Photo narrative or series...?

[kslagerman]

I have an assignment due in late december for an intd b&w class.. I have to do a minimum of 10 prints that are a part of a narrative or a series. I am completely at a loss. its hard to not feel like your imitating others work when the instructor shows dozens of examples to the class.

does anyone have any suggestions on where to start with this? the assignment is very open ended. or maybe has anyone had a narrative or series in their head and would like to see it brought to life through photography? i would gladly share the final project!

not trying to cheat here, but just interested in any thoughs or suggestions.

 

[markc]

Picking a specific subject is the obvious part. If it's a narrative, you will be telling a serial story, like a trip to the doctor. A series is probably easier. You can just pick a general or specific subject and show various views of it. If you pick specific, like a certain child, you could take a few shots of them playing, one of them eating, etc. For a general subject, like "windows", you could just find interesting windows to take pictures of.

One thing that helps is to not only be consistent in the subject, but how you shoot. Pick one focal length and use only that, whether it's 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 200mm, or whatever. Don't zoom in and out. Pick one and find compositions that work. Use the same film and editing methods (b&w vs. color, contrast levels, etc.). This helps a lot in giving the images a connected feel beyond just subject.