Contiguous Numbers

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Tony
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My photography is pretty chaotic. I'm still mostly a 'shoot what you see' kind of person. After an injury last year, I wanted even more to get out and just take photographs, but sometimes I would wander for hours without inspiration, get frustrated and question the whole point.

In order to give myself at least one goal when I was out, if I didn't have anything specific in mind, I decided to photograph contiguous numbers. By which I mean, find numbers in the environment, starting with 1, and then carrying on. I can't take shots in advance (i.e. no shooting 37 before 36 just because the 37 is a really good example), I try not to use the same kind of number twice in a row (i.e. house numbers), can't use parts of a number unless they're clearly separated, etc.

Anyway, I've been doing this since March 2017. I'm up to #46, trying to find a good #47.

Here's a link to the full album on Flickr - https://flic.kr/s/aHskWmNjLo

And a couple of numbers from the sequence.

#2 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

#11 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

#36 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

#39 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

Overall, I've found the project / theme really helpful. Sometimes I'm out with the camera for a specific purpose, and that's great. Other times I'm out and happy just to bimble around, but having the numbers in my head makes me look at the environment around me, and I see shots I would otherwise miss.
 



That's a crazy idea, project… I love it.


Why #39 and not #760?
Don't answer the question…
 
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Smashing idea for a project Tony (y)
This could go on forever but do you have an end number in mind?
 
Smashing idea for a project Tony (y)
This could go on forever but do you have an end number in mind?

I feel like 100 might be a nice milestone. When I started, I thought the low numbers would be easy - but it's surprisingly hard, especially when I'm trying to not get too many 'easy' house numbers. Also, since I do most of my wandering about in the city centre, door numbers aren't always that prevalent. I imagined the high numbers would be really tough, but as I wander around I see quite a few 100+ on manhole covers, signs, lamp posts and the like. So anyway, I think I'll be happy to get to 100, and then see how I feel. At this rate, it'll take about 12 months too which will be a nice period of time!

There is one problem with this project / theme though, sometimes I go out to do some street photography and find myself staring at the walls and looking for numbers, and it's really hard (I find) to have a couple of themes in mind and on the go at the same time, so it's a bit all encompassing at times.
 
... and it's hard to explain how excited I was when I saw those numbers in the train station, I just knew there'd be one I needed (and I hadn't gone there looking for numbers). Finding numbers in unexpected locations has become quite a joy!
 
#47 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

I've searched high and low for a #47. I think, to date, it's required the most walking of any of the numbers I've photographed. I've walked all over Nottingham city centre, and the surrounding areas. I've been frustrated (I found a door between #45 and #49 which I knew was #47 but it had no number on it), and I've been tired. I've got a couple of grab shots, one from a bus stop and one which I faked by shooting the #47 on the end of a #147 but I knew I was never going to use it. Today, I stayed local and walked around the town centre where I live, and then I took a walk through the old gravestones that lean up against the wall around the church. There are probably around a hundred of them, and there's only one on which the age #47 appears. There are tragically too many where children died very young in the 1800's as well. A sombre place, and a sombre number.
 
Great idea for a project. I doubt I would have the discipline not to fake it when the going got tough.
 
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I am enjoying looking through your project Tony, I don't think you should stop at 100, I know I couldn't haha!
 
I really like this idea Tony, I'm trying to think of a project to do myself at the moment
 
Really like the idea, I might have to give this one a go myself.

Find myself in the same sort of rut sometimes.
 
Hi, not an easy project, the temptation to take an easy route won't be easy to avoid, maybe.

Of those posted so far it's #39 for me. My eye went straight to the lady, then was drawn to the number. Interesting.

Cheers.
 
So I'm still working through numbers, up to #58 now. I can't deny that many of them are barely even record shots, but it still gives me something to think about in places which otherwise might be light on photographic content.

Here's 55 - an unusual sign in Nottingham

#55 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

I also have a bunch of photographs of abandoned coffee cups in the city centre, and it was a bonanza when both these projects collided with #56

#56 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

And here's today's and my current position, #58

#58 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

So now I just need to seek out an inspiring #59 ...
 



Ok, this was a crazy good idea BUT
what I appreciate the most is that it turns out to be not
a stupid, boring hunt for numbers — which I feared.
You make well thought compositions of the takes and
the variety of the finds is surprising. Keep it up, Tony!
 



Ok, this was a crazy good idea BUT
what I appreciate the most is that it turns out to be not
a stupid, boring hunt for numbers — which I feared.
You make well thought compositions of the takes and
the variety of the finds is surprising. Keep it up, Tony!

Thanks :) To be fair, a lot of them are boring, but I try not to let them all become boring!

There are a surprising number of numbers around us, which I didn't really notice until I started this project. The most frustrating thing is seeing an interesting 141 (for example) and knowing it's just so far away yet. I've started taking GPS'd reference shots of some interesting future numbers though.

Also, at the very least, it gets me out and walking, which can't be a bad thing.
 
I really like this an an idea.

I started, but never finished, a one with naturally occurring letters. i.e. an abandoned tyre for O. But most of them ended up being really contrived and hard to make out.

I love, not only, your commitment to this, but the self-imposed sequence that you've put on yourself. I know I'd definitely cheat if I saw something great while I was on holiday for example and knew I wouldn't be able to come back and take it..

One slight comment on your first post, I thought that was going to be 29, rather than 2, and 760 rather than 39, because they're the more imposing numbers. I prefer the ones with only single numbers.
 
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Brilliant idea and some great compositions. Cetainly has me thinking...
 
I really like this an an idea.

I started, but never finished, a one with naturally occurring letters. i.e. an abandoned tyre for O. But most of them ended up being really contrived and hard to make out.

I love, not only, your commitment to this, but the self-imposed sequence that you've put on yourself. I know I'd definitely cheat if I saw something great while I was on holiday for example and knew I wouldn't be able to come back and take it..

One slight comment on your first post, I thought that was going to be 29, rather than 2, and 760 rather than 39, because they're the more imposing numbers. I prefer the ones with only single numbers.

Thanks! I think the whole thing only works because of the self imposed sequence, especially given most of my shots are pretty boring. The sequence gives it a story beyond the actual images, so it elevates it a tiny tiny bit (is my hope). I know what you mean about the mix of numbers in the image. When I started out I set myself some imposed guides and one was, "- must be prominent in the image." I'll admit that was the first to get crushed. I've held on to the others pretty much. The full list was,

  • the numbers have to be shot in sequence (i.e. can't go shooting #23 before #18 even if the #23 is an excellent example).
  • can't shoot the same number source twice in a row (no walking up a road, shooting door numbers one after another).
  • as many different sources as possible.
  • must be prominent in the image.
  • can be the digit or the word.
  • can't be part of another number unless there's a clear separation (e.g. telephone numbers split into three, count as three different numbers).
  • letters and numbers combined is fine, only the number counts.
And I've stuck to them pretty well. The first one is the most critical and the one I've held on to. I don't think I've broken the second one yet although I've come close, and it's made me work a bit sometimes. The 3rd is pretty hard, and I've tried really hard not to just keep doing door numbers, but .....

I've gravitated towards only the right number in the shot, although some of the shots have quite a few in them, usually when I've struggled to find what I'm looking for elsewhere. I'm up to #75 now, here's a couple of more recent ones.

#60 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

#72 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

#73 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

I've got 1-50 printed up in a book on Blurb, which I'm playing about with in terms of final layout (I'll do another for 51-100). I was really quite proud of it when I got a tester printed!
 
Setting 'rules' is a good idea. And breaking them inevitable! :D

One of my rules for my 'Lost Balls Found' project was never to change lens camera after spotting a ball. It lasted quite a while but was eventually abandoned.
 
Setting 'rules' is a good idea. And breaking them inevitable! :D

One of my rules for my 'Lost Balls Found' project was never to change lens camera after spotting a ball. It lasted quite a while but was eventually abandoned.

Totally get that - I started out shooting abandoned coffee cups, but they get abandoned in the same way and same place so many times, the shots become too repetitive if you don't try and mix it up using another mechanism (point of view, focal length, etc.) Like your ball project though!
 
One slight comment on your first post, I thought that was going to be 29, rather than 2, and 760 rather than 39, because they're the more imposing numbers. I prefer the ones with only single numbers.

The responses in this thread encouraged me yesterday to get off my backside and update the Blurb book (1-50) last night, after putting a draft together ages ago. I re-cropped the images to get a more consistent feel and although I couldn't fix the #2, I have fixed the #39 and a few others where possible to refocus on the actual number.
 
What a good idea for a project. I think it must be very hard too see a good shot of an upcoming number and not take the shot out of sequence. Do you ever see a number and record the location for a future use?
 
What a good idea for a project. I think it must be very hard too see a good shot of an upcoming number and not take the shot out of sequence. Do you ever see a number and record the location for a future use?

I make a mental note of some number locations, but honestly, I tend not to go back because by the time you've found the next one in sequence, you've seen a bunch of others as well.

Sometimes if I spot an interesting shot not far off where I am (as in, I see a great 65, and I'm currently looking for a 63), I'll put in extra effort and find the next few numbers to get that shot. But honestly, once I've stopped for the day, I tend not to go back (outside of a natural tendency to cover the same ground).

I do hedge my bets as well, I'll take a shot, and then while looking for the next number in sequence, I'll keep my out eye in case I see a better example of the one I just took. So if I get a 15 I think is boring, I'll look for a 16 and keep my eyes open for a 15. If I spot a good 16, I then have the dilemma about committing the 15, or ignoring the 16.

I'm up in the high 90's now and it's getting bloody hard (and I'm getting impatient, and the shots are hence getting worse).

Nearly done.
 
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So I made it to 100. And I've stopped. Partly because up at that number the choices are limited, it's either door numbers, or parts of phone numbers, but there are far fewer types of number knocking around in the wild. Partly because it needs an end otherwise it's not really a journey. And partly because I'm done with it, and there's been an increasing 'pressure' to just find the next number and worry less about whether it was worth the shot.

I've enjoyed it, 25 months, hundreds of pictures, hundreds of hours and hundreds of kilometres.

Here's the album link
https://flic.kr/s/aHskWmNjLo

And here's a few shots from the tail end of the journey.

#81 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

#91 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

#97 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

#100 by Tony Evans, on Flickr

I'll need to find something else to do now!
 
I've just gone through all 100 and I'm impressed at your ability to spot numbers!

The ones I liked best are those where you have to search to find the number in question.

Hope you find another project to work on soon. :)
 
Well done Tony, a good achievement and milestone.
Good luck with thinking up a new project.
 
I've just gone through all 100 and I'm impressed at your ability to spot numbers!

The ones I liked best are those where you have to search to find the number in question.

Hope you find another project to work on soon. :)

Thanks. Part of the reason for choosing it was to make myself look at my surroundings more when I was walking in the city centre with the camera. Part of the problem with it though is that it often became my entire focus when I had the camera, and so I missed shots of other stuff that I might have otherwise seen. Finding that balance is tough.

But I enjoyed it, and it's taught me a lot about my own patience, perseverance, and the two cities I live near to (I've seen parts of those cities and walked routes I would have never otherwise taken).
 
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That remindes me of when i was a kid. Sitting in dads car spotting car number plates starting with 1, Think I manages to get up to 12 over a period of time. Of course that was well before car plates were altered adding an extra letter on to them
 
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