What is a photographic project? The dictionary defines a project this way:
Project: something that is contemplated, devised, or planned… [in education] a supplementary, long-term educational assignment necessitating personal initiative, undertaken by an individual student or a group of students.
To me the key features of a personal photographic project are that it be the planned result of personal initiative and be made concrete.
Another useful definition when talking about a projects is:
Reify: to convert into or regard as a concrete thing: to reify a concept.
Once I have an idea for a photograph or a series of photographs the work of the project is to reify that idea; i.e. make it into a concrete & finished thing, in this case finished prints and scans for this website.
The main project phases are:
• Conception (the idea, concept or theme)
• Planning (what is the end result, form, scale?) This involves consideration of the technical and stylistic choices available. It is an opportunty to explore some of the many options in B&W photography, e.g. film & format types.
• Shooting (making the exposures and processing film)
• Production (editing & selection, printing, print finishing & presentation).
