New Project
Hello again, hope this finds you well, welcome to another musing. This week’s one is about projects how they start, how they develop, what they become and their journeys. With the new year winds of organisation blowing through, in line with my archive sorting I’m also developing my many, many projects into distinct categories, I feel they too can benefit from more guidance, stricter guidelines and direction, think they’ll benefit with these limits.
I mentioned in the last blog that I was looking for a long-term documentary style project to base my efforts on, well think I’ve found one. It has come from my research practice; it didn’t quite work there as I felt it wasn’t a good fit for that practice, mainly because I think it needs stricter guidelines and scope to explore other areas of image making. It was called ‘that street’ previoulsy, but now it is developing into a larger long-term thing for NathanPhoto it needs its own name, which is:
‘Tasle Alley’
What’s that? Well it’s a small side street off Albert Square, it is approximately 59 m long, is a one-way street/dead end to cars but not for pedestrians and with the redevelopment of the Square it has possibly seen a change in it uses.
Now you may ask why to choose this lonely street as a major long-term project?
Firstly it fits the criteria of what I was looking for, which is difficult to quantify wholly. I feel this is quite an apt project as this road is currently being swallowed up by the redevelopment, its purpose is unsure, I mean technically you shouldn’t even be able to drive onto it but if you do it goes nowhere…unless you get out and cut through the allies at the bottom.
I mean the name it’s not even spelt correctly
It is so abstract that I’m not sure many will have done anything on it, always a bonus for a project. It has a people link but it isn’t the sole nature of it, its close but not too close to my house, I can even, if my research unearths any old images, can be adaptable to recreate those images, which could be nice.
To recap then it’s abstract, accessible, has plenty of scope, adaptable, representative and symbolic. It really does sound like a winner then. I’ve been looking for this type of long-term documentary type project for a while, do feel that this may be it. Admittedly we are at an early stage and it’s going to need deeper research to check that no one else has done anything on it, if it works as a basis for a project but first skim internet research suggests that it’s ok. As with most new projects I feel an excitement that it may be interesting in a different way and the possibilities that it could entail could be great.
The next question will be but what is its purpose? Well it’s to give a focus to show my talents/interpretations of a brief, give a newness to a portfolio piece, a return to my roots to re-evaluate my current directions, show people what I can do, what my vision is, provide content and thought as well as a focus for work going forward.
Which are quite weighty ideals for any project but think this one can handle it.
The last/most vital question that I can’t answer just yet is ‘But what value does it add?’
I can only answer that with further questions: What value does anything have? What value does photography have in this day and age? What’s the point in doing anything that doesn’t have a pay cheque at the end of it? What’s the point of creativity? What’s the point of doing anything these days?
Sorry went slightly dark there, I can sort of blanket answer them with this:
“Some things are better than others, that is, they have more quality. But when you try to say what the quality is, apart from the things that have it, it all goes poof! There's nothing to talk about. But if you can't say what Quality is, how do you even know what it is, or how do you know that it even exists? If no one knows what it is, then for all practical purposes it doesn't exist at all. But for all practical purposes it really does exist.”
This quote comes from Robert M Pirsig and for me connects value with Quality and is from one of my go to/favourite/inspiring books that examines it, called “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” This quote comes from a smaller anthology of his thoughts, unpublished and selected writings called ‘On Quality’ edited by Wendy K. Pirsig which is an excellent access point to his writing and thoughts, thoroughly recommend.
What’s next? Well after I’ve done some initial shoots, put stuff together and reflected on it then I should be able to answer all of those questions, especially the value one, in more detail.
Speaking about the ideas of pictures, shall we see some?
Usually with this sort of project you need what is traditionally called an ‘establishing shot’, this sets up the story/project/idea and represents something that you’d either like to say or have people interpret. One that establishes and points forward a direction of the essay.
These are my first attempts an establishing shots for the start of this new project.
Slight sidestep here and a couple of lesson notes for people. Remember to always except the unexpected as one thing I didn’t consider is the weather! Just as I was on my way out to make some image, snow struck!! Feel that making that sort of image in the snow would render it quite a different image, and while snow has a place within the project it shouldn’t be the absolute focus of it, it would really push the project in a different direction/light/vein I think.
Important to get a good start don’t you think?
My early thoughts are the establishing should involve sunshine and could possibly be made in the summertime but as I’m starting this in January then I’ll just have to see what I get. Once the brief snow had subsided it turned into one of those sharp, winter, low light days with blue skies and bright light, well apart from the place I was making images, as the light didn’t quite get high enough in the sky.
Another factor that I like for an establisher is that I do love the use of text inside the image, as I’m doing this one on a street then the inclusion of the obvious street sign is very apt!
Enough let’s see some images, here are my top picks for the first establishing shot for this project:
I’ll put a small proviso in here that these are fresh off the camera, only being made today so not had much time to ruminate, reflect or reconsider so what you’re seeing is very fresh. As ever I’ve provided a choice and I’ll just put a few words down here about them:
1. Establishing shot straightforward sign. It’s the sign straightforwardly shot; not sure this is the one though. Possible could work as a screen-print affair?
2. Establishing shot Alley Middle top. It’s the alleyway shot from the middle at the top looking down. Deadpan, straightforward and touching too much on the other practice?
3. Establishing Shot Alley and Sign. It’s the Alleyway as well as the street sign on the left, choice of two shot from different lenses but similar angles. Giving a slightly different feel.
4. Establishing shot Super wide. It’s the alley and the sign but wider with more context and placement. Too wide/too much information/not enough focus/needs to be used large for this purpose?
5. Establishing Shot Vertical collection. A set of 4 verticals from different angles, not sure about a vertical being an establishing shot, shouldn’t it be landscape format? It’s not Life magazine.
6. Establishing shot sign and shadow. Metered for the highlights and corresponding detail. Slightly experimental/unbalanced/vague/explicit to be an establisher? Possible Instagram shot but not the one I went with.
7. Establishing Shot Vertical Reflection. Framed vertically to get that reflection of the sign in the puddle, that light the way it hits that reflection hmmm.
8. Establishing Shot Pure reflection - Now this may be the one, a straight shot with the sign reflected in the puddle, flipped and rotated to make it read. Possible Instagram shot again, I think so and that’s why I posted it.
I realise I may possibly need to have further conversations about equipment mainly in what it does in terms of image making but I know how people feel about that, so I will take any objections/feedback on it and I will save that for another time, if anyone is interested that is!!
Speaking of interest I’ve also shared this onto Insta as a way of establishing a start date and stamping a “I’m here doing this, thank you” seal upon it just in case (which is doubtful) anyone wanted to pursue a similar line of enquiry. You can see it here:
Thank you for reading and your interest in this project (if many are interested then I will share further regular updates, if not I’ll just do it as and when) just let me know via the usual channels, also do that if you have any comments, feedback, thoughts, questions or anythings then please get me through the usual channels.
Thanking you.