What is a 'proper' project?

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Name
Mitch
Edit My Images
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I'm thinking about taking a more project-based approach to my photography, as all I'm really doing at the moment is making the best of individual days out.

If I take the project approach, hopefully I'll be more considered and plan photos rather than just 'getting what I can'.

"What is a proper project?"...
I imagine this is a piece of string question and one without a correct answer, but;
Is there any guidance (perhaps from RPS?) as to what constitutes a project?
A minimum number of images?
Should the images tie together in style?
What themes are truly overdone?
 



For my clients, the project approach is required
but for me, personally, I prefer the image hunting
approach.

One way to see it it the project approach will help
sharpen your skills as the image hunting will help
to get the best out of you with diverse challenges
coming up at every sortie.

A proper project could be the approach that drives
you to keep shooting… relentlessly.
 
For me, a project is about telling a story. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end and the images work well together in my eyes. I do projects for me. Projects for other people (RPS Submissions, formal qualifications) tend to have set requirements. Make a decision as to why you're doing it, and who you're doing it for. For you is easier than for a competition or qualifying body. I have done projects for formal qualifications and some I hated, and some I really enjoyed. All the ones I did for me though, I enjoyed.

Find a theme. I find that specific themes work well to really focus the mind. "Landscapes" for example is so wide I'd get lost doing it. "Ordinary Landscapes Taken Around My Local Village/Town" is more specific and forces me to actually look at my surroundings. It also sets a 'brief' that I can follow. Just 'Landscapes' would have me continuing to wander aimlessly with the camera. A statement of intent before you get cracking is always a good thing.

Minimum images depends on how you're displaying it. Are you creating a book? A collage print? A web site, or just a page? I've found that when I get started, I get a feel for how big it's going to be. I also get a feel for the sort of images I want in it, and keep shooting until I get them. My "Playing With Knives" project required 12 square images to make a simple print on A3. My Chester Street Photography is still ongoing and has been for a few years (due to ill health/inability to travel/life). Phantoms is a real labour of love that I'm not willing to finish! So make your own rules.

I think image style should be down to the creator. If colour & b&w images works for you - do it. If you want to keep them all the same, that's fine too. I've seen successful RPS panels that were mixed, so clearly *they* think it's ok.

Overdone themes. I don't think themes are overdone. It's all about the *why* and the *what story are you telling*. If you have a reason for doing it, the theme then becomes yours and no two projects are the same. If you look at projects that aren't well defined though they kinda blur into insignificance - because they literally have no meaning.

My process is shoot - evaluate - re-define the project if neccessary - shoot more - evaluate re-define etc etc etc. After two or three sessions you'll begin to see a pattern develop and can focus down on what interests you.

Hope this helps. I'm still mulling over a doable statement of intent for my ARPS and struggling, so please take the above as guidance rather than firm advice.

Edit to add that there is a thread that kind of talks about this here and has some useful guidance there too.
 
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I always do projects. There is no real format. Some of mine have been:
Doors
Cut flowers
Old churches (this one is about a photo essay of each church)
Derelict boats
 
A project can be whatever you want!

It can be planned in detail, limited in time, open ended, unplanned...

It can be four photographs presented as a set, it could be a hundred in a book, or ten hung on a wall.

The main thing is that revolves around an idea, or ideas. There has to be some concept holding it all together for it to be a project and not random images.

Then again you could sort through all your random images and find a way to make some of them work as a cohesive whole - which would require a concept.

So I'd say what makes a 'proper' project are ideas.
 
Thanks for the replies, useful to see how people frame their project, what sort of constraints they set themselves, etc.

We moved to an old 'pit' town a year ago. It used to have thousands of well-paid jobs in the mines and surrounding factories, but is in decline with little being done to improve the situation. There are signs of its mining heritage everywhere.

I have a handful of ideas I could work on, all of which I'd find engaging, but wondered what other people think would be more interesting;
1) Portrayal of the town's decline and its rough edges, low socioeconomic environment, damage, etc
2) Finding the beauty tucked away in a town that's widely considered a 'hole!
3) Finding an old set of images from the '60s (I've already come across these) and creating the equivalent image today so that someone in 2040 can perhaps do the same!
4) Capture the historical elements that are run-down, but might still be considered beautiful, even in decline (there's an art-deco cinema with frontage that looks like a Wurlitzer!)

Any other ideas/suggestions welcome!
 
I have a handful of ideas I could work on, all of which I'd find engaging, but wondered what other people think would be more interesting;
Sorry for the snippet ...

imho I wouldn't give a monkeys about whether other people find it engaging, I would be shooting for myself. I'm sure that if YOU are engaged with it, you will get more from it and it will be engaging to others too as it will have a depth to it.
 
Hi Mitch:)!

I think all your ideas mentioned above in post #6 are really interesting. 2) and 4) particularly appeal to me, but that's me! So I agree with Paul - do what appeals to you;)! I hope you'll post some photographs here at some point (?)

Good luck!
 
For me it's simply a way to make my photography mean something. The structure is unimportant... unless it's important to the project. :)
 
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