I read back through my post and I see that my approach has more to do with the method of collecting my pictures and less on deciding on a theme or idea.. I guess that is true to a degree, because most of photography has to do with finding an image. I don't want to sound like I'm generalising, and this approach obviously doesn't apply to ALL photography. But I think most of it is found, not "created".
So, I'm out to find images. How does that process work? Well, basically, I get in my car.. drive around and look for things to photograph.. look for situations, juxtapositions. I have to climb into my photographer's suit to do this. And no, it's not a photovest! It's a frame of mind. I try to clear my head and let my eyes see, and sure enough they will see something. I'll raise my camera to my eye, and take a picture. If I have time, I will explore the subject (object?).. I will think of different perspectives.. different juxtapositions. I will try more often than not to simplify, to exclude the clutter so I can concentrate my eye, and my viewer's eye on what really interests me. Sometimes a photograph is more about feeling, about what it felt when I take the photograph. These are the hardest pictures to explain, but sometimes the most satisfying ones when they work. I rarely get a feeling like that, but sometimes I will get an excitement, like a child on the morning of Christmas racing down the stairs and in eager anticipation of presents.. I will feel the image, it will move me, and I know I have something incredible (that is.. for me. You may just not get it, and that is also fine).
Some photographers talk about hunters and fishermen, to describe themselves. Do they seek out an image, do they have an idea of what they want (pre-visualisation) or are they content to cast a line and see what comes up? I am probably a mix of both. I am content to fish, but once an image starts forming in my mind I think more in terms of what I want, how it must look as a printed picture, and I start manipulating what I see or am looking for so that it can fit with my ideal. Which is why my approach may seem haphazard, of searching aimlessly. however the process of refining images happens en-route. Photography is a process, not a “thing”. One doesn’t DO photography. One IS a photographer, and this interaction between subject and photographer is in a constant state of flux. Sometimes we are receptive to what our subjects offer us, and at others we seek the subject out, our ideal.
More on the project.. As I wrote yesterdays piece, some ideas started floating in my mind. Using film will slow down my picture taking, and using a medium format camera will slow me down even more. I expect to take maybe 10 to 15 pictures in a day. My success rate will be fairly low, so in order to hit the magic number of 35 prints I’m going to “cheat” and bring along a digital camera as well. Once I’m happy that I’ve got a good image, I’ll re-take it with a digital camera.. that way if the film fails I will still have an image to work with. Ideally though I will only end up using film images. Once the pictures are taken I will have the negatives developed at a local Photography school and then scan them at home. I’ll do 2 weekends of shooting, and two weekends of scanning, editing, manipulating and layout. It’s tight.. but doable.
As to the subject.. I’ve just bought a neutral density filter.. so I think I may do some water studies, as well as time/motion studies. Normally these have to be done at the edges of the day because of the light.. but this filter is around 16 stops so it should slow down the film nicely, which will allow me to shoot in broad daylight but still capture the images I have in mind.. At least I hope so! It looks like very few people in this book.. unless they stand very very still.
Over and out
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