wow yeah so i got wrapped up in halloween festivities with my family and posting a blog totally slipped my mind... oops.
WHAT I DID: I spent like 8 hours or more working on getting a website up. i've had conversations with both peers, professors, and family and everyone felt that walking up to someone and asking them to participate in my project is very awkward and ineffective. i knew it is a high stress thing for me and i don't do well in those situations. so long story short, i'm working on getting up a website which includes my photography portfolio, a short bio, a project statement, clarity on what participating involves, contact info, etc. so that not only can i connect to people electronically, but if i meet someone in person i'm interested in i can refer them to the website where they can learn about me, see my work, think about participation, etc. i think this will establish somewhat of a comfort level which is important. i suck at websites and i don't have any money, so i looked for a site that hosts for free and has easy building tools. slightly after that, my old computer which has my photo archive i.e. my entire portfolio died. i spent the next few days with the IT people trying to see if it can be fixed/recovering my files. it is now six feet under, but thankfully i did get my old photos back and had gotten a new computer last year which makes it possible for my life to go on.
WHAT I DISCOVERED/DIDNT DO: people are not reliable. they get sick, blow you off, don't answer your messages. i was super naive to think the first 2 people i asked, even after one said "she was committed" would work out in a timely fashion. therefore, we have a crit on thurs and i do not yet have any photos. i'm sure my website will be done by then and i could get feedback on that possibly- i'm not sure if that's ok. i've set up meetings this week with 2 people whom i hope will participate, but i'm a little down, so i don't expect anything. maybe i will change this whole thing to self portraits... kidding- or am i?
WHAT'S NEXT: that timeline i made before is totally worthless. it was a good idea to make one, but in my situation it doesn't seem practical. i'm really hoping i get to do a photo shoot of someone this week. i definitely will finish the website, start posting the link in different places, emailing large groups the link etc. and reach a lot more people very quickly so that i can get serious responses instead of someone saying ok becausee i'm standing there asking with puppy dog eyes. ugh.
Ferns Spores
1 year ago
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteA few thoughts: I think it is a good idea to have something which establishes your "credibility" -- ie, a brief bio, some work, a project statement. A website is one idea; a small printed piece might also be useful. If you were to meet someone in a context where you were ready to shoot you'd be able more quickly to give them a sense that you are engaged in a "real" project.
Speaking of which: how are you approaching people? With a camera ready to shoot at that moment? With a proposition that they meet you at some other time? What happened to the biker scene idea? Is that still relevant?
I am not sure I am up to date on how you are trying to approach these images, but I suspect it would be easier for people to agree to be photographed if they are engaged in something they enjoy.
Having a hobby, or an environment or something other than themselves that is (or feels to them to be) of as much interest to you as they are themselves dilutes the pressure of being the center of your focus. Does that make sense? We should talk more in person.
You need to design this project in a way that allows you to make images regardless of whether people keep their appointments with you. I ran across a portrait project that was intriguing: photographer's name was Bill Sullivan, link is http://www.3situations.com/BillSullivanWorks/MTmaster.html
H