As Setsuko Kanie, a director of SAMURAI FOTO, has been to FOTO FEST four times before, she told the basic outline about the event; it is the largest event which is held in spring biennially in Houston. About 500 photographers and 150 reviewers gather from around the world.
ディレクターの蟹江さんはFOTO FESTの取材が4回目。隔年春、ヒューストンで開催されるFOTO FESTのポートフォリオレビューは約500名の写真家と150名のレビュワーが世界中から参加する世界最大規模であることなど、概要を説明してもらいました。

Motoko Sato had attended the Portfolio Review of Higasikawa International Photo Festival in Hokkaido a few times before though it was her first time to go to the Portfolio Review in abroad. She took her own made mini sized washi paper photo book to the review, which helped her a lot at the presentation.
佐藤素子さんは北海道の東川町国際写真フェスティバルなど日本でのポートフォリオレビューを数回経験したうえで今回、海外でのレビューを初体験。プリントとともに持参したミニサイズの手作り和紙本はプレゼンのときにとても役立ったという。

Alfo Maeta had experienced a photo review in Arles four years ago. There, it was a great challenge for him to make people understand and accept him because no one knew who he was. Based on that experience in Arles, he brought a picture book using his photographs to the portfolio review this time and also introduced his website.
4年前にアルルで受けたレビューでは「自分のことを誰も知らない。そんなときにどう説明すべきか」が課題だと感じた前田さん。今回はホームページに写真展や活動記録を詳細に掲載し、写真を売り込むための手段として絵本とコラボレーションしたものも準備した。

As Noriko Aoyama was a professional photographer, she had been taking photographs just for her career for a long time. It was her first challenge to the review in Houston. She told us about what made her decide to make the artworks for her own self and showed us the artworks that she brought to the portfolio review.
ポートフォリオレビュー初挑戦の青山さんはもともと職業写真家。長年、仕事としてだけ写真撮影してきた彼女がなぜ自分の作品制作に取り組むようになり、今回のFOTO FESTポートフォリオレビューのためにどのような作品を仕上げて持っていったかなどを語ってもらいました。

Michiko Chiyoda has attended portfolio reviews three times before. Every time she finished her presentation, she learned from the feedback and brushed it up. Then her presentation got better and better. She showed and shared what she learned there. She reflected about the reviews and analyzed them. Then she tried to find a new step to go next, which seemed really impressive.
2014、2016、2018年と海外でのレビューは3回目という千代田さん。1回目、2回目とレビューを体験するたびにその体験を活かして作品をブラッシュアップされてきましたが、その過程を詳細に説明してくれました。レビューで得たことを整理し、それを分析して次のステップを見つけている姿が印象的でした。

At the previous FOTO FEST, Michiko Chiyoda got advice from a reviewer to make a photo book of her photographs. So she was amenable to advice and made one with washi paper. She brought one and showed guests this time. This is one of the advantages that she got at the portfolio reviews. She learned what “Personal is Universal” meant at the FOTO FEST and she set her own theme. Her new project will be more profound one.
千代田さんは前回のFOTO FESTでレビュワーさんから薦められた和紙での前作の手作り本も用意。これも前回のレビュー経験を活かしています。また、今回のFOTO FESTでは「Personal is Universal」であることを学ぶとともに自分のテーマが見えてきたという。新作のプリント作品もより深遠なものになりそうだ。

We had a panel discussion with four women participants of FOTO FEST. They said it would be tough if each of them had to challenge to the portfolio review by all themselves but as they could take part in the review in a group, they didn’t have to get air tickets or book hotels individually. They had many benefits to work as a group. They could work together for all the arrangements like translating reviewers’ profiles.
今回のFOTO FEST参加者7名のうちの女性4名でトークセッションをしてもらいました。海外のレビュー挑戦は一人ではたいへんだが、航空券とホテルなどの手配もツアーを組んでやってもらえたし、レビュワーのプロフィールの和訳など手分けしてできることも多く、クラブならではメリットを感じたという。

For three of them among the female members, it was their first challenge to get the photo review this time. They were all nervous at first, but more than that, they were full of excitement to go there. Every single moment was a great experience and they got something valuable there. It was surely hard to make art works though it was worth participating in the review in abroad. Seeing other photographers’ dynamic art works make them motivate to create highly art works. They are eager to join the photo review next time.
4人のうち初めてのFOTO FESTだった3人は行く前は緊張していたそうだが、それを上回るワクワク感があった。参加することで確実に何かを得た。作品づくりはたいへんだが、ほかの国の写真家のダイナミックな作品を見てモチベーションも上がったので、次回もぜひ参加したいとのことだ。

We made the necessary arrangements for the portfolio Review. Our director, Everett Brown helped us with the presentation in English. People listened to us with great interest and someone took notes while the discussion.
毎月の勉強会で、ディレクターのエバレットさんに英語でのレビュー・リハーサルをしてもらうなど、SAMURAI FOTOとしてどんな準備をしてレビューに挑んだのか、また個人個人はどんな取り組みをしたのか、聴衆の皆さんもメモを取りながら真剣に聞いてくださいました。

It was Hiroaki Hasumi’s third time of the review in overseas. As he wanted many people to see his art works and recognize him as a photographer, he emphasized on his will to have his own photo exhibition in museums rather than making a contract with gallery owners. With the new challenge of making artworks called “Altenative+digital”, which is his own technique of photography, he promoted himself bravely. During the portfolio review, he made a contact with one of the reviewers. His artworks will be exhibited at a museum in university in the U.S. next year.
蓮見さんも海外レビューは3回目。自分の作品の露出度を高めるために、今回はギャラリーとの契約よりも、ミュージアムでのエグジビションを狙った。新しい戦略として、「オルタナティブ+デジタル」という世界で唯一ともいえる手法で挑戦し、レビュー中に来年のアメリカの大学ミュージアムでの展示が決まった。

Shigeru Yoshida has already made contracts with many gallery owners. He talked about his past artworks and his new artwork of Ambro-typed photographs. He also told us the importance of keeping in touch with those people in abroad after the exhibitions or the reviews. As he’s donated his artworks to MOPA (Museum of Photographic Arts), he told his enthusiasms for making a social contribution with photography.
すでにギャラリーとの契約を果たしている吉田先生は今回のアンブロタイプの新作をつくるまでの過去の作品経緯を解説。また、レビューを受けたあとどのように「keep in touch」し続けるかなどのノウハウを公開。MOPA(Museum of Photographic Arts)への寄贈など写真での社会貢献について語ってくれました。