny, yet she was the boss whose authority and judgement were beyond question. After observing her move around the studio for a few minutes, I asked if I might have a photograph. She immediately struck this arresting and classic pose. I smiled to myself, “Obviously, she has done this a few times!”
Comments are welcome!
Travel photo of the month*
Carlos the camel saying, “Cheese,” Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India
* Favorite travel photos that have not yet appeared in this blog.
Comments are welcome!
Top Facebook posts for 2019
December was a busy month! Here are the most-liked 2019 posts – all dated December – from my Facebook fan page. Please join a worldwide audience of 48,000 people who follow my work at https://facebook.com/BarbaraRachko. Thank you for your support!
Comments are welcome!
Top Instagram Posts for 2019
New Year’s Day is almost here so I decided to depart from the usual. Here are my most popular images posted on Instagram in 2019.
With Jenny Holzer – she’s waiving hello – at Rockefeller Center
Photo: Izzy Nova
Photo: Izzy Nova
Photo: Izzy Nova
More than 49,000 now!
Please consider following my work at https://Instagram.com/barbararachko_artist.
Comments are welcome!
Q: What do you do when you are feeling undervalued and/or misunderstood as a visual artist?
On a favorite walk
A: After more than three decades as a professional artist, I wish I could say this rarely happens, but that’s not the case. People say dumb things to artists all the time and I’m no exception. Often I tune it out, remembering the title of a terrific book by Hugh MacLeod called, “Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity.” Come to think of it, it’s time for a re-read of Hugh’s wise book.
But ignoring people is not always possible. So I might take a break from the studio, go for a long walk along the Hudson River, compose photographs, think about what’s bothering me, and try to refocus and remember all the positive things that art-making has brought to my life. I always feel better after this simple ritual.
Here’s another helpful quote that I read recently and try to remember:
‘’An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one.” – Charles Cooley
I wonder, what do you do?
Comments are welcome!
Travel photo of the month*
Selling greens to feed to sacred cows, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
* Favorite travel photos that have not yet appeared in this blog.
Comments are welcome!
