Project Management

Barney

Barney

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Wayne
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Good morning,

I have found myself to be an ideas person rather than a detail and planning person.

I am making a New Years resolution to be more structured and thoughtful regarding my approach to photography.

Whats the best way to accomplish this? I have taken several images that I thought would be suitable for a theme and make a nice project.

Should I build a project based on images taken or start a project with a suitable theme and then find the images. How much time should I allocate to a project, should I have more than one project on the go at once?

I really don't know where to start and will be incredibly grateful if anyone could give a few pointers on how a disorganized person can get some kind of structured themes off the ground.
 
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This thread might be a good place to start, and maybe post for advice and inspiration: https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/talk-projects-and-themes.604010/

For what it's worth most of my projects start out when I realise I'm taking photos that might work together, then I formulate a sketch plan for a project. As the project goes along the plan evolves. The hardest part is knowing when to stop/abandon a project!
 
Barney said:
Should I build a project based on images taken or start a project with a suitable theme and then find the images. How much time should I allocate to a project, should I have more than one project on the go at once?
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Both approaches work, and may be good. I have generally found it easier to collate a body of work from pictures I've taken over time than to shoot a set on purpose, because seeing an image is a spontaneous thing, but images shot with a purpose are often a bit 'competent estate agent'.

I've often found myself taking pictures in the same areas repeatedly, and those usually look like a theme, so hang together better.
 
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Ed Sutton said:
This thread might be a good place to start, and maybe post for advice and inspiration: https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/talk-projects-and-themes.604010/

For what it's worth most of my projects start out when I realise I'm taking photos that might work together, then I formulate a sketch plan for a project. As the project goes along the plan evolves. The hardest part is knowing when to stop/abandon a project!
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That.s a fair point Dave, do you think imposing a limit might be a good idea, say 10 or 20?
 
I was going to suggest several alternatives, but Dave already hit on one of them.
Zine - consider a theme that maybe you've already taken some images for or that fit, and develop that theme
DPOTY/52/Alphabet Challenges - these are about shooting to various themes with a single image delivered but possibly from a set that have been shot
Look at the projects other people have posted here, to get both inspiration and learn from.
 
Reading through the thread Dave linked to I am glad its not just me whole thinks they are disorganized. :ROFLMAO:
 
Graham W said:
Have a Plan...have a Plan B...be prepared to use Plan C!
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and remember what an old Prussian said... "No plan of operations reaches with any certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main force"

or more colloquially by Iron Mike... "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth"
 
I have spent most of my adult having a plan, and usually by ten past eight it was in tatters!
 
I avoid plans for photography by concentrating on single images.

Other approaches are equally valid. ;)
 
If you have an iPad, there’s a great whiteboard app called Freeform that’s useful for planning all kinds of projects.
 
Phil V said:
If you have an iPad, there’s a great whiteboard app called Freeform that’s useful for planning all kinds of projects.
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sounds interesting Phil, I don't have iPad . Thanks for the suggestion I will look up the specs and try to find something similar
 
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I'd suggest at the outset list the images you think you should have at tthe end of the project, dont be too concerned it can be added to and edited over time

work out from your list what constraints there are which need to be met to give that image a chance of being achieved, e.g. high tide & sunrise for sescapes might provide a limited series of timeframes, distance to travel might be another factor, still life would probably have fewer constraints

between size of list and constraints that will help you set a realistic duration for the project

if you have images of a project subject now, if so, are you satisfied or would you do over and what would you change- that helps you improve through deconstructing your own images so next time you can construct more what your after

go take photos, review until you can live with a set. but dont get disheartened if you cant achieve exactly the image you want in anything other than still life- still life youre totally in control of subject, framing & lighting, if your not happy just change it
 
Work out how much time you spend on one picture from concept to finished product. Then try it for real and add up the time you really take. Multiply by the number of pictures you plan to take. Multiply by a difficulty rating based on how much harder the project pictures will be than your trial run. This will give you a rough estimate of the time you need (you might do it quicker with practice, you might do it slower if you hit problems).
 
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