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Originally Posted by Michael Fournier
I feel That the person making the decisions here was not looking for a painting in the first place and someone should tell them that using a photo especially if there are paintings of previous judges hanging is tasteless and tacky. And that it distracts from the honor they are intending to pay this retiring judge. It reflects very poorly on them as well and in my opinion they dishonor this judge by only hanging a photo no matter what the photographer does it is still a photograph.
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Michael, I agree. I tried to nicely explain to the committee why a painting would be more appropriate then a photograph, but I didn't want to sound like sour grapes, so I didn't belabor the point. Their choice was truly a disservice to the retiring judge, and that is where educating the public can make a difference. Unfortunately, the choice for a judicial portrait is left up to a committee that may or may not know the best choice to make. It would be very appropriate for portrait artists to come up with information that would enlighten the "committees" that make some of the portrait decisions. Just as a Realtor will point out the reasons why a house is worth a a specific amount of money. People don't buy pricey things just because they are pricey, but rather because they have a perceived value. If someone perceives that the value of a photograph is the same value as an original painting, then why pay more for the painting. However, educating the person is a way to help them know the value of the painting is worth the higher price.
On an indiviual basis I try to educate my potential clients, but I think information offered on a broader scope would be great. An individual jeweler may educate a specific customer about diamonds, but what stirred the interest in the first place is the knowledge shared by the diamond industry to the masses. Yes, there are many who will always want original portraits painted, but there are also many more that could benefit from the knowledge of why they should choose original portraiture over photography.