Set Theory

[sidxms]

What do you guys think are essential components of a good set? This is something I've thought about when you are out and about taking photos. When trying to capture a scene through multiple photos rather than the one.

How many photos? I'm quite keen on 6 tbh
Identical processing style
Identical lens? fov?

 

[Pookeyhead]

Essential component(s) for me is a reason for taking them. Why are you shooting a series of images on one subject? What is it about that subject you want to show me? Why will I be interested? Write an artist statement saying what the series is about. Keeps you focused.

How many? Only you can say. Is it just a short set, or a book? It could be 5, it could be 50. It depends where they are going. Are these to be published, displayed?

Identical lens?... not really... unless you feel it adds something to the set.
Identical processing style... yes, I feel this is important. It's a set. This is different from a collection of images in a portfolio.. this is a set of images, or a series of images on one theme, so don't make a dog's dinner of it... curate and edit it carefully.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Coherence is the key. The pictures have to work together, maybe in a certain order. Try not to think of them as individual images, but parts of a whole.

As David suggests, the crucial part is the editing. You have to be ruthless - which sometimes means chucking out a strong image that doesn't fit, no matter how good it is or how much you like it.