Portfolio Review - David Julian

For one of my Portfolio reviews, I contacted David Julian (http://davidjulian.com/Bio/1/): self-described photographer, illustrator and educator. I sought his opinion because his work appeals to me (especially the black and white photography) in addition to the fact he specialises in both fields that I'm interested in practising. As well as the review, I asked for his thoughts on working with the two and how he sees himself in relation to them. I received the following response he had kindly taken the time to put together:

"WOW, you can handle several styles in many media. This gives you a distinctive edge, as you can work in any one, a favorite one you are pulled towards— or merge them as the subject calls you to.

I am especially fond of the B+W photos, as your balance of shadow and light and choice of POV is spot on for each subject.
They say that message are often in the shadows. In your case, the light: Did you notice the second-read elements of the once-proud World Trade Center's 'Twin Towers' in your shot of the Empire State Building? Awesome.

The ink+guache crow feeding is one of my faves. The unexplained red on the mother... (in my interpretation) as if she is wounded, or symbolic of the poison in her passed-on foods.
I like that most of your painter work leaves a lot to the viewer to interpret. This style is especially good for book covers, editorials, should you choose to develop it.

You are also fascinated with birds. I am keen on them as you have seen, using them as organic forms in a man-made world, or simply as elements of beauty and wonder.

The swallow feeding sequence is great. How lucky you are to witness that from a window~!

Regarding my mixed focus in my work....
It has been a blessing and a mini-curse.

The blessing is that I am free to explore two mediums with different voices, and one also informs and enables deep experimentation in the other.
I began drawing surrealistic work, used a camera to document nature and travel, and soon found the digital darkroom as my experimental lab.
You are also in that uniquely fluid place of parallel growth.
Someday you might try adding hand-wrought media to your photographic prints, or try digital collage.
Also: to learn what others are doing professionally, look up the illustrator's gallery websites, such as 

illustration, stock illustration, new illustration portal, illustrators, spot illustration, Illustration Directory

and

WORKBOOK Photography & Illustration Portfolios, Creative Contact Database

Note the consistency of style within a portfolio. This has been a challenge for me, as I have three styles in Illustration, and a few in Photography— too much to manage at market at the same time. yet doing any one for too long bores me, and I respond differently to different subjects. In the end, my clients refer to the style they want from me at any one point.

My mini-curse is that I cannot say : I am a photographer without adding I am an illustrator, and I am a teacher (and an Assemblage artist, entomologist and inventor)
Confuses my marketing, causing many more plates to be in the air at one than I often can manage!
Renaissance artists we are! But I would not, could not give up any of it. My ADD mind loves the wonder of capabilities as well as the conflict of prioritized time.

My advice is to find a mentor or two-- someone you admire who you can work for and learn from.
Growing up, I was forbidden to be an artist, so I left home and went 'underground' for years. I never sought a mentor after school, toiling alone to "stay fresh and unique" so i told myself.
It was just my fear of being moulded or told I wan't good enough. Self-psychological rubbish.

Advice: Find a mentor who can teach you something new. Move on if they cannot."


-Thanks again for the feedback, insights and advice.