In the following exchange,  Luong wonders of Langham: ‘what made the support incredible?’ (impossible to believe.) Langham responds with details, delivered as if evidence that he had experienced enough to warrant his off-handed exclamation.

A Wonder

How did Mark Burns scoop the prize away from QT Luong (forum founder)? I suggest that it was because he sought it, while QTL was busily delivering his victory pitch: ” first to — 59 parks — camera”

Dead Pitch

I felt that QTL was curt, so I probed how deeply he had dug into showing his work; wondering if it was his work, pitch, or personality. (my theory of X 05 in data collection) I pinged him using 2 trigger phrases. And waited. He responded, declaring that he had attended proclaiming that the work had been well received, but got no practical follow-ups. (leaving the failure at the mail stop of a Texas photography institution) So it goes.

QTL’s work is benign, shopworn like a Waffle House that is always open. Always the same, nothing to cause discomfort. It won’t cause discomfort, or concern – fully family friendly – therefore, ready to be consumed by any of the hundred community art spaces of the American Heartland. Easy to find a sponsor, but you have to do the hunting. Like climbing a mountain. You have to climb it.

His pitch couldn’t be the problem, right? Also, not his problem that they didn’t follow-up, right?

Resilience is a defense without being defensive; without weakening you or the other.

Finally

It was my Fotofest interest that put the Large Format posts into my frame. Without that, I’d not have noted Langham’s Bestiary show. A detour taken.

Beware detours and those hiding behind cameras — Not failures as much as flops. They are driven more by their fears. These fears are of lacking the appearance of knowledge. They never dig themselves out of that quicksand.

 You Don’t need followers, you need follow up