Mike Johnson published an article about this and it was at one time sent to
PhotoForum by Graeme Webb (I think) and available as one of the course outlines
associated with the PhotoForum. Find the listing of course outlines in toto at:
http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/outlines.html
Here is the article itself (hopefully Mike does not object to it being shared
among educators, students and professionals and dedicated amateurs):
How to Beat Photographers Block
A working exercise
by Mike Johnston
Because of the imperatives of the marketplace, and C&D is as guilty of
furthering this ethos as anyone, many photographers pay far too much attention
to the acquisition of hardware, and far too little artention to their growth
and development as photogrphers. Many of us, even if outfitted and equipped to
a fare-thee-well, often don't have a very clear idea of how to become better at
actually taking pictures. I'm going to suggest a specific exercise, one that
has proven to be a lot of fun, as well as an excellent method for getting over
"photographer's block" It needs a lot of dedication, some money and a fair
amount of discipline but, as we all know, photography isn't cheap, and it isn't
always easy.
Keep in mind that it's just an exercise. Like most exercises, its restrictions
and repetitions have a point and a purpose. Don't shortchange yourself! The
point of the exercise is going to be to adopt a specific working method for
eight weeks to produce eight prints. (Ten is better, if you can swing it.
Minimum, six.) There are a number of conditions and steps.
Step One is to name your axe. That is, decide which of your cameras (if you
have more than one) is your main working tool. (For purposes of simplification,
I'm going to assume the use of a 35mm camera. Any handheld rollfilm camera will
do.) Then select one lens. Again, it should be your favorite lens, with the
focal length or zoom range you feel most comfortable using. If in doubt, prefer
a fixed (single) focal-length lens, and try using a wider lens rather than a
longer one. Once you've chosen, no switching. (And no cheating!)
When shooting, try to be as loose as possible, but make every shot tell. Take
no duplicates. Waste nothing. Try as hard as you can to avoid cliches. Then
find a good custom lab that runs a color neg line and that makes custom
C-prints. Speed is of the essence, so a lab that will develop and proof the
same day or overnight is best. If you live in the country, out of range of a
commercial lab, a "One Hour" processor will do, and then you can send away for
the custom prints. Get eight rolls of 36-exposure Kodak Ektar 100. If you must,
substitute your standard medium-speed color neg film. You'll be shooting one
roll every weekend. An important aspect of the exercise is that one roll is all
you get. And that's all you can shoot every week for the duration of the
exercise. That one roll will become precious unexposed film, to a photographer
who loves to shoot, is definitely a form of wealth!
Here are some guidelines for shooting First of all, get on foot. Nobody shoots
well from the car. The farther you drive, the less you'll see. Pick any area
that seems promising or one that doesn't. Poke around. Don't worry if there's
nothing "picturesque" around there are an infinite nurmber of potential
pictures in the world. You will get the most benefit from shooting your roll
the longer you spend at it. Try to make the roll last at least a couple of
hours. And don't be doing anything else have your camera in your hands the
whole time. Shoot alone. Concentrate only on shooting.
When shooting, try to be as loose as possible, but make every shot tell. Take
no duplicates. Waste nothing,. Try as hard as you can to avoid cliches eschew
all of the obvious shots, and (assuming you've previously been able to identify
what they are) avoid your usual "tricks." Don't take any picture you've ever
seen before. Edit as you shoot don't push the shutter button if you suspect you
won't really want that particular picture. But, conversely, try to be as loose
and reactive as you can be if the situation demands it. Be open to anything try
to shed your preconceived ideas. If you have any rules of composition nagging
at your brain, ignore them, better yet, break 'em. The less rigid you can be
about what makes a good picture, the better. It's only an exercise. Then get a
proof sheet made the sooner, the better. If you shoot on the weekend, you
should have the proof sheet in your hands by no later than Monday evening.
Here's the crux of the matter: you get to make one print each week from the
roll you've shot. No more, no less even if there are ten great shots on the
roll, or even if there are none! You have to decide.
In deciding, spend as much time with that proof sheet as possible. Study it.
Pore over it. You should look carefully at each and every picture on the proof
sheet every single night for a week. If you have a magnifier, so much the
better. Think about th problem during the day. Narrow the field slowly. And
don't get any help or outside feedback make the decision all by yourself.
Again, the more time you spend making the decision, the better. You have one
week.
Here's what to look for: you're trying to choose the one frame that you most
need to see printed large. Blot out the "best picture". Not the one that will
impress anyone else. Not the prettiest or the one that will be technically most
excellent. Try to pick the one you think will have the "longest legs": the one
that will remain interesting to look at for the longest time. It could even be
a frame that bothers you somehow that you feel uncertain about, or even hostile
towards. Remember, this is just an exercise. You're looking for the one that
gets under your skin. And make your choice exclusively for yourself, not
for anyone else, and not with anyone else's values or opinions in mind.
Then, at the end of the week ideally, when you take the next weekend's roll in
to be developed have a custom 16x20 print made from the one frame you've chosen
it must be a big print. And the print absolutely must be full frame, showing
all the film edges (custom labs will do this on request). The big print also
forces you to invest in that one picture, literally and figuratively. This is
by design.
Another part of the exercise is that the frame you choose is all you get to
print from that roll. Ever. Try not to resist. Sometimes it's hard.
Put the print up in your home some place where you'll see it often by the
telephone, by your desk, opposite your kitchen table. Look at it often. Live
with it. Let it sink in. The next week, take it down and put the new one up.
Don't skip a week. By the time you're finished, you'll have made six, eight or
ten prints that ought to tell you something about what kind of photographer you
are. And, if you're like most of us, you'll have learned some thing about a
much underestimated but all important aspect of photography: the importance of
the working method. And this exercise isn't only for beginners or amateurs,
either after all, even athletes need to keep in training, figuratlvely
speaking. So, if you're looking for a way to get yourself our of the doldrums,
or just having some fun, give it a try.
Mike Johnston has BFA in Photography and has been a photography teacher at the
high school, College and adult level.
-- The article above was Published in Camera & Darkroom about 2 years ago and
has been used by myself and a couple of friends as a usefull exercise. Instead
of taking our negs to be developed we printed each others negs with some
surprising results (we worked in colour and B&W) it is a good exercise in
discipline and can lead to some interesting conlusions. I have included the
whole article as its Mikes idea and he should get the credit.
Graeme Webb ARPS Email: graeme@zone5.demon.co.uk
Posted on 08-20-02 by Andrew Davidhazy, andpph@rit.edu - PhotoForum
