Starting a Project

Part 1. Choose a Location

‘The important thing is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

Sometimes our creative juices need a kick up the backside. One way to find inspiration is to start a project. It is unlikely Albert Einstein was thinking about street photographers when he made the above quote, but thinking of a question, or being curious maybe the key to creating your next photo project. This is the start of a three part series, where we take a look at project options available to street photographers.

Choosing a location to focus on for an ongoing period of time is certain to create stronger photos. Each time you return you learn about what works and what doesn’t. Also, places look different depending on the time of day.

Short v Long-Term Projects

Long-term projects projects can last for months or years, my own examples being my Hongzhen Lu project (above), and more recently, the burial grounds of Bangalore (which is due a revisit.) Re-visiting a location enables relationships to be built and levels of trust to emerge. Secondly, being seen often helps you to sink into the background and you lose your novelty factor, creating opportunities for candid framing. Of course, the more often you visit a place, the greater the amount of photos you have for selection.

Short-term projects require a high degree of focus. My favourite method to enact a short term project is to disappear by myself for a long weekend. The last time I did this was to Kolkata, a colourful and busy city. Being by myself meant I was 100% engaged in capturing great photos. Next stop, Mumbai!

The next post will look at how choosing one piece of gear can lead to a meaningful project. I am off to Goa next week, so there may or may not be a post, as wifi is never guaranteed in India. That’s all for today folks. Feel free to check out some longer, and shorter location projects using the links at the bottom of this page.

Keep Clicking, Chris