How to select, plan, and shoot a project?

[Youngun]

I'm just starting to try and get a little more focused on my photography. I was thinking of trying a little bit more formal approach and "projecting" a subject or idea to really pursue it. Until now I've basically been carrying my camera around and waiting for pictures to hit me in the face. The few times I've really experimented and worked on something I think I got good results. What do you guys think of this strategy and how would it be accomplished?

 

[TBaraki]

I do think it's a good strategy. Forcing yourself to shoot within certain parameters (a subject, a situation, an abstract concept, etc) almost forces creativity into your work.

I carry around a notebook with me nearly all the time. If I see something that I want to shoot directly, or something that inspires a different shoot, I write it down as not to forget.

 

[craig]

I think it is an excellent strategy. This will develop your personal style and speed the learning process. Make it easy on yourself at first. Pick something that you enjoy and is easily accessible. Think hard on what you are trying to say. For example if you pick flowers think about what you like about them. Maybe it is colour or shape or their relationship to humans. Main thing is that you feel strongly about the work. Of course the possibilities are limitless. Let us know what you come up with.

 

[Moose]

Interestingly... If I dont plan a shoot, then I find the results are a little crappy to say the least.

The inspiration for such shots is a different matter.

 

[Torus34]

A 'classic' is to assume you've been given the assignment of 5 shots of your town/neighborhood for a magazine article.

 

[Hair Bear]

Or use the assigments on this web site as a focus on what to do.

 

[Soocom1]

TBaraki has the right idea. As I once heard, "Ink it don't think it".

Write it down and catalog your shots to see what you did.
This strategy helps me tremendously. A checklist also keeps many a mistake at bay when you shoot. (Trust me on this one.) It also creates consistency. The more times you do something a certain way, your style develops. Then planned shots become easier. You start following the same rules to the point of instinct, and thus you automatically start shooting the random stuff like your setting it up.

 

[Youngun]

wow. Thanks for the great feedback guys. I'll have to start brainstorming subjects and then shooting strategies. Picking a subject, now THAT could be a challenge.

 

[rmh159]

You might want to start VERY basic if you're having trouble thinking of things to shoot. For example... what colors do you want to shoot. If you're into heavily contrasting images... is there anything nearby where reds and blues will overlap? ... what types of subjects interest you? Generally speaking when I take the camera out of the house I usually have a few specific images in my head that I want to capture.

Also the photo galleries on this site are awesome for inspiration. You'll see ideas that others did well or not so well and you can take from that.

When I try to come up with ideas I usually think of what's within driving distance (cities, farmland, waterfalls, etc) and then plan a trip accordingly.

 

[W.Smith]

It's really imagineering:
you imagine an image, then you engineer it.

It'll obviously help if you jot down your ideas for images. Or better still: sketch 'm. Then think hard on how to go about to make it happen. Make a list. What you need. Where you can find it. Location, location, location.
In other words, you plan.
And then you make it happen.

That's how great images can be made. They do it in advertising all the time.

 

[denvermax]

personally i think its a good challange to try to imagine an image then go out and try to take it. you cant freestyle it every time. thats just like playing music but just jamming it out not constructing a song. i dunno. that analogy kind of works. mabey? jamming is fun however.