Rich or Famous | A Lesson From an Early Collector

Years ago, long before successful galleries, museums, or the $200+ million in photographs sold, I had an early collector named Rick Simons.

Rick wasn’t just any collector. At the time, he managed a money market fund for a major bank in Chicago. Smart guy. Stable. Quiet. One of those people who listens fully before he speaks.

One afternoon, after spending a long time with one of my early photographs, he said something I’ve never forgotten:

“Rodney, you can be rich
or you can be famous,
but you can’t be both.”

I laughed. He didn’t.

What he said next completely changed the way I think about fine art photography, success, and the people who collect my work.

Kinda doubtful any of this was on my mind back then.

Fame and Fortune Don’t Follow the Same Road

Rick explained that the things you have to do to become famous, mass marketing, high-volume production, chasing trends, being everywhere all the time, are almost always at odds with what it takes to build something of lasting value.

Fame demands attention. Value demands intention.

And intention is slow.

Great art isn’t manufactured. It isn’t algorithm friendly. It doesn’t chase the crowd. It doesn’t get produced in bulk and distributed like candy bars. It’s built the old fashioned way with time, patience, and a willingness to fail. Again and again.

That path rarely leads to celebrity. But it does lead somewhere far more meaningful.

What Rick Really Meant

I didn’t fully understand his statement until years later. What Rick was really saying was this:

You must choose.

Do you want popularity,
or do you want longevity?

Do you want applause,
or do you want authenticity?

Do you want exposure,
or do you want collectors?

’Famous’ photographers come and go with the internet tides. But artists, true artists, build something that outlives them.

And that path is walked quietly, not loudly.

The Art World Rewards Depth, Not Noise

Anyone can go viral. Not everyone can create a photograph that still resonates 30 years later.

Collectors | you, know the difference. You’ve felt it.

A great piece of artwork isn’t famous…it’s personal.

It meets you where you are. It says something unique to you. It reflects something inside you. It whispers instead of shouts.

That’s the opposite of fame. And honestly? I’m grateful for that.

The Chrysler Museum of Fine Art giving me a very kind introduction.

Rich vs. Famous | The Real Meaning Today

When Rick said “rich,” he didn’t mean money. He meant rich in purpose, rich in craft, rich in meaning, the deep wealth that comes from spending a lifetime chasing the perfect moment of light. And when he said “famous,” he meant popular, broadcast, diluted.

He was reminding me that your life’s work cannot be both scarce and ubiquitous.

Not if you want it to matter. And not if you want it to maintain its integrity.

In the End, I Chose My Collectors

I chose the quiet, slow, sometimes stubborn path:

• Lugging my large format cameras into the wilderness

• Waiting days (or weeks, even years) for the right light, moment, stillness

• Creating fine art photographs on real photographic materials

• Crafting each piece by hand, one by one

• Letting the work evolve naturally

• Releasing only the pieces that deserve to exist | with many you have never yet seen
  
  

Not because it makes me famous. But because it makes the art worthy of you. My collectors are not drawn to volume. Or trendiness. Or brand hype. You are drawn to wonder, color, stillness, and meaning. Very few of you ever put pieces on the open market; why?, because you love them still and were collected as pieces of fine art and not disposable decorations. And that is why your support has made my life “rich” in the only way that matters.

So Can You Be Rich and Famous?

Maybe. But only one of those things lasts, because popularity fades. Algorithms shift. Trends die. Fame is rented.

But art and I mean true art endures. And so do the relationships behind it.

Then again, I didn’t know I’d be in five distinguished museums today either.

Thank You For Choosing This Path With Me

Every collector, from Rick Simons to those of you who joined me last week, has shaped my journey. You’ve allowed me to stay focused on craft, authenticity, and the pursuit of images that speak to the human spirit.

You didn’t choose me because I was famous. You chose me because the work moved you.

And that…that is the only kind of wealth I ever wanted.

Until Next Time, Take Care & I’ll,
See Ya on the Trail!

Rodney Lough Jr.