When Your Photograph Doesn’t Get In: A Rejection From A Juried Exhibition

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There is a particular kind of disappointment that comes with opening an email from a juried photography exhibition and reading, “We regret to inform you…”

You know the sentence before you finish it.

You submitted the photograph you thought was strong. Maybe it was one of your favorites. Maybe you spent hours editing it, carefully considered the crop, printed it in your head a hundred times, and decided, it was going to get in.

And then: rejected.

It kind of sucks. And this year unfortunately, no Art Farm Silent Auction for me: my photograph “Autumn Triangulation” was rejected.

In honor of the rejection, and the Autumn vives that have hit Northern California, I have opened my transient gallery “Still Life“, where prints of the rejected image, as well as others, are available for purchase on paper and metal.

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Wall Art Botanical Images

Wall Art Photography projects

Wall Art landscapes and miscellaneous

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12 responses to “When Your Photograph Doesn’t Get In: A Rejection From A Juried Exhibition”

  1. shoreacres Avatar

    I keep W.S. Merwin’s poem “Berryman” in my files and re-read it often. Although it focuses on writing, there’s no reason its truth couldn’t — doesn’t — apply equally to photography, painting, sculpture, or any creative endeavor.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Alessandra Chaves Avatar

      .😄

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Steve Schwartzman Avatar

    It sure is hard to understand how a fine still life like this one didn’t make it into that art show. Presumably a majority of the people on the jury have different—perhaps very different—tastes than yours (or mine).

    Like

    1. Alessandra Chaves Avatar

      When it comes to juried shows, we never really know what’s going to happen…

      What startles me sometimes in those is the prints that get the prizes. Often weird stuff that gets labeled as artistic and creative…. Over the top conceptually and weak in imagery.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Ed Lehming Photography Avatar

    Juried shows are always a crap shot. You never really know what the jurists are looking for, especially when it comes to photography. If a piece does not tie to the narrative they are hoping to create, even a strong photo may not make it.

    I’ve been fortunate to be accepted on a few occasions but no longer take it as rejection, it was just not what the jurists were after this time.

    Your image is strong, well composed, and beautifully lit, but if the show evolves organically into something the image does not fit, it can be rejected. Not because it not good, but because it does enhance whatever the story evolves into. Like our photos, the jurists are trying to compose a show, if that helps?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Alessandra Chaves Avatar

      Yeah, that’s the right attitude.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles Avatar

    Their loss! Not sure how any show/gallery could reject your fabulous work.
    Yes I’ve received those rejection letters and I wonder sometime if the Artist Calls are a scam to get the galleries money at $25 to more a pop to apply!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Alessandra Chaves Avatar

      For the most part I don’t participate in juried shows anymore. But I like to support local venues. And yes some galleries run mostly on competition fees.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. David Robertson Avatar

    Beautiful image. That’s what matters. Jurors are inconsistent. We have all had inages accepted for one show and rejected for another. The image didn’t change.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Alessandra Chaves Avatar

      I know. But having an image rejected is a universal frustration for artists… and I had to write about something. 😎

      Liked by 1 person

  6. automatice6473f4a5d Avatar
    automatice6473f4a5d

    If I submit six images for an exhibit when I know that, at most, one image per artist will be selected, and one of mine is selected, I still feel like five of my images have been rejected. But that’s such a ridiculous feeling that it’s easy to simply acknowledge it and move on.

    It’s not so easy if all six are rejected, but I try to take those occasions as opportunities to keep my ego in check, and as reminders that anything can happen when you submit to a juried show. It’s not a big deal to get rejected, so it can’t be a big deal to get accepted.

    Like you, Alessandra, I don’t submit to juried shows very often–mainly just to Viewpoint exhibits. I’m too old to be ambitious, or at least to convert ambitious feelings into ambitious action. The things that matter to me are engaging my pictorial eye, trying to make worthwhile captures, processing images until I feel like I’ve made something satisfying, and spending time with wonderful friends who share similar pursuits.

    Liked by 1 person

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