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GayWolf420
June, 2025

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I need photo help, what would you like to shoot?

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.jr
Posts: 5313 - Karma: 356
Alright, I come to you guys as a last resort, because I thought I could figure this out for myself. Basically Im in my schools Photo three class, and its more or less an organized independent study class. We do our own thing, and the teacher sorta gives us feedback (but mostly he just acts super fucking cocky and rambles on on things that are unimportant to ours or anybodys work.) For my project, I started with what I was somewhat working on last semester, which was shooting garbage/trash. But my problem is I am not a hippie save the world kinda guy, so I dont have much purpose behind shooting the trash. I also shoot it in a very cleanly mannor, by doing this someone could almost thing I am gorrifying trash, so I basically have no concept. (our teacher is a very conceptual guy)
Through out the semester thus far, I have been hoping for inspiration for what to shoot, and how I can come up with a better concept for wanting to shoot that. But I havent had a lot of free time, and nothing has hit me yet, so I come to you guys for suggestions. What would you like to shoot for a semester? Keep in mind I live in a city, and the easier it is to shoot the better, 4 art studios are kicking my ass time wise.
15 years ago
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5676 - Karma: 4,297
Random portraits of interesting people you find in the city. Kinda like street photography or something, that's what I'd do if I was in a city. Also, when I think city I think NYC, so I don't know if your city is like that.
15 years ago
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eurotune2
Posts: 1450 - Karma: 10
i agree with above suggestion
15 years ago
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Mr_Papageorgio
Posts: 1271 - Karma: 117
yeah i think i like people as a subject. i lived in rome for 3 months and people were by far my favorite thing to shoot
15 years ago
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.jr
Posts: 5313 - Karma: 356
Lexington Ky, so a decent sized city but no NYC. Shooting the people of the city was honestly my first idea, but I got behind and under a super time crunch, so I opted not too. Since it may take me weeks before I can build up ten good images.
Also what kind of concept would you have behind people. But keep making suggestions!
15 years ago
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 428
What format are you shooting?

You can definitely come up with a concept to just shoot the people of the city. For example, you could do a project on a certain neighborhood or district of the city, then have each subject write something about themselves to accompany the photo. I know I have a lot easier time coming up with concepts than I do actually making them into photographs.

Not to plug tacky blogs, but here's a couple scans of a few projects I have done for school over the past semester or so, as well as the one I am currently working on: http://samreinselphotography.blogspot.com/
15 years ago
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.jr
Posts: 5313 - Karma: 356
Digital, sorry about that.

Im not sure if that would work, I dont know enough about the city to know its divisions, or if there even are any.. I also only have about 8 days to get 10 matted prints up, so keep that in mind.
15 years ago
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Mr_Papageorgio
Posts: 1271 - Karma: 117
i like distress when im shooting people. when youre using someone as a subject who doesnt have to do anything extra to display emotion it always leads to the most pure shots.

check my italy set on my flickr (signature) and i have a few ones that im really pretty proud of. im just a beginning photographer but those are some of my favorite shots thus far in my shooting
15 years ago
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eurotune2
Posts: 1450 - Karma: 10
how do you guys approach a portrait project like that? do you just walk around the city and ask peoples permission to shoot them? i have some ideas for a project but ive never done stuff like that
15 years ago
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 428
Yeah, you can do it that way. I've been on a large format kick lately though, so my shooting needs a bit more planning...the last portraits I shot, I asked the people beforehand and told them when I would be coming.

If you're shooting 35mm or medium format it would be pretty easy to just shoot until you decide exactly what you want to do, though. I know most of the well-renowned street photographers basically put series together by reviewing what they had already shot. If you have an idea, it isn't going to form itself completely before you do anything about it, so just go take pictures.
15 years ago
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5676 - Karma: 4,297
That or be a stealth ninja...

Related story: In my school I have what they call "Photo Workshop 2" and I get to use a 4x5. I just go around asking random teachers/people for the portrait. One guy goes "Sorry I can't, you're not allowed to." I was like o rly? Not allowed to take a picture of a school employee huh?

I saw this video once, somebody set up a white background against a random wall in I think NYC and just shot random people with a 50mm and an on camera flash, some turned out pretty good. I'll try to find it.
15 years ago
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5676 - Karma: 4,297
Let's try this

http://www.wired.com/video/street-portrait-photo-how-to/27609165001

Clicky!!?????
15 years ago
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Deezy
Posts: 4580 - Karma: 1,004
^^^Like that.

If your in a bigger city like toronto you could shoot some night life/long exposures of the different parts, areas and landmarks of the city, try to shoot them in a way that makes each different part be the total opposite of what it is or what people perceive it to be. if you were to shoot a building, figure out who owns it and shoot the building in a way that exploits the person or business behind the building.

you could borrow a film camera and try some star trails/ long exposure of the most important place in the city. Relate time and the hustle of the city to the stationary and singleness of the strong standing building(s). everybody passes by quickley but no one stays like they do. something like that.

I dont rly know what your project is about, but this is the meaning in cities through my eyes.


15 years ago
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