Today we’d like to introduce you to Geoffrey Baris.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my business in NYC as a fashion photographer. I like to tell people I shot for 35 years every catalog they threw away. I was traveling shooting all over the world and at the end of the day when the light got to yellow to shoot fashion I would grab a camera and shoot nature shots from my. own unique perspective till the sunset. I sent some of these images around to galleries and a gallery in Soho was interested in giving me a show. After that I closed my fashion photography business and concentrated solely on my abstract artwork. I had my work in about 10 galleries across the US. They were selling my work for great prices but weren’t really selling enough work so I pulled my work from the galleries and started marketing and selling my work through art consultants and interior designers. I wasn’t getting paid as much but sold lots of volume. I currently have my work in about three hundred hotel and businesses worldwide. About 10 years ago I opened a studio/gallery in St Pete at Five Deuces Galleria where I shoot portraits and sell my art work. We are part of the St Pete Artwalk. I also curated group shows in our main gallery here for about five years show casing about 30-50 artists every month. I stopped doing that about a year ago to concentrate more on my own work. I currently exhibit in other galleries locally as well as my own.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a fashion photographer I was very successful as I was constantly reinventing myself keeping my work fresh and current. As a fine art photographer I do the same thing by creating new fresh styles and work daily. Being an artist is very challenging as you need to be 50% businessman and the other an aspiring artist.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love the fact that people come into my galley and look around and many say I love your paintings or how are these photographs? I don’t want my work to look like every other artist or photographer. I try and find the abstracts in everyday life. Things that people don’t normally see.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I love to do a new image or style that I’m excited about. It’s always nice to sell work but not that important. I feel very fortunate that I have never had another job than being a photographer. I have done this for 52 years and will never stop as it’s my art not my job.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.geoffreybaris.com
- Instagram: @geoffreybaris. @geoffreybarisphotography. @ visionsofthenude
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geoffrey.baris
