BAKER: End of the Road

Well. To say this is frustrating is an understatement. However, I really underestimated how hard this project would be.
I’m not going to say what the project is or was. But before this can start, I’ve had to completely rethink the approach. The original approach to this really didn’t offer opportunities to actually get the camera out and make work, the way I wanted to shoot it depended entirely on external conditions. And as I have found out, even when the conditions and opportunity is there. The pictures were terrible.

So for now, it has been shelved. Not for good, but until I can establish some relationships with people who work in this particular field and take a whole new approach.

So while I work my way towards this, I am starting a new project. Well actually I’ve already started a new project. Will it have the same impact with people? Probably not. But will people like to see it? I think so but locally. And I’m fine with this. This new project is something I love and love spending time at. And its History, is HUGE!

Photography project idea

Document what you love or what you have an interest in. The work will be so much better for it. If you start a project on a subject, person, place, social issue, and you don’t care about or you are only doing it because you think its what people want. You’re work will NOT be as good as what it could be.

Anyway, I’m off to keep watching the Superbowl!

Documentary Photography: At Home

Have I written about this before? Yes. Why am I writing more about it? Because its still relevant to my life and could be in yours too.

Importance of documenting your life

I’m now 12 years deep in documenting my family, and had planned to put a stop to it. That didn’t go so well and I’ve continued to do so, although not as much as I once did.
I realized that this isn’t a typical project, and I say that in the sense that its really only for me and my family to see, sure I share the work but when I make books from the work, they are for me and my family. So I’ve carried on shooting and our lives haven’t stopped, so what should the project.

I happened to watch ‘Kodachrome’ again this afternoon, no real reason but its a good film. The ending really struck a chord in my heart. It highlighted how powerful pictures can be. They provoke emotions, memories.

“but my pictures aren’t good”

Yes I’ve had that response during a conversation. And do you know what, it doesn’t matter, if you’re not planning to have a show or publicly sell a book, it really doesn’t matter. These pictures are a record of your home/family/life, to be looked back at in years to come. If you want to try something new with your photography, its a great way to do just that.
The most important thing to do, is PRINT YOUR PICTURES!

The take away from this is. Document your life, for the future to one day, see, ask question and wonder how life was. The same way you might see a picture from 60 years ago.

Here is a few frames from the last week or so at home.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Cheers!

Documenting your own town

Why document where you live?

This is of course a personal opinion, but i’m always fascinated to see pictures of where I grew up, and where I live now in the decades gone by. The difference in style and fashion or people, the design changes in the automotive world. I always love to see buildings that are still standing now from 100 years ago.
Seeing the past is one thing, but the imagination takes over and then I wonder what life would have been like compared to the now. At that point I have to research the history of a place, and more often than not their history is pretty astounding.

Just these small reasons is enough for me to try and document where I live so maybe in the future, someone like me will see them and wonder the same things I do.

How to document where you live?

Now this is the big question isn’t it. How? To be perfectly honest, I don’t think I can give a concrete answer to this. As humans we are all different and have a different perspective on life and what matters, as photographers we have our own way of taking pictures. Some may just want to shoot still images of the architecture, others the people.

So with that said, I’ll give my take.

Having people in the images can often give a time to when an image was taken. The clothing they were wearing can be an indication of era. People is the work makes it have life, something we can all relate too.
I have been working on a project for the last few years attempting to do just this, and have started it over 3 times. It really isn’t easy, but so worth while. If not for you then for the future generations to see.

Thats just my opinion, photographing the buildings, old and new can be just as important and nothing wrong with that approach neither.

Difficulties documenting a small town?

The hardest thing I’ve struggles with when trying to document my local area, is the suspicion that I get. Its not everyone I must say but the few that are, you can’t help but let it get to you and it can effect the way you shoot.
If anyone does stop and ask what you are doing, or why. Make sure you have a clear answer to put their minds at rest. Its almost like having a sales pitch memorized.
Last weekend I was out and I had a lovely lady stop and ask what I was doing. After explaining she was more curious and interested in what I was doing and why, rather than suspicion.

Is there a chance of a confrontation? Sure, of course there is. But in all my years taking pictures on the streets, protests. I’ve only had one confrontation and it was resolved in 1 minute and was no drama at all, so the probability of this happening is very small!

Anyway, I’m back to the storyboard and notebook to figure out the best approach for this small project.

Cheers!