Need advice for my final project for photo class...

K

Kyle

Guest
OK, I have been taking a color photography class at my university for the last 6 weeks. In 4 weeks, my final project will be due. The guidelines were given today, and its very vague so I have no idea what I want to do. Basically, I need to make a set of photographs that are related in some way, so that I can say "My project is about this..." He did not specify how many prints he wants, but he said that he would do at least 5, but if we can accomplish what is necessary with less prints, thats fine too. Anyways, for me this is way too vague, and I'm having a very hard time deciding what I want to do. We all will be meeting with him privately to discuss our intent for this project on Monday, and I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what I'm going to do.

I don't want to steal anybody's ideas, and I don't want anybody to tell me what to do, but if you had to do this assignment, what do you think you would do? I'm just trying to get some ideas, so I could maybe develop something of my own. My normal style of photography is candids/street, etc. but I'm not sure I can produce a series of at least 5 shots and be really proud of them as a whole. I just really hate trying to come up with these sort of things, it would be much easier for me if he could be more specific, but at the same time it allows us to do exactly what we want.

My plan is to do the assignment with medium format (more than likely 6x6 with a Mamiya 6) and print at least 16x20.
 
off the top of my head...and wanting to be a bit different...

i would do 3 triptychs (sp?) and focus on one thing, either a place or event.
if i was using the mamiya 6, i would print small, like 5x5.

just a thought...
 
This:

haight.jpg


Or this

ggb.jpg


But with only 3 pictures 🙂

Fred
 
A good definition is here http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/t/triptych.html

Doing it with iconic secular images (Flags, family farms, apple pies 😉 ) could be interesting. I do like joe's suggestion of small prints - in color they could work quite well. You might find that rather than the tradional side by side mounting of a triptych, a top to bottom arrangement might work well too.

Have fun with it, whatever you do. That will make more impact in the final prints than anything else you can do.

William

Edit: Good examples in Fred's post as I was still typing 🙂
 
I think the instructor's assignment id a good one - he is letting you do anything you want. You know most photo grads don't do photography after they leave school. One of the reasons is they are not being assigned subjects. You need to learn to make photos for yourself first and formost. If you need someone to tell you want to do, then I don't think you are going to need that Mamiya 6 when you graduate, so can I have it?


Why don't you shoot the project first and when you see the pictures, then say what the subject is. Or you simply can say the subject is a region you like shooting in - the biker's strip maul on 34th street.

But I am a little worried. You can't take at least 5 good photos in 4 WEEKS!? I would plan on about 40 rolls of 120.
 
Take a look at the gallery. I think the monthly RFF assignments are still there. There were some very fun subjects, like "Shadows" and "Red", to mention just two.

I wish I could help some more...

Good luck! 🙂
 
If it's an assignment, I would suggest avoiding extremely powerful or loaded subject matter, if only because it means your artistry will have a harder time of overcoming that latent power.

Just a suggestion.

Clarence
 
Finder said:
You need to learn to make photos for yourself first and formost. If you need someone to tell you want to do, then I don't think you are going to need that Mamiya 6 when you graduate, so can I have it?

...

But I am a little worried. You can't take at least 5 good photos in 4 WEEKS!? I would plan on about 40 rolls of 120.
Click to expand...

First off, I do make photos for myself. As I said before, I mainly candids and street photography. I just don't think thats specific enough for the assignment. I don't really consider myself an artist. So taking a photography class with an instructor and classmates that are all art majors whose intention is to make 'art' is a different way of looking at photography than I'm used to.

The Mamiya 6 is not mine.

I did not say I can't take 5 good photos in 4 weeks. I'm saying that I don't think I could take 5 photos of the candid/street variety, that I would be happy with, that would work together as an overall body or series of work. And again, I don't know if that is specific enough to work as a project. Also, take into consideration that I'm taking three upper division history classes (my major) which are all heavy on the reading and writing, I'm not just taking a couple BS classes at a community college.

I was just trying to get some ideas, because I have a hard time deciding what I want to do or figuring out something interesting. I hate having to defend myself for asking suggestions, but whatever.
 
Thanks to all the suggestions, I like the idea of a triptych, it would definitely be different. I have a few ideas for subjects floating in my head, and I think doing them as triptychs would really set it off and set me apart from the others. I was kind of afraid of getting a bunch of snooty replies, but I'm really glad I asked because I learned something new, and it gave me a great idea for the presentation of my work.

I do have one question, for Joe and William specifically... why small? May as well shoot 35mm, right?
 
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OK, here is a suggestion. Go your favorite bookstore with a large photography section, and look at color photography. Eventually you will find something that will spark your interest or give you an idea. I am not going to suggest something because you will "feel" your work more if it is your idea. My favorite color photographer is Nan Goldin. I find her work very original and it always sparks my brain.

......and yes, you need to go to the bookstore and see the images in print. Jpgs on a screen don't do masterworks justice.
 
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kyle said:
I do have one question, for Joe and William specifically... why small? May as well shoot 35mm, right?
Click to expand...

There is a gem like quality to a smaller print; using a good paper and enlarging the minimum necessary to see what you want will always (IME & all that) give a crisper view of your image. Take a 6cm sqauare and only blow it up to 5" or 6"...

Run a couple of tests with an image similar to what you are considering and have a number of prints made - 5", 8", 10" whatever you like - and see which looks best to your eye. I happen to enjoy little prints (4x5 contact prints are really yummy to me.). By not overwhelming the veiwer, you make them have to concentrate on what you are presenting. This is especially true, again IME, if you are using a less usual presentation like a triptych.

One last suggestion. Since you say the M-6 isn't your camera, do you have much experiance using a 6x6 format camera? It can be quite different, but do try as hard as possible to shoot "to the square" rather than as a format to be cropped down to 35mm aspect ratio.

Hope this helps,

William
 
I took a similar class a year ago. It is very important to choose something you can revisit time and time again. I chose abandoned buildings in Arizona. My final project was all photographs from a single decaying gas station which I visited more than a dozen times (different times of day, different lighting etc). Each time I developed a roll it gave me more ideas for my next visit.
Best of luck,
Nick
 
All really good ideas above. Some things that come to my mind. What type of candids/street do you do? Is there a reason you can't do that or a variation of it for your project? Triptychs is not a bad idea. Things that come to mind again: One location with different people in it at different times of the day and/or night, whether street people, normal pedestrians, children (careful there as somebody may misunderstand), etc, all from the exact same spot. Nearly the same and recognizable as the same general location with the above methods. The same or similar locations at different times of day for differences in people or vehicular traffic, or shadows, or all. All that combined together in a series of 5 or more triptychs.

Definately consider square format. Find out how to make it work for you and your photographs. We usually prefer rectangular of uneven sides, probably because we sort of see that way. But square can have its own allure. Smaller prints combined in a triptych works. They in effect become a larger photo. You will probably want to mount each triptych by itself, so they are then one photo. That is usually how they are thought of: smaller making a whole. To me, 5" would be just a little small for a class, but that may be just me. I probably wouldn't want to go over 7 or 8 inches for each photo in a triptych.

That is all supposing you do decide to do triptychs. Photographing what you already like makes it easier in one way, but as somebody mentioned above, being forced to do something you wouldn't ordinarily do will broaden your perspective and education.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.
 
wlewisiii said:
There is a gem like quality to a smaller print; using a good paper and enlarging the minimum necessary to see what you want will always (IME & all that) give a crisper view of your image. Take a 6cm sqauare and only blow it up to 5" or 6"...

Run a couple of tests with an image similar to what you are considering and have a number of prints made - 5", 8", 10" whatever you like - and see which looks best to your eye. I happen to enjoy little prints (4x5 contact prints are really yummy to me.). By not overwhelming the veiwer, you make them have to concentrate on what you are presenting. This is especially true, again IME, if you are using a less usual presentation like a triptych.

One last suggestion. Since you say the M-6 isn't your camera, do you have much experiance using a 6x6 format camera? It can be quite different, but do try as hard as possible to shoot "to the square" rather than as a format to be cropped down to 35mm aspect ratio.

Hope this helps,

William
Click to expand...


Thank you for clarifying, I see what you mean now.

The M-6 isn't my camera, but I have owned a couple TLRs over the last year, so I'm used to shooting 6x6 format. I do plan to shoot it for the square format.
 
Well, nudes are ALWAYS an interesting topic. Be sure to buy lots of film! 😉

Or, more seriously, choose an event (e.g. street or county fair) or place ( doesn't everyone in CA live five minutes from the beach?) and start shooting. As you do so, "themes" will start to emerge. A few weeks back I was walking around NYC and started taking pictures of bicycles (particularly "working bicycles"). Suddenly they were all around. In obvious and odd places. In use or at rest etc. I didn't start out planning to shoot bicycles - but it "became" my assignment as my walk progressed.

Good luck - post some of the shots here so we can "beat them to death!" 😀

(Just kidding about the "beating")
 
Been there done that! Full load of math & sci classes too. Was working for the U's still photo dept at the time. Instructor was my boss. Only special treatment: "Punch out before you work on stuff for my classes!"
Final class assignment (and final exam): "Six 8x10 with a common theme. Yeah nudes are ok, but get a release. No protest stuff. No faculty."
It was the 60's.
Shot my uncle's cow barn from sun rise to sunset. Argus C-3, Pan-x, D-76, four rolls.
I got a B+. My printing could have been better, he thought.
 
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