“ I want to use my experience and passion for the medium to work with clients and collectors to help them answer some important questions and achieve their goals.”
Instagram: @mmphotoconsulting
Decades ago, I left the humid Southeast in my 4-cylinder Nissan Sentra to begin my adventure West. I lived briefly in the shadow of the sharp, blue Tetons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The summer months were filled with exciting assignments on dude ranches – photographing families and tourists posed on aged wagons, rustic fences and well-treated, retired work horses. Leaving behind the promise of below zero winter weather, I meandered through the "Million Dollar Highway" from Ouray to Durango, Colorado, to Gunnison Canyon and Mesa Verde National Parks. This journey led me down the winding roads of the Rockies to the sunny, high desert landscape of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
My time in Santa Fe resulted in an incredible education through photobooks, juried calls for entry and international festivals. In my travels I met many amazing and dedicated photographers whose work still remains in my thoughts and many small book publishers whose publications hold an special place on my personal bookshelf. These encounters and experiences refined my ability to communicate with artists about their practice and vision and exposed me to the wealth of international photographic books, publishers and booksellers. I want to use my experience and passion for the medium to work with clients and collectors to help them answer some important questions and achieve their goals.
Melanie McWhorter is a Santa-Fe based consultant and bookseller. She managed the internationally recognized photo-eye Bookstore until 2016. Melanie then started her own online bookshop and consulting practice where, among other advice, she speaks with artists about bringing their photobook projects to fruition. She has gained a reputation as a knowledgeable photography professional and has been interviewed and written about photography in numerous print and online publications including Lenscratch, PDN, and NPR’s The Picture Show.
Melanie has judged photography competitions including Review Santa Fe 100, Women Photojournalists of Washington’s Annual Exhibition; Daylight Annual Awards, and Fotografia: Fotofestival di Roma’s Book Prize. She has offered advice and reviewed portfolios at Fotografia, Italy; Lishui Photography Festival, China; Photolucida; PhotoNOLA; and Review Santa Fe. Melanie taught workshops and lectured at numerous venues including Mt. Rokko Photo Festival, Japan; PhotoNOLA; and University of North Texas.
Recent
Jim Horn Interview with Melanie McWhorter on her consulting
Los Angeles Center for Photography Photobook Discussion (shown above)
Archive
Articles
AG23 Issue 1: Elements is out with my review of Michael Lundgren’s Geomancy and a piece titled On Geomancy: The Spiritual Science of the Sand by mage, priest, and diviner Sam Block (scroll to bottom of page to read this piece), 2020
Cover the Book: Edition Three, Opening the Book, Lenscratch, 2018
Cover the Book: Edition Two, Words and Pictures, Lenscratch, 2018
Cover the Book: Edition One, Interview with Four, Lenscratch, 2018
The Punctuation of Photobooks, Ahorn Magazine, 2011
Book Essays
Kraïna: My Canada. Lesia Maruschak, 2017
Likeness and Otherness: The Individuality of Redheads essay in Flaming Grace with photographs by Vivian Keulards, self-published, 2016
Crossings, essay in Sasha with photographs by Claudine Doury published by Le Caillou Bleu, 2011
Curated Exhibitions
Fraction Magazine, Our Nature, 2015
The Un-Natural Nature of Food, Fraction Magazine, 2009
Jesse Burke and Susan Wosham, Lishui Photography Festival, 2009
The Dress Show, Fraction Magazine, 2008
Book Reviews
T , Susan Barnett, photo-eye Blog, 2015
The Art of Ruin, Robert Stivers, photo-eye Blog, 2015
Gardening at Night, Cig Harvey, photo-eye Blog, 2015
When I Was Six, Phillip Toledano, photo-eye Blog, 2015
Photobook: A History Vol. III, Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, 2014
Touching Strangers, Richard Renaldi, photo-eye Blog, 2014
10x10 American Photobooks, 2013
Indie Publishing, photo-eye Magazine, 2009
Video Book Reviews
The Course of History, Bart Michiels
In the Beginning No Birds Sang, Anais Lopez
Birds of the West Indies, Taryn Simon
Rainbow Transit, Per-Anders Petersen
Photographs: Gary Briechle
Interviews by Melanie
Stephen Shore
Erika Diettes Part 1 and Part 2
Roger Ballen
Interviews with Melanie
Fraction Magazine Japan, 2015
Lay Flat, 2012
DuckRabbitSpeaks, 2010
Elizabeth Avedon's Blog, 2010
Photo Radio Blog with Lauren Henkin, 2011
Contributions
Portfolios and Pets with work of Nicole Jean Hill, NPR's The Picture Show, 2009
Numerous contributions to photo-eye Blog
Best Books Selections
Best Books 2018
Best Books 2016
Best Books 2015
Best Books 2014
Best Books 2013