Staying On Top Of It

Not being in NYC (yes, I admit I'm very New York-centric, but fill in the major metro area of your choice), it's hard to stay on top of trends in contemporary photography. When I lived in the city, I could spend a Saturday in Chelsea or Soho and feel pretty plugged in. So what's a girl (or guy) who finds themselves in Savannah, Georgia to do (besides envy the cosmopolitan Atlanta campus students)?

Typically, I check the NY Times for new exhibition reviews on Friday and again on Sunday for more extended articles on the arts. If you can afford to, get a subscription to the Sunday Times. The Magazine alone is worth the price. The Photo Editor of The Magazine, Kathy Ryan, has become something of a taste maker, and she continues to make innovative choices, especially in terms of hiring "fine art" photographers to do commercial, editorial shoots. Plus, the crossword puzzle is great. I can sometimes solve it, but it takes me the entire week.

If you get one subscription to one photography magazine, get Photo District News (PDN). I like it because it's ecumenical. There are articles about both commercial and fine art as well as technical pointers and equipment/software and book reviews. Other magazines worth looking at on a regular basis are Art in America, Artforum, and Aperture.

Lastly, the internet is a great resource. I frequently check the websites of galleries and museums, and if I ever hear a name I don't recognize, I Google it. Blogs are great too! "Power to the people," I say. I know that some of you will have some great suggestions for internet resources, so please post your comments!