themes!

[Phil]

Hey guys hows it going?

So the travelling camera clubs always had a little bit of a vague theme (show us your world) and the photos have been great but sometimes people have tended to take things a little too litterally.

I love art and I'm sure the feelings mutual so would anybody be interested in working on some more abstract themes and ideas?

The amazing Brook emailed me with a bunch of idea's that are really worth checking out:

Just a few thoughts about themes:

5 photos each

you: or representation of you
where you've come from
why you stay
where you're going
how you're getting there


5 stages of grief

denial
anger
bargaining
depression
acceptance


group made story or emotional journey:
after someone takes their 5 pics they post on the website what set pieces or parts of the journey they took in the right order (depression, understanding, at peace etc.) then the next person takes their five photos in response to the parts of the story or journey already taken. this could be feelings or themes rather than stories, as in (beautiful sunrise followed by a crowd of tourists followed by a steaming bowl of broth etc.) when all of the photos are seen as a full set they could make up a narrative or a day in the life or some other kind of structure.

a symbolic photo of something that represents emotions:

hapiness
anger
longing
hatred
a mixture of as many of the above as possible
(extras)
depression
ease
frustration
pity


5 different ways to say one of the following:

i love you
i'm sorry
please
no
yes


5 different types of people:

a person who can't be helped
a strong person
a weak person
someone who looks beautiful (physically or metaphorically)
someone who feels and understands
(extras)
someone reckless
someone careful
someone who helps


5 pictures that expose cruelty
5 photos that expose the purposefully hidden

something about the world/society that is crucial
something about the world/society that needs to change
something about the world/society that includes you
something about the world/society that excludes you
something about the world/society that you do but don't want to do (hypocrisy)

What do you guys think?

[emily]

Those sound really neat! The stages of grief one is really sad. I'm trying to think of one-

there could be one that was only portraits of the people you love. I guess the "types of people" one works for that.

People in their places of work or people doing what they love to do.

Artists.

Strangers. You have to go up to a stranger and take their picture (that would also get more people aware of this)

Lines of a big poem. Everyone writes 5 lines in a chatm, and takes a picture for each line, then it becomes this huge poem.

[Phil]

Awesome idea's! I'm thinking of changing the way I recruit or atleast modifying it.

Basically the plan is to post a theme then let people email and sign up to that one rather than forcing a theme on people after they've got their route organised.

Would anyone be interested in this?

[kaity]

I like the idea of themes.. and I also think it's a good idea to let people sign up to a route based on it's theme. And who knows, if there's lots of interest in one theme there might be a couple of routes for it.

I like the "types of people" idea. And the "you" theme - it's fun to see different people/where they come from.

The story idea is pretty cool, too.

[Phil]

So I guess the next question is what should our first theme be?

[brooksykes]

Well first i think the way it should work is pretty much how Phil and Kaity have already said, you sign up to the theme and as soon as that theme has enough people it gets started etc.

i think we should start off with something simple first but also something that will get people really excited. we don't want to make themes that will be too hard to accomplish or ones that require a lot of organising, not at first anyway.

I think a logistically easy one to do would be the "you" one like Kaity said, because this draws upon emotions and subjects already in the photographers life.

you: or representation of you
where you've come from
why you stay
where you're going
how you're getting there

If i use myself as an example i might do something like this
you: or representation of you:
An old Halloween pumpkin drying out in the sun.
where you've come from:
Kids playing football in front of an urban looking council estate.
why you stay:
My family sitting together eating a wonderful bowl of lentil soup my younger brother has just made.
where you're going:
something that represents happiness, or maybe a place i've always wanted to live when I grow up.
how you're getting there:
For me this would be a change, it would represent determination and passion. This is most likely to be the hardest one to do, i would probably have to find something abstract that expresses my feelings.

I'm guessing because of the time scale of these routes people won't want to wait until they've finished a route to start another so if these themes fill up fast we may need to create a slight limitation on how many routes a person can do. Or a better idea would be to only give someone more than one route at a time if they have already completed one route, that way we know they are serious about the project and they won't lose the camera or forget about posting it etc. which would then ruin the whole route.

If anyone has any problems with this or anything they'd like to change let the forum know so we can change them

[Phil]

Brook awesome ideas mate, I think I'll post that route idea today, hell I might even take part in it (so far I'm not a photographer on any of the routes) as for controlling how many people are on a route, its difficult because on the one hand I really want to keep it open for people but on the other hand I really do need reliable people.

Part of what demonstrates reliability is the fact that people use the messageboard and that people are in regular email contact with me but it would also help if things were proven. that people had actually posted cameras on.

We cant really see that until later on in the project.

[chrissy]

i think letting people sign up to themes they'd like to contribute to is great, because that would get the ball rolling, and grab new members.

BUT sometimes, creating great work comes from having to dig around, maybe outside of your comfort zone, or outside of an idea you'd never choose for yourself. so assigning themes would also create an interesting result.

(and because of this, and to attract new members, the use of strangers could make something really cool happen.)

also, i think negative themes/emotions create beautiful images, along with an interesting view of what is considered negative in all of our different cultures. and i mean negative in the way of: take 5 pictures of ugly things, 5 things that make you sad, 5 things that piss you off, etc.

i think this project could be amazing simply to show how alike we are, in thought and belief, even though we get to literally see how different we are.

[Phil]

One of the things I've struggled with in the past is enforcing themes, some people have listened but other members of the group have just sort of done their own thing.

I think maybe the solution is to try and combien the two ideas, so I post a blog and suggest everyone sign up to a mystery route where the theme isnt show us your world but something else.

In effect a design challenge.

that way we get people who want to challenge themselves to a theme.

[chrissy]

that's perfect!

reasons why phil is the head of a great project.

[Phil]

lol, actually it just happened by accident.

I really should get around to writing up the projects history.

[terryfunk]

I think a good theme would be 'urban decay' for a couple of routes.

[Phil]

ooo, I like urban decay!