I got a new job! I'll be traveling up and down the Mississippi River for a year. I want to make a zine centered around that experience and the river and it's people. I grew up in Memphis so the topic feels like coming home in a way.
I've been working for a while taking photos of handmade traffic signs, especially with no parking signs. This is a pretty much common thing here in Brazil and it's peculiar the way which place decides to show this kind of information. So the idea is share the varieties of signs that I've noticed this past few years.
I am working on a series for a zine/book where I photograph my local park over a period of one year. I have been walking my dog in this park for over 10 years and became a little blind to it’s beauty and changes. This project made me observe the changes over the seasons more closely. Taking your camera with you almost every day is an interesting challenge for me and really made me reconnect with that park on a different level.
I've been toying with the idea of making zines around a series of images of 'construction work' (it's hard to describe the exact subject, often it's smaller objects, imagine streetlanterns wrapped in tape) i've been shooting in my city Rotterdam. Or a poetry and photobook around 'mapping a childhood', combining my writing studies with my photography practice.
My plan for this year is to start a series of zines about each of the counties in my home state of Maine. There are only 16 counties so it shouldn’t be too hard. The backbone of the process is going to be to search for creative people in each county for portraits and grow the stories from there.
The affordability of housing is an increasing problem here in the UK. I've just started working on a long-term project where I document people living in unconventional homes, caravans, tents, living rough... I'm still working on the details.
Wesley I could not agree more, the PEN f's are great story telling cameras, in my case with 40mm f1.4. just reviewing my contract sheets from last year's holiday, they story tell themselves and is also my daily walkin around camera. Of course only one film ADOX HR-50, a beautiful all round film. With it's fine grain it can easily be enlarged to 8x10 without problem, plus with an r72 filter, it is good for infrared. Preparing it now for my nearing break ready to story tell and publish a zien on return.
Back in 2018 I started making street portraits. It wasn't a conscious decision, and I'd only picked up a camera a few years before following some setbacks in life. I didn't think of it as a project, even after someone saw what I was doing on the street and asked, "what's your project?" And it sort of dwindled away during the pandemic.
Though I've shown some of the portraits a couple times since then, I feel like I really ought to wrap it up, and a 'zine might be the right way to do it, and allow me to move forward from it.
Looking forward to follow along. I already have 3 film cameras, but would love to add the Pen-F. I think it would help me loosen up and get used to pressing the shutter button more and not waiting for the perfect image!
I love your approach - looking for the things that might be overlooked is something that’s been at the heart of my work as a choreographer and walking artist for decades.
Well - there are many of us. For myself, it’s a category I decided I belonged to a few years ago when I went to a walking artist conference in Prespa, Northern Greece. For me, it’s a handy way of describing one category of my work— a category I initially called ‘applied choreography’ because it’s about the intersection of time/bodies/space in spaces where the goal of the work is for participants to experience themselves making ‘the dance’ rather than watching people on stage. Because I hate walking tours I wanted to avoid herding people around being forced to listen to the things I decided were interesting. So I decided that giving them a ‘score’ and enough context to feel empowered to make their own choices and follow their own inclinations would be the most generative while also the least coercive.
Basically, you need a defined space, I think also a defined time span, and a series of cues (like: document - however you desire to do so — everything blue, or all religious art, or all places things are being made). This is so there is a clear reason why you make the path you do.
What I aim for is for people to feel well-contained enough by the structure I invite them to join that they are willing, for example, to explore a neighborhood that they don’t know without a phone or map. Maybe get lost! To let go of predicting where and what they will experience and to let themselves wander, following intuition and desire. Probably what you do when you are doing street photography.
I’m really looking forward to following this series. I have an idea to put together photos I have been taking of my visits to West Ham Utd home football games. I have what I think is a unique idea and just need to do some research - reading your series is a wonderful starting point - before I throw myself into it. Thank you very much for sharing and for the useful links for other resources.
Juliette, of course, and if you become a member of the Process Photo Club (the paid tier of Process) you get 100 buck off your session, so hop on that when you can coz it comes with lots of other helpful stuff as well :)
printing will be covered in a future issue for sure. cost can vary in such wide ways depending on location, printer, quality level and other levels that there's little generic information to share
Sometimes I find myself creating a body of work around a theme almost without realizing it. Other times I start with the theme and photograph intentionally with a book or exhibit in mind . Still other times I’ll come across a word, phrase, or sentence that generates the theme and becomes the title for the finished project. I don't favor any one of these approaches over the others; in fact I frequently have more than one under way at the same time. Currently, for example, I’m photographing boat docks at a lake we often visit, finishing a project documenting how we use and abuse water, and photographing the interactions (or lack) of people in airports. Converting these photos into coherent collections is always a challenge, so I’m looking forward to the rest of your series!
I got a new job! I'll be traveling up and down the Mississippi River for a year. I want to make a zine centered around that experience and the river and it's people. I grew up in Memphis so the topic feels like coming home in a way.
Oh that is just a perfect circumstance! in case you're not yet familiar, you now must check out Alec Soth's Sleeping By the Mississippi photo book.
I've been working for a while taking photos of handmade traffic signs, especially with no parking signs. This is a pretty much common thing here in Brazil and it's peculiar the way which place decides to show this kind of information. So the idea is share the varieties of signs that I've noticed this past few years.
ooh this sounds like a very unique story
I am working on a series for a zine/book where I photograph my local park over a period of one year. I have been walking my dog in this park for over 10 years and became a little blind to it’s beauty and changes. This project made me observe the changes over the seasons more closely. Taking your camera with you almost every day is an interesting challenge for me and really made me reconnect with that park on a different level.
Love this notion Susanne! Nothing like using photography to improve our own life
I've been toying with the idea of making zines around a series of images of 'construction work' (it's hard to describe the exact subject, often it's smaller objects, imagine streetlanterns wrapped in tape) i've been shooting in my city Rotterdam. Or a poetry and photobook around 'mapping a childhood', combining my writing studies with my photography practice.
So I'm very excited to be reading along these steps!
:) spread the word to any friends who are also thinking about a zine
I love those ideas, both!
My plan for this year is to start a series of zines about each of the counties in my home state of Maine. There are only 16 counties so it shouldn’t be too hard. The backbone of the process is going to be to search for creative people in each county for portraits and grow the stories from there.
Big fan of this idea’
The affordability of housing is an increasing problem here in the UK. I've just started working on a long-term project where I document people living in unconventional homes, caravans, tents, living rough... I'm still working on the details.
HUGE and extremely worthy topic!
Nigel, you won this Giveaway! Please send me a DM or an email so I can get you the gift card!
This is a fabulous idea. Good luck!
Wesley I could not agree more, the PEN f's are great story telling cameras, in my case with 40mm f1.4. just reviewing my contract sheets from last year's holiday, they story tell themselves and is also my daily walkin around camera. Of course only one film ADOX HR-50, a beautiful all round film. With it's fine grain it can easily be enlarged to 8x10 without problem, plus with an r72 filter, it is good for infrared. Preparing it now for my nearing break ready to story tell and publish a zien on return.
I've never shot that film!
Give it a try, very versatile, fine, medium price and I find it a perfect match for the pen f.
i'll dig it up!
What 'zine would I like to make?
Back in 2018 I started making street portraits. It wasn't a conscious decision, and I'd only picked up a camera a few years before following some setbacks in life. I didn't think of it as a project, even after someone saw what I was doing on the street and asked, "what's your project?" And it sort of dwindled away during the pandemic.
Though I've shown some of the portraits a couple times since then, I feel like I really ought to wrap it up, and a 'zine might be the right way to do it, and allow me to move forward from it.
Love this idea, Stephen! Book end that baby!
Looking forward to follow along. I already have 3 film cameras, but would love to add the Pen-F. I think it would help me loosen up and get used to pressing the shutter button more and not waiting for the perfect image!
I recommend it!
I love your approach - looking for the things that might be overlooked is something that’s been at the heart of my work as a choreographer and walking artist for decades.
I love that it can be transposed to choreography as well! I’ve never heard of a walking artist, and I’m intrigued! Do tell us more :)
Well - there are many of us. For myself, it’s a category I decided I belonged to a few years ago when I went to a walking artist conference in Prespa, Northern Greece. For me, it’s a handy way of describing one category of my work— a category I initially called ‘applied choreography’ because it’s about the intersection of time/bodies/space in spaces where the goal of the work is for participants to experience themselves making ‘the dance’ rather than watching people on stage. Because I hate walking tours I wanted to avoid herding people around being forced to listen to the things I decided were interesting. So I decided that giving them a ‘score’ and enough context to feel empowered to make their own choices and follow their own inclinations would be the most generative while also the least coercive.
Basically, you need a defined space, I think also a defined time span, and a series of cues (like: document - however you desire to do so — everything blue, or all religious art, or all places things are being made). This is so there is a clear reason why you make the path you do.
What I aim for is for people to feel well-contained enough by the structure I invite them to join that they are willing, for example, to explore a neighborhood that they don’t know without a phone or map. Maybe get lost! To let go of predicting where and what they will experience and to let themselves wander, following intuition and desire. Probably what you do when you are doing street photography.
wow I really learned something new here, super cool!
Love to discuss more!!
This is really cool for you to share with folks. Important as well.
To follow the concept and process to your next book will be fun and instructive.
Thanks for doing this.
Thanks for the kind words Don! Means a lot :)
I'm working on a book (or zine, haven't defined it yet) documenting winter darkness in my city, Gothenburg.
This series of posts about the process will be super welcome and useful to me! I'm looking forward to the next editions. :D
So happy to hear that Isabela! Spread the words to other friends who could use it :) and I love your idea, I’m seeing black and white work for it
Right on spot! Photos were taken with Ilford 3200.
Lovely stock
I’m really looking forward to following this series. I have an idea to put together photos I have been taking of my visits to West Ham Utd home football games. I have what I think is a unique idea and just need to do some research - reading your series is a wonderful starting point - before I throw myself into it. Thank you very much for sharing and for the useful links for other resources.
so glad to read this Dawud! Good luck :)
When the time comes, I want to book a session with you if you’re still doing that. This is exactly what I need for my upcoming project!
Juliette, of course, and if you become a member of the Process Photo Club (the paid tier of Process) you get 100 buck off your session, so hop on that when you can coz it comes with lots of other helpful stuff as well :)
Would love to know about the printing process and cost etc.
printing will be covered in a future issue for sure. cost can vary in such wide ways depending on location, printer, quality level and other levels that there's little generic information to share
Sometimes I find myself creating a body of work around a theme almost without realizing it. Other times I start with the theme and photograph intentionally with a book or exhibit in mind . Still other times I’ll come across a word, phrase, or sentence that generates the theme and becomes the title for the finished project. I don't favor any one of these approaches over the others; in fact I frequently have more than one under way at the same time. Currently, for example, I’m photographing boat docks at a lake we often visit, finishing a project documenting how we use and abuse water, and photographing the interactions (or lack) of people in airports. Converting these photos into coherent collections is always a challenge, so I’m looking forward to the rest of your series!
Love that approach Don!