Photography projects

[Lauffray]

hey everyone

I've been thinking more and more lately about photographic projects and how to construct them, basically I see two ways of going about.

Starting with an idea of what you want to do and shooting with that intent from the start, or shooting whatever tickles your sensibilities then the series emerges from the results.

How do you work ?

 

[Hsg]

Photograph whatever draws your attention, even though you cannot rationalize your reason for photographing that subject.

And remember that the only reward you can gain from photography today is a process of self-discovery, so don't beat yourself down, follow your intuition.

 

[jsrockit]

I just go out and photograph...and then see how they fit into the various projects I work on (some silly, some serious).

 

[dct]

I too mostly go out without a specific photographic goal, but then I might see an interesting topic (again, a third time maybe) and I begin developing a feeling for an emerging new idea = project.
Most of my projects started that way.

Of course there are times when I drive to a location only to shoot more images for an already ongoing project. Then I'm very focused.

 

[DNG]

I have some projects I keep in mind when I do go out...
But I rarely go out to cover a project solely...

 

[Calzone]

Jerome,

With film (135 and 120) I created a total disaster by just concentrating on just image capture just making negatives for the past 8 years, without any reguard to editing or printing. My logic was to capitolize on current cheap film costs and worrying about printing and editing later. The only thing I can say is now I have a headache because I have an overwelming amount of images to edit and print, but I guess the net positive is that the passage of time really helps with the editing process.

With digital recently I started printing the output from my Monochrom (no scanning for me). It took two years of research, saving and planing to put together a Piezography printing system that includes a Epson 3880 and a 27 inch Eizo.

The moral of the two above stories is projects require planning and a lot of time, and for me money to do it on the scale I want/need took a lot of time also. Glad I did it this way, but only Digital kinda had a plan with a deadline.

Not sure how this fits in your poll.

Cal

 

[Lauffray]

Not sure how this fits in your poll.

Cal

Haha you're definitely in the shoot first, organize later category 😛

 

[Monochrom]

Hi, very interesting,

I try to develop ideas or make a series, for instance my main project over the years has been taking photographs of jobs that are being around for decades and now are obsolete but try to keep up with modern economy.
So from time to time, since i´m no pro, i make series of this workers and their jobs.
The second part will be shooting the opposite workers, that say pro´s of the financial and trading groups that live and profit from the globalized economy.

This has taken me years and i regret not having enough time to make more of it.

Then on short term shooting like any day in the city i like to go to a spot and shoot series of pictures.

 

[Calzone]

Haha you're definitely in the shoot first, organize later category 😛

Jerome,

Kinda like, "Shoot first: ask questions later."

Anyways putting together my printing setup was a big project. Learning LR5, Piezography, QuadtoneRIP was another segment to that.

Cal

 

[Lauffray]

Jerome,

Kinda like, "Shoot first: ask questions later."

Anyways putting together my printing setup was a big project. Learning LR5, Piezography, QuadtoneRIP was another segment to that.

Cal

Cool, I recently picked up an enlarger, I'll be building a darkroom in my kitchen soon.

 

[Calzone]

I try to develop ideas or make a series, for instance my main project over the years has been taking photographs of jobs that are being around for decades and now are obsolete but try to keep up with modern economy.
So from time to time, since i´m no pro, i make series of this workers and their jobs.
The second part will be shooting the opposite workers, that say pro´s of the financial and trading groups that live and profit from the globalized economy.

Monochrom,

Thanks for sharing. The above is a very interesting project. I am with you in that I think this era we are in is so unstable, and because of this it is a great time to be a photographer.

I am lucky because I have both a pension and a secure job. If I ask most Americans if the think they will have the same job they have now, only 25% might say yes, but 3/4's will say, "I don't know." At one point 2/3rds of Americans had pensions, but now only a third.

Similarly I have been photographing NYC as it evolves at a rapid pace into a safe place for the rich and wealthy. Gentrification of abandoned neighborhoods and redevelopment is rather astounding. I have about 8 years of shooting to edit and print. Most of it involves the rapid creative destruction, but the real tradgity is what is lost.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Cool, I recently picked up an enlarger, I'll be building a darkroom in my kitchen soon.

Jerome,

My Besseler 23C is in public storage. I have mucho German glass. I need space to set up a darkroom, but in NYC that is so hard.

Cal

 

[Monochrom]

Hi Calzone, i really understand you, that crack, that gap, that moment where waters meet are very interesting to observe and document. 😉

Monochrom,

Thanks for sharing. The above is a very interesting project. I am with you in that I think this era we are in is so unstable, and because of this it is a great time to be a photographer.

I am lucky because I have both a pension and a secure job. If I ask most Americans if the think they will have the same job they have now, only 25% might say yes, but 3/4's will say, "I don't know." At one point 2/3rds of Americans had pensions, but now only a third.

Similarly I have been photographing NYC as it evolves at a rapid pace into a safe place for the rich and wealthy. Gentrification of abandoned neighborhoods and redevelopment is rather astounding. I have about 8 years of shooting to edit and print. Most of it involves the rapid creative destruction, but the real tradgity is what is lost.

Cal

 

[Bingley]

Thinking about the photo projects I'm pursing now, both grew out of a desire to explore a particular subject matter, so voted for the first option. But I don't think there's necessarily a "right" way to do it.

 

[rwintle]

I tend to go out and about and look at things that interest me, taking photos of them. A photography "project", if anything I do can be said to be such a thing, comes about as a result of the underlying interest in the subject matter.

That said, I would probably benefit from coming up with more conceptual ideas for projects, then going out and finding the content. That might be an interesting step outside of my own personal box, but it's not typically how I work (and by "work", I mean "play").

 

[John Bragg]

I shoot largely for personal enjoyment with no set agenda, but I do embark on projects as well. I have taken some portraits recently in a certain style and that is both a project and a way of learning.

 

[airfrogusmc]

Photograph whatever draws your attention, even though you cannot rationalize your reason for photographing that subject.

And remember that the only reward you can gain from photography today is a process of self-discovery, so don't beat yourself down, follow your intuition.

^^^^This^^^^

 

[Calzone]

Jerome,

Sometimes projects start due to discovery.

I found a remarkable deal on a 40 year old shelf queened Leica SL2-MOT at Adorama. Anyways $279.00 is a great price for almost any Leica body.

The good; the bad; and the ugly: Only about 1020 ever made making this camera rare, also production was of SL2's overall was less than two years even though it spanned three years. Camera is in excellent condition, speeds seem spot on. Looks basically like an unused camera, but the forensics revealed that the meter is wonky cutting in and out, and on top of that it is inaccurate. The VF'er is great, but there is some dust and dirt on what otherwise is a better VF'er than even my Nikon F3P. What makes this ugly is that parts are no longer available, and Leica no longer will service this camera.

To solve the no parts availability I bought a donor/parts black SL2 that is particularly hammered with multiple dents, scrapes and get this a lens mount so thoroughly worn that I say it needs to be replaced. The good on this donor camera is that the prism is perfect and the meter works and is accurate. Paid $200.00 as spare parts/insurance.

Next part of the project is find a great lens. My choice is a 50 Lux-R "E60" ROM which needed to be retrofitted to 3-Cam to work on the SL2-MOT.

I need to get the camera serviced, repaired and cleaned, but at the end I'll have this rare SL2-MOT that basically in 1975 cost double the price of a Nikon F2 matched to the best Leica SLR 50 lens ever made. The 50 "E60" is kinda rare also: only 2700 were ever made; and this lens is so highly reguarded that Leitax offers lens conversions to Nikon, Leica and Pentax. In a way it is the equivalent of being like a "Swiss Army 50."

Finding and mounting the "E60" on a DSLR is another project/story. BTW I found a 3-Cam Macro Converter at B&H for $49.99 as a donor 3-Cam mount.

Cal

 

[leica M2 fan]

I can't really say I have "projects" as such. My little projects are sometimes just for one day. But do I enjoy these little outings, yes I do!