![\"photographers-sketchbooks-cover\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/photographers-sketchbooks-cover-800x582.jpg?resize=800%2C582\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I recently picked up a copy of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Photographers’ Sketchbooks<\/a>“, an excellent book written by Stephen McLaren<\/a> (co-author of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Street Photography Now<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d) and Bryan Formhals<\/a> (founder of LPV magazine<\/a> and the popular Tumblr: Photographs on the Brain<\/a>).<\/p>\n Alongside \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Photobook: A History Volume III<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Martin Parr and Gerry Badger it is the best resource for photobook making, the philosophies of editing and sequencing, the importance of collaboration, explaining the working methods of certain photographers, their philosophies, and advice and thoughts on publishing via the printed medium (and on social media).<\/p>\n It is a beautifully put-together book, with tons of great \u00e2\u20ac\u0153behind-the-scenes\u00e2\u20ac\u009d materials, via photocopies of the photographers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 actual \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sketchbooks\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, contact sheets, and personal notes. I highly recommend everyone to pick up the actual book \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and use it as a great reference when putting together your own book or body of work.<\/p>\n I personally learned a lot from the book, and I wanted to share some of the personal lessons I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned from ingesting this beautiful tome of information:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To start off, what exactly is a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sketchbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and how does it involve photography? Stephen McLaren shares a definition in the introduction:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The term \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcsketchbooks\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 refers not only to artists\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 sketchbooks in the traditional sense\u00e2\u20ac\u201d though some photographers, such as Mimi Mollica and the late Saul Leiter, do use paper sketchbooks extensively\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but encompasses all the diverse preparatory work that goes into the finished \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwork\u00e2\u20ac\u2122: Polaroid studies, maquette, exhibition proposals, smartphone pictures, diaristic projects, experimental image-making, small-circulation zines, online blogs and photo-sharing platforms<\/strong>. While many keynote pictures are here to be savored, other, quieter images, drawings, notebook entries and keepsake objects provide important visual context.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Therefore a sketchbook doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to be just the traditional Moleskine (that all \u00e2\u20ac\u0153artsy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photographers seem to carry). Rather, it can be any sort of document (physical or digital) that helps a photographer achieve his\/her ultimate project.<\/p>\n A \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sketchbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can include maquettes (book dummies), exhibition proposals, smartphone photos, self-published zines, online blogs, and social media sharing platforms.<\/p>\n Personally I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never been very sentimental with physical objects\u00e2\u20ac\u201d in terms of writing down physical notes (in a Moleskine) or something of the sort.<\/p>\n I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a digital native\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I was wired into the internet since I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been 12 years old, and I prefer digital ways to record my thought. I have thousands of notes in my Evernote, I read most of my books via my Kindle app on my phone (although I do prefer a paper-bound book at the end of the day), I do all of my writing via the computer (never on paper), and publish all of my work online as well.<\/p>\n But at the same time\u00e2\u20ac\u201d a part of me savors this analogue approach, of creating something physical.<\/p>\n For example, I prefer shooting film. I prefer the solace, zen-ness, and the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153non-hurried\u00e2\u20ac\u009d approach of shooting film. I savor physical photography books (although I do see a huge benefit of iPad photography books in terms of price and portability) and nothing beats a print (I prefer holding a print rather than just seeing it on a computer screen).<\/p>\n So when I first picked up \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Photographers Sketchbooks\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I was intrigued\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I never considered myself keeping a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sketchbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for my thoughts. But I realized that I have been doing it all along\u00e2\u20ac\u201d only digitally.<\/p>\n So all of these lessons I will share later on in this article will focus on the methods of other photographers, as well as some of my comments and suggestions how you can apply it to your own workflow.<\/p>\n In the introduction, I found this section by Stephen McLaren quite valuable. He talks about the difficulty of pursuing photography today, and what a photographer needs to do in order to become \u00e2\u20ac\u0153successful\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n Stephen McLaren is also an accomplished photographer (he makes great street photos), and also is a co-author of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Street Photography Now\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d so the guy definitely knows what he is talking about.<\/p>\n McLaren shares the idea that having \u00e2\u20ac\u0153outrageous talent\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153visual intelligence\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is no longer enough\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we need to know how to be editors (of our own work, and the work of others), we need to build and grow an audience (via social media and marketing), and figure out how to best publish our work. He explains more below:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153To pursue photography today as both an art form and a plausible career path can feel like an act of faith even for those blessed with outrageous talent and visual intelligence. It is no longer enough simply to master the interaction between eye, mind hand and a machine with shutter and lens; nowadays successful photographers have to know how to edit their work, seek out and develop an audience, pursue funding routes and understand the steps required to get things published or exhibited.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n He also mentions the importance of being forward-thinking with your work:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The most forward-thinking photographers are also curators and documenters of their own work, constantly probing new possibilities for publishing and exhibiting.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I often get a lot of questions from younger (or emerging) photographers\u00e2\u20ac\u201d who vary in age, and want advice in terms of how to make a living or to be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153successful\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in photography (becoming well known, creating strong work, etc.).<\/p>\n I agree whole-heartedly with McLaren: nowadays a photographer can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just be a photographer. A successful photographer needs to be a photographer, an editor, a publisher, his\/her own marketing team, community-builder, and connector<\/strong>. A photographer needs to be a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153jack of all trades\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and it will be the photographers who can juggle a lot of different roles and wear a lot of hats that will be the most successful.<\/p>\n For myself, I am certainly not the best photographer \u00e2\u20ac\u201d nor the best street photographer. However I think what I do well is blog, educate, teach workshops, connect other street photographers, provide resources, provide examples of my on-going work (my doubts, flaws, and wins), as well as trying to be open and transparent. I have been able to build strong platforms to publish my work (and the work of others) via this blog, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr, and other channels.<\/p>\n So realize that if you want to be a successful photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you want to be a generalist<\/strong>. I forgot who said it, but someone once said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Specialization is for insects<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hyper-specialize in one field, because it will make you fragile and unable to adapt in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s rapidly evolving and changing economy.<\/p>\n Moving on\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I divided up some of the different sections and lessons I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned from Photographers Sketchbooks:<\/p>\n So how do photographers exactly use their \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sketchbooks\u00e2\u20ac\u009d? Some of the photographers share their thoughts and approaches:<\/p>\n Saul Leiter is one of the most incredible photographers and human beings that have ever lived. He lived a simple and humble life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and truly photographed for himself. He was also a painter, and many of his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sketchbooks\u00e2\u20ac\u009d were doodles for himself. Oh yeah, and he also shot street photography on the side.<\/p>\n Lester talks more about his feelings about sketchbooks below:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am very fond of my sketchbooks that I began in the 1950s and still work on today. I think there is a certain freedom when you are absorbed in painting a sketchbook<\/strong>. You are not burdened to do something important. You are not dealing in big things. You are just thinking and the sketchbooks are a way to express your thinking<\/strong>. They are very intimate<\/strong>. I work on my sketchbooks almost every day. If I had to choose what I value the most in my work I might choose my sketchbooks.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n To break down his thoughts, Leiter gets totally sucked into \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or into a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153flow state\u00e2\u20ac\u009d when he is absorbed in painting a sketchbook. He doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t put unnecessary stress on himself\u00e2\u20ac\u201d he uses his sketchbook to express his thinking, rather than making some great artwork.<\/p>\n Lester also makes his notebooks very intimate\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and does it every day<\/strong>. Interestingly enough, he values his sketchbooks over all of his other works.<\/p>\n I think however you decide to work, consider your sketchbooks as something personal. Nobody needs to see your sketchbooks or your work-in-progress. Make it intimate, make it personal<\/strong>. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take yourself too seriously\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and get sucked into the process and the flow. Do it with love and care.<\/p>\n Photographer Mustafa Abdulaziz uses notebooks to collect scraps of things to remember and return to, and by storing these \u00e2\u20ac\u0153first drafts of ideas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My notebooks aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t only for my projects or assignments. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re everything I see in books, exhibitions, or while reading. I collect bits of things I want to remember and return to, and by simply storing them in any of my notebooks I can use them as first drafts of ideas in my head.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Furthermore, Mustafa also uses sketchbooks\/notebooks as a way to pre-visualize:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My notebooks let me see what I imagined, as almost a pre-visualization. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in my head now. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what the process gave me: absolute certainty in the value of my dream.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n When you are working on a project, it is a process, it is a flow<\/strong>. You will encounter tons of great ideas along the way \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and what better way to jot down the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153first drafts of ideas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d than put them into a notebook? These can be physical objects: paper airline tickets, advertisement flyers, random photos you find, or ideas that you just want to write down.<\/p>\n And you can also use your notebooks as a way to pre-visualize your final work<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to keep you on-track to achieve your dream, whether it be publishing a book, putting on an exhibition, or preparing them to share on social media.<\/p>\n Photographer Naoya Hatakeyama shoots film\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and often forgets details while shooting. Therefore writing down \u00e2\u20ac\u0153data\u00e2\u20ac\u009d back into a journal\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Naoya can reference locations on certain days:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153While I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m shooting, there are many things that I have to remember, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m bound to forget them after a few days. So before the end of the day, I record that data in my journal. If I go abroad and shoot, when I come back to Japan and look at the journal, I can see that I was at a certain place on a particular day<\/strong>. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very convenient.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you are like me (a forgetful photographer\/person) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d using a journal or a notebook is a great way to jot down details or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153data\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of your shooting.<\/p>\n You can use this to record where you were when you took a certain day, what the light looked like, what time it was, the date, the location, and even your emotions you felt while you were shooting. This is all useful information you can cross-reference in the future (whether you shoot digital or film).<\/p>\n This is also particularly useful if you are learning how to shoot film\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to record the aperture, film, and shutter speed you used (to get a sense of what the final product will look like).<\/p>\n Also by recording the location, time, and quality of light in your notebook\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you can use that data to return to that location again, and perhaps re-shoot it (to make even stronger images).<\/p>\n Kiana\u00c2\u00a0Hayeri<\/a> uses notebooks to keep track of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153people, stories, and ideas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and writes these all down to distill ideas and separate the good from the bad ideas:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My notebooks help me to keep track of people, stories and ideas I come across. Often I meet someone or hear something that\u00e2\u20ac\u201d not right away but sometimes later\u00e2\u20ac\u201d clicks with an idea<\/strong>. Other times a story initially sounds brilliant and makes me all excited, but then when I write it down and revisit the idea later, I realize it is not as interesting as it first sounded.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The benefit of writing down ideas and thoughts is that you can articulate them. Sometimes ideas end up clicking after you write them down. Other times, you write them down\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and you realize that the idea was a bit silly.<\/p>\n But a great idea of writing down ideas is that you are able to put them down, let them marinate (rest)<\/strong>, and you can re-visit the ideas later.<\/p>\n Having this time to let your thoughts soak and marinate gives you some distance from the idea\u00e2\u20ac\u201d which will give you enough time to consider how good the idea really is.<\/p>\n This is also similar to the idea of letting your \u00e2\u20ac\u0153photos marinate\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d that sometimes you need to wait a few weeks, months, or even years to emotionally disconnect yourself from certain photographs\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to judge them more objectively.<\/p>\n When Mimi Mollica<\/a> has ideas, she writes them down physically via notebook and pen\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and calls it an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153extension of my brain\u00e2\u20ac\u009d:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A notepad and pen is an integral part of the creative process: it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an extension of my brain<\/strong>. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s great to have it with you when you are in the thick of work and you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to have a straight line of thought, or experiences that flow logically. So my notepad is disorderly, full of hectic sketches and fragments of notes.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n And very much like a brain, thoughts can be disorderly, hectic, and not flow in a straight line. Thoughts are often fragments, bits and pieces\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but all a part of the creative process.<\/p>\n Furthermore, Mimi also writes down notes in terms of what she shoots (subject matter), her personal feelings of how she feels the story is proceeding, and the names and details of people she meets\u00e2\u20ac\u201d very much like an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153old-fashioned\u00e2\u20ac\u009d reporter:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153As it will be a while before my film is processed and I see the results, I make notes of what I have been shooting, record my thoughts about how the story is proceeding, and write down the names and details of the people I come across. These are old-fashioned reporting techniques, but visually they are also very important for sketching out the days ahead so I am ready for specific shots.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Realize that the notebooks you keep don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to be super-clean or organized. Nobody has a truly clear mind. All of our thoughts are scattered and fragmented. They never come out totally crystallized in a stream. Considering that the human brain is just a bunch of different parts bolted together (and often fighting with one another) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d this isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t surprising.<\/p>\n However the more notes, ideas, thoughts, and feelings that you put into your sketchbook \u00e2\u20ac\u201d down the line you can start finding patterns and linking ideas together\u00e2\u20ac\u201d which will lead to other creative break-throughs.<\/p>\n Furthermore, you can also use the strategy of using a sketchbook like an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153old-fashioned\u00e2\u20ac\u009d reporter\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to record important details to remember later on (especially if you are working on more documentary-style projects).<\/p>\n I often write down names and email addresses of subjects I photograph to promise to send them photographs later. I know other photographers who have written down addresses of their subjects\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and have sent them prints down the line as well.<\/p>\n Photography is a journey. It is a journey in which we are constantly learning.<\/p>\n One of the great parts of keeping a diary or a sketchbook is that we can see how far we have come in terms of our personal journey, and how much we have learned along the way.<\/p>\n Laura Pannack<\/a> shares some of what she does\u00e2\u20ac\u201d for example, taking random Polaroid snapshots along her journey\u00e2\u20ac\u201d which is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153another way of looking back at what I am learning\u00e2\u20ac\u009d:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Like picture-taking, my notes capture an expression, a thought, a feeling or a voice and acts as a simple aid to memory<\/strong>. I also keep a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcPolaroid diary\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 stored in a suitcase. This is another way of looking back at what I am learning<\/strong>. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been learning how to use Polaroid for a few years now, but so far deem only one picture interesting out of the hundreds I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve taken. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an ongoing, exciting, and incredibly frustrating education<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I often see photographs as an extension of our memory\u00e2\u20ac\u201d this is why we often take so many smartphone snapshots of our everyday lives (in order not to forget the good times, and to perhaps have a chance to look back).<\/p>\n I think this is also the great thing about having a Flickr stream\u00e2\u20ac\u201d because they are sorted in a chronological order, you can go back to your really old photos (I dare you to look at the first photo you ever uploaded to Flickr) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d to reminisce and be proud of your progress and education in your photography<\/strong>.<\/p>\n I think happiness in photography is two things: achievement and appreciation<\/strong>. It is about making better images, but also being grateful for everything you have learned along the way\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and the progress you made along the way.<\/p>\n So you can also consider a photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sketchbook or notebook to be a way you can document your life\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s journey in photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d for your future self to reminisce and appreciate how far you have come, and the progress you have made.<\/p>\n Recently I have drifted away from the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153single image\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (aka\u00e2\u20ac\u201d uploading single-images to Facebook, Instagram, Flickr to get a lot of favorites\/likes) to working on projects\/series.<\/p>\n The benefit of working on a project or a series is that you can better articulate what you have to say as a photographer<\/strong>. Photography is just another form of communication (a visual form of communication) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d in which we are trying to express our thoughts, feelings, and statements about society, ourselves, or the rest of the world.<\/p>\n It is hard to make a story with a single image. Like a good book, you need a beginning, middle, and an end. Like a good film, you want a good sequence, variety of images, and flow.<\/p>\n If you publish your images in a book, you want to use the right paper, the right size of the book, choose the right cover image, have the right pairing and sequencing in the book (we will discuss more about book-making later in this article).<\/p>\n This entire section will be dedicated to working on projects:<\/p>\n Bryan Formhals<\/a> is a photographer, publisher, and a curator. In the past he has been quite active in the Hardcore Street Photography Flickr group<\/a>, is the founder of LPV magazine<\/a>, and now curates and publishes the work of others extensively on the popular Tumblr \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Photographs on the brain<\/a>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bryan also works on many different projects himself on his website (most in the spirit of street photography).<\/p>\n He is also one of the best thinkers on social media and projects who can really articulate his thoughts.<\/p>\n There is a good chunk of the book when he talks about working on projects\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and I have broken down his thoughts below:<\/p>\n To start off, Bryan shares his personal thoughts on the definition of a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153project.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Bryan realizes that there are a lot of different types of projects. But ultimately a project is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a series of photographs that are held together by a theme, concept or aesthetic association.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He expands below:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Projects take many forms, and there is no single definition for what constitutes one. It could be argued that a photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lifetime archive of images is a project; for the most part, however, a project is typically a series of photographs that are held together by a theme, concept or aesthetic association<\/strong>. Throughout the history of photography, this basic structure has been interpreted in countless ways and incorporates nearly every genre.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n As he mentions towards the end\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the basic structure of a project can be interpreted in many different ways, and executed in many different ways as well.<\/p>\n When working on a project or a series\u00e2\u20ac\u201d generally the images \u00e2\u20ac\u0153should\u00e2\u20ac\u009d have a theme, concept, or an aesthetic association. You want to have some sort of coherent idea you want to get across to the viewer.<\/p>\n Generally there are different types of projects I see:<\/p>\n Also whenever you work on a project\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I generally find the best projects are the ones that have consistency\u00e2\u20ac\u201d in terms of the camera\/lens\/film used, the layout, or theme\/concept.<\/p>\n But remember\u00e2\u20ac\u201d there are no \u00e2\u20ac\u0153rules\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d merely suggestions and guidelines. So feel free to break any of them.<\/p>\n So let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say you want to work on a project\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but you have no idea what you want to work on.<\/p>\n How do you come up with a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good idea\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for a project?<\/p>\n Bryan shares some thoughts:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Photographers arrive at projects in a variety of different ways. For some, meticulous planning and research are required before starting; others discover projects only during the editing process.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So if you consider yourself a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153planner\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d perhaps you want to meticulously plan and research before you start a project. If you are more of a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153go with the flow\u00e2\u20ac\u009d type of person\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you can discover a project idea while you are shooting (or in the editing phase, and you see connections between the subject matter you photograph).<\/p>\n There is no one \u00e2\u20ac\u0153right\u00e2\u20ac\u009d way to start a project in this regard\u00e2\u20ac\u201d just follow your personality type (you can even do a combination of both).<\/p>\n Bryan also mentions \u00e2\u20ac\u0153best practices\/guidelines\u00e2\u20ac\u009d which can help photographers work on projects:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There are, however, guidelines and best practices that have been passed down through the years that are beneficial to understand. Primarily the photographer needs to be passionate about the subject matter, and needs to have the discipline and patience to pursue the project over a long period of time.<\/strong> Once a project is underway, and a good amount of photographs have been accumulated, it is advisable to receive feedback from trusted sources, such as friends or teachers. A fresh set of eyes will help the photographer understand how others will view the project, and where it needs to be improved.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Therefore as Bryan shared, you want to have the following traits (regarding your project):<\/p>\n The reason is that good projects often take a very long time.<\/p>\n Furthermore, you also want to get honest feedback\/constructive criticism from photographers\/editors\/friends you trust. This will help you get a more un-biased \u00e2\u20ac\u0153outsiders perspective\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d which will help you spot the holes and flaws in your project (which you are blind to).<\/p>\n Starting a project is often one of the most difficult things. I know a lot of photographers who stress out about finding an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153interesting\u00e2\u20ac\u009d project to work on. They bemoan the fact that they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t live in an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153interesting\u00e2\u20ac\u009d place such as NYC, Tokyo, or Paris.<\/p>\n However some of the best projects I have seen have been in the most boring places. Take William Eggleston<\/a> for example\u00e2\u20ac\u201d whom only photographed his boring hometown. Blake Andrews<\/a> has literally done a project on a town called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Boring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Martin Parr\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s best advice to young photographers is to photograph boring subject matter and make it interesting.<\/p>\n I recently came across a book called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Preston is my Paris<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. To my understanding, Preston is a pretty boring place in the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but the photographer called it his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Paris\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n So realize that the best place to work on a project is often your own hometown. Why? You know it better than anyone else\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and nobody has probably done a project there before.<\/p>\n Keep your projects local\u00e2\u20ac\u201d try to photograph your own neighbors, family, friends, or people in the streets close to your house. You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to fly somewhere exotic to work on an interesting project.<\/p>\n Also realize that a project you work on doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153street photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. You can do a more personal documentary project on your own life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d or the life of your family or friends.<\/p>\n I think at the end of the day\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the best projects are the ones that are personal, have heart, soul, and a message you are trying to get across<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Bryan also shares some strategies while editing a project (when working with a friend or trusted colleague):<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153For example, a friend may illuminate connections between themes and images that are unnoticed by the photographer, and recognizing which photographs resonate the most with others will help the photographer cut out weaker images and build around the stronger ones<\/strong>. This process will frequently be repeated many times over the course of the project, until it is ready to be presented to a wider audience.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n When I am working on a project, I seek out the opinion of my friends by putting my photos of my iPad (in the regular photos app) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and asking my friends to select what they think are the strongest shots (and ask them to ditch the weakest shots). I then ask them to articulate (as best as they can)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d why they think certain shots are strong (and why the other shots are weak).<\/p>\n This helps me better understand the opinion and view of an outsider\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and helps me also get rid of the weaker work.<\/p>\n I also ask my friends what patterns they see in my work\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and what direction they think I should go, and what other types of shots I should build upon.<\/p>\n I also find the fact that generally the best shots float to the top (like oil on top of water)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and the weaker shots end up falling to the bottom.<\/p>\n While not everybody has 100% the same opinion\u00e2\u20ac\u201d this is a good way to gauge the process of how your photography is coming. And with enough iterations of editing and building upon your project\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you can make a solid and bulletproof body of work.<\/p>\n One thing that a lot of photographers do with social media is publish \u00e2\u20ac\u0153work-in-progress\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Meaning, the project isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t complete, but photographers are seeking the feedback of other photographers while it is on-going.<\/p>\n While there is a benefit to publishing work in progress, it can also be a detriment\u00e2\u20ac\u201d as Bryan shares:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153These days many photographers will also share work-in-progress on the Web, although given the sheer volume of material appearing online each day, it can be difficult for any one project to attract enough attention to receive focused critical feedback<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n My personal opinion of sharing work-in-progress online? Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do it. Nobody will give you the focused and critical feedback on the internet. It isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that people don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have good intentions\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is that the internet just isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t very good for that. How many thumbs-ups or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153likes\u00e2\u20ac\u009d do you need to know your project is going in the right direction? A comment like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153nice shot\u00e2\u20ac\u009d won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help you grow and develop your project.<\/p>\n I believe the only real way to get feedback on your photos is in-person. A second good contender is doing screen-share via Skype (or join.me) and getting uninterrupted 1-on\u00e2\u20ac\u201c1 feedback.<\/p>\n When you are with someone physically, they aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t distracted. They can point out (quite literally) the flaws of your images in terms of the framing, the composition. They can give you cropping suggestions. They can rearrange your photos quite quickly (I use the iPad for sequencing my images) or quickly create new edits of the on-going photos.<\/p>\n So in short, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t recommend publishing on-going work on the internet (if your intention is to get critical feedback). If you want to share you on-going work for the sake of it, then I think that is fine.<\/p>\n Whenever I meet other photographers, I always ask them to share their work with me (via their smartphone, iPad, or laptop).<\/p>\n Most photographers are often caught with their pants down\u00e2\u20ac\u201d they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have images ready to show, or a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153working edit\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of projects they are currently engaged in.<\/p>\n As Bryan Formhals illustrates\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I think it is important to always have a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153working edit\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (rough draft) of what you are working on\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to always be ready to solicit feedback from other photographers:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Once enough photographs have been produced, it is important to develop a working edit that will illustrate the progress of the project and reveal where future work needs to be done<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The best way to always have work ready to share and get feedback is just have it on your smartphone.<\/p>\n I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t recommend using Dropbox or any other cloud-based service (sometimes the internet doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t load quickly enough in a cafe or a bar) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the best is to have it stored to the storage of your phone.<\/p>\n If you have an iPhone, just sync your photos from your computer to your phone via iTunes, and have different working edits of your on-going projects. If you have an Android, you can also drag-and-drop photos to your smartphone (I have a Mac and I use \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Android file transfer\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to do this).<\/p>\n Either that or always carry a tablet (iPad or other device) with you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and you can always harness the intelligence of other photographers to ask you feedback on editing, sequencing, or what direction to take your work.<\/p>\n Bryan also gives a great piece of wisdom: write down your ideas \u00e2\u20ac\u201d to clarify your thoughts and articulate them:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Writing can also be a valuable aid in further developing a project. In writing about why one is interested in a project, or answering other questions about it, one can often uncover new ideas and themes that are worth pursuing<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I once read a technique called the \u00e2\u20ac\u01535 why\u00e2\u20ac\u009d technique. The concept is to get to the root of any problem, issue, or core of something\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you just ask yourself the question \u00e2\u20ac\u0153why\u00e2\u20ac\u009d 5 times.<\/p>\n For example, I am currently working on a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Suits<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d project\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and this is how the \u00e2\u20ac\u01535 why technique\u00e2\u20ac\u009d would play out:<\/p>\n So essentially my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Suits\u00e2\u20ac\u009d project is about my own dissatisfaction with my own life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and thinking that working long hours and trying to earn more money would make me happier in life. Obviously that is false\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but asking myself these \u00e2\u20ac\u01535 why\u00e2\u20ac\u009d questions (and writing it down) helped clarify and crystallize your thoughts.<\/p>\n So consider asking yourself this \u00e2\u20ac\u01535 why\u00e2\u20ac\u009d technique when working on a project, and write it down. This doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just have to be photography either\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is a great way to find more direction and purpose in your life as well.<\/p>\n As photographers, are like scientists. We have certain outlooks and hypotheses about the world, and we want to test those assumptions and articulate our thoughts via our photography.<\/p>\n Like a good scientist, not every experiment will go well\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but the more we experiment, the closer we will get to the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153truth\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of what we are trying to achieve with our projects.<\/p>\n As Bryan shares there is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153no absolute formula for success\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and he suggests us all to have a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153healthy dose of experimentation.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n A project is a personal journey\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and we will all eventually reach our destination, through our own means:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153With any art form, however, there is no absolute formula for success, and a healthy dose of experimentation is always advised. Each photographer will arrive at their own process for developing projects, and evolve and refine it over the course of their life.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I think one of the best benefits of working on a project is for self-exploration<\/strong>. We learn more about ourselves as photographers when we are working on projects for a sustained period of time. We discover what we are truly interested in, what engages us, what turns us on\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and what we are passionate about.<\/p>\n And know that every project is different\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and it will constantly change and evolve (as you continue to change, evolve, and grow as a photographer and human being).<\/p>\n There is no checklist or \u00e2\u20ac\u015310 steps to success\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to make a good project (although my blog seems like that is what it advertises). I certain like sharing tips, advice, and my personal thoughts\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but what works for me (or other photographers) won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always work for yourself<\/strong>. You have to self-experiment, see what makes you happy, and see what works for you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n There are often projects are series that we are commissioned to do (especially if you are a working, professional photographer). But most of the best and creative photographers I know are the ones that always work on personal projects.<\/p>\n By working on something personal\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we can use our own experiences, and make a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153broader story about society\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Not only that, but we can embed ourselves into the stories we are documenting\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and make the projects more autobiographical. Bryan shares in this gem of a section:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Personal projects\u00e2\u20ac\u201d that is, work exploring a photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s own interests, rather than commissioned by a client\u00e2\u20ac\u201d have become the defining projects for many ambitious photographers. [\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6] The use of autobiographical elements in both these books [\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThe Americans<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 (1958) by Robert Frank and \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcLove on the Left Bank\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 (1954) by Ed van der Elsken] demonstrated that photographers could mime their own lives for material, and expand on it in creative ways to tell a broader story about society<\/strong>. [Photographers Stacy Kranitz\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s exploration of life in Appalachia and Kiana Hayeri\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s stories about women in Iran] immerse themselves in the world of their subjects, and are not afraid to make themselves part of the story they are telling.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There is no opinion or viewpoint that is more valuable than yours. You know your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions better than anyone else\u00e2\u20ac\u201d why not expand on that and exploit it?<\/p>\n Know that as a street photographer, you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a moral obligation to show reality as it is. There is no \u00e2\u20ac\u0153objectivity\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in street photography (or photography in general). You will always filter reality through your lens\u00e2\u20ac\u201d in terms of how you frame, compose, and time your photographs. You decide the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. You construct your own reality.<\/p>\n Make your projects personal. Try to make broader statements about society through your own life experiences. Embed yourself into your stories\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be afraid to wear your heart on your sleeve.<\/p>\n Projects often change and evolve as time goes on\u00e2\u20ac\u201d embrace it. Be like bamboo, which is strong and firm\u00e2\u20ac\u201d yet knows when to bend and yield when pressure is applied in different ways:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Once a project has been started, it often evolves and expands in unplanned directions. As celebrated British fine art photographer Paul Graham cautions in his essay \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThe Unreasonable Apple<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dc\u00e2\u20ac\u2122I doubt Robert Frank knew what it all meant when he started, or for that matter Cindy Sherman or Robert Mapplethorpe or Atget\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6so you shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expect it. The more preplanned it is, the less room for surprise, for the world to talk back, for the idea to find itself, allowing ambivalence and ambiguity to seep in, and sometimes those are more important than certainty and clarity<\/strong>. The work often says more than the artist intended.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n We never know what lies in the future. The only thing we are certain of is the present moment.<\/p>\n Think about how you can currently work on your project in the present moment\u00e2\u20ac\u201d right now.<\/p>\n What kind of photos do you need to take? Where can you go today to shoot? Do you already have some material that you can edit and sequence today? Is there a photographer you can meet today to get feedback and constructive criticism on your work?<\/p>\n Also don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get too married to your initial idea. Be open to the opinion of others\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and change your project if need be. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fall victim to the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sunk cost\u00e2\u20ac\u009d fallacy. If you have 100 photos in your project, realize that you have to often \u00e2\u20ac\u0153kill your babies\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and edit it down.<\/p>\n Robert Frank photographed over 750\u00c2\u00a0rolls of film for his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Americans\u00e2\u20ac\u009d project (~28,000 shots in total) and only had 83 published. That is a pretty low keeper rate\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and he had to edit out tons of images.<\/p>\n So let the project evolve, change, and move direction as time goes on\u00e2\u20ac\u201d don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t become too rigid in your views\u00e2\u20ac\u201d or you will become fragile, brittle, and break.<\/p>\n I think photographers are like writers\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we often hit \u00e2\u20ac\u0153photographers block\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (kind of like writer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s block) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d in which we no longer feel inspiration for the project, or we feel we have hit a dead wall, and we have no direction which way to go.<\/p>\n So what can we do when we hit a wall, or an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153impasse\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with a project?<\/p>\n Bryan shares some of his thoughts:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you find yourself at an impasse with a project, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s best to discuss the work with trusted friends to see what they think<\/strong>. Another option would be to go to portfolio reviews<\/strong> to see what experts within the industry think of the project. This feedback will be incredibly valuable and should give you a good idea about the state of the project.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I think it is good to hit roadblocks in your project\u00e2\u20ac\u201d because they are valuable times in which force you to reassess your project: whether it is really worth doing, if you are truly passionate about it, or the direction it is going in.<\/p>\n Sometimes if you hit a roadblock in your project\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the best is just to ditch it or kill it. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t become married to your projects\u00e2\u20ac\u201d if it isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t working out, best is to discard it and move on.<\/p>\n But perhaps there is something in your soul that tells you that you must keep going on in your project\u00e2\u20ac\u201d follow your gut. I think curiosity and passion is the best ways to know whether a project is worthwhile to continue pursuing.<\/strong><\/p>\n Bryan recommends getting feedback from others \u00e2\u20ac\u201d which is also a great tool. You can get encouragement from others (telling you to continue the project)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d or honest feedback that it might be best to end the project.<\/p>\n Ultimately the decision lies with you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d whether you decide to continue the project or ditch it. But always seek the opinion of others before making your own personal decision<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Sometimes getting some distance from a project is important to know whether it is truly worth pursuing. Time is often the best test of good ideas<\/strong>:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Each project will have its own natural progression and there will likely be times when it is beneficial to step away, because time can change one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s perspective<\/strong>. Thomas Vanden Driessche, for instance, stored his diaries from India for a few years before revisiting them and giving them new life. Jim Goldberg continuously mines his archives looking for new angles on his photographs, which he can then explore through new projects or in new edits of existing work. British social documentary photographer Paul Trevor has mined his archive to develop new books, for example \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcIn Your Face\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, a project \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcexploring the malignant impact of free-market economics in the late 1980s and early 1990s\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n One of the tips I have heard for writers is that if you ever write a book, lock your first draft in a drawer for a year, then a year later\u00e2\u20ac\u201d open the drawer, re-read the book, and then edit it. This will help make the book a lot better\u00e2\u20ac\u201d because you will have emotionally disconnected from the book, you can see it with a more critical eye, and be much more discerning when editing.<\/p>\n I have found the same goes with my photography projects. It takes me about a year or so whether I know if a project is really worth showing or not. Not only that, but a year also helps me become more emotionally disconnected from my bad photos, and helps me be more objective in the editing phase.<\/p>\n I also often re-visit my old projects, and edit out certain shots (or re-add certain images). Furthermore, I also edit out certain projects in general (which I no longer think are good).<\/p>\n For example when I re-designed my website portfolio<\/a>, I removed all of my projects from my site, and only re-uploaded the ones that I felt were really strong and also had personal significance for me. Even though I have worked on about 10 projects the last few years, there were only 3 projects that were meaningful to me: my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Suits<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d project, my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Grandfather<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d project, and my on-going \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Only in America<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d series.<\/p>\n So don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel like you need to be in a rush to work on your projects. Take your time, and let time be the ultimate test of your work.<\/p>\n As we talked about earlier\u00e2\u20ac\u201d sometimes it is good to abandon your projects. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel bad, it might end up being a good gateway into a future project. Bryan expands:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The hard reality, however, is that many projects will fade into obscurity, unfinished, or will be absorbed into new edits and projects<\/strong>. If you speak with enough photographers, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll hear about many such abandoned projects, sometimes tucked away in a physical archive, never to be seen again, or languishing on websites, buried among other material. They still have value, however, in the evolution of a photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work. Abandoned projects can serve as bridges to new projects; they allow the photographer to hone their ideas<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I love the idea that an abandoned project can serve as a bridge to a new project.<\/p>\n For example, I worked on a photography series of Detroit\u00e2\u20ac\u201d which I felt was ultimately not strong enough as a body of work (too few images)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but I ended up realizing from a good friend of mine (Sean Lotman) that I could use photos from my Detroit series into my new \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Only in America\u00e2\u20ac\u009d series (which will be a much broader project about America in general).<\/p>\n So never see your abandoned projects as failures. See them as growing experiences that have been part of your journey as a photographer.<\/p>\n Similarly, I think that you are only as good as your weakest images. Therefore, I often go back to my old Flickr archives, and routinely delete (or mark private) photos that I used to think were good (and now think are weak). It is a good memory of what I used to think was a good image\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but at the same time, marks my progress and growth as a photographer.<\/p>\n Life is an on-going journey\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we will never make one project that will totally satisfy us. We need to constantly be asking ourselves questions about our lives, our interests in photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and issues we want to explore. Bryan shares some concluding thoughts on working on projects:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The projects in this book encompasses many different genres, formats and motivations, but the one thing that connects all the profiled photographers is that they pursued projects on subjects that interested them<\/strong>. So: what are you interested in? At what or whom do you point the camera? What do you like to read about? What issues do you think about often? The answers can normally be found in your life, so look around, and get started<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Pursue projects that interest you (not others). Ask yourself questions regarding your motivations. What interests you? What subject matter fascinates you? Do you prefer black and white or color? Why do you photograph? What excites you the most in photography? What subject matter scares you the most in photography? What genre of photography is the most challenging and rewarding for you?<\/p>\n As Bryan said\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the answers often lie in your own life, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153so look around, and get started.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n One section I found quite illuminating in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Photographers Sketchbooks\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is on publishing and social media. I was able to gather thoughts from different photographers who approach social media in different ways\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and compiled some thoughts below:<\/p>\n On a section in publishing, Bryan Formhals shares the importance of social media (instead of just traditional publishing). While a lot of photographers aim to make a book\u00e2\u20ac\u201d others (especially the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153digital natives\u00e2\u20ac\u009d) will prefer social media as a way to sharing their photos with the world:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThe photographic reality of this moment is \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcfreedom of workflow<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, says critic and collector Loring Knoblauch. For many photographers, a physical photo book is the ultimate goal, but this is far from the only option. Some photographers will work towards creating prints and installations for a gallery exhibition, while others will use digital platforms such as Instagram or Tumblr to present their photographs to the world.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I do think ultimately the best way to present your work is in a photography book, because it gives you the chance to create a physical manifestation of your images. A book is an object you can hold, interact with, and keep for a long time. Who knows how long your Facebook, Flickr, or Tumblr account will exist?<\/p>\n But at the same time\u00e2\u20ac\u201d social media gives us the power to reach an unlimited audience. In theory, millions of people can see your photographs on social media\u00e2\u20ac\u201d whereas only a couple dozen or hundred will see your photographs in a book-form.<\/p>\n There are many different ways to publish your photos on social media.<\/p>\n Personally, I have found Tumblr to be the best way to share mini-sets and series, because it allows you to create diptychs and triptychs, and mini-sets (and re-arrange the sizes of the images).<\/p>\n Facebook is great for sets and singles images as well\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but then again you have to deal with the distraction of getting messages, and pop-up notifications.<\/p>\nIntroduction<\/h1>\n
What is a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sketchbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d?<\/h2>\n
![\"skethcbook\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/skethcbook-800x296.jpg?resize=800%2C296\")
<\/p>\nMy experience with sketchbooks<\/h2>\n
What successful photographers need to do<\/h2>\n
Lessons I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve Learned From Photographers Sketchbooks<\/h1>\n
1. Sketchbooks<\/h1>\n
![\"Saul](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/tlc_saul_leiter_inside_03-800x551.jpg?resize=800%2C551\")
a) Express your thinking (Saul Leiter)<\/h3>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Saul_Leiter.jpg?resize=750%2C500\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
b) Collect \u00e2\u20ac\u0153first drafts\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of ideas (Mustafah Abdulaziz)<\/h3>\n
![\"women-water-002\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/women-water-002.jpg?resize=624%2C500\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
c) Journal to remember while shooting (Naoya Hatakeyama)<\/h3>\n
![\"Untitled,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Hatakeyama-Naoyo-Osaka-Left-800x398.jpg?resize=800%2C398\")
![\"Naoya](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/naoya_hatakeyama_thamesmead.jpg?resize=482%2C251\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
d) To separate good\/bad ideas (Kiana Hayeri)<\/h3>\n
![\"Kiana](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/14_hayeri0002-800x532.jpg?resize=800%2C532\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
e) On using a notepad and pen (Mimi Mollica)<\/h3>\n
![\"En](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/%C3%82%C2%A9-Mimi-Mollica-The-Syngenta-Photography-Award-2013-800x788.jpg?resize=800%2C788\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
f) Keeping track of your learning (Laura Pannack)<\/h3>\n
![\"From](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/laura_Pannack-0_-800x604.jpg?resize=800%2C604\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
2. Projects<\/h1>\n
Bryan Formhals on projects<\/h2>\n
a) What is a project?<\/h3>\n
![\""Veins"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/jacob-aue-sobol-anders-petersen.jpg?resize=800%2C293\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
\n
b) How to come up with a project idea<\/h3>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/eggleston-800x530.jpg?resize=800%2C530\")
\n
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
![\"Preston-is-my-Paris\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Preston-is-my-Paris.jpg?resize=700%2C342\")
<\/p>\nc) Editing process during a project<\/h3>\n
![\"Americans](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Americans-v6-6-800x530.jpg?resize=800%2C530\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
d) Publishing work-in-progress?<\/h3>\n
![\"Pittsburgh,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Americans-18.jpg?resize=800%2C535\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
e) Have a working edit<\/h3>\n
![\"Detroit,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Suits-10.jpg?resize=800%2C531\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
f) Benefit of writing your project ideas<\/h3>\n
![\"Beverly](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Suits-2.jpg?resize=800%2C531\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
\n
g) The need for experimentation<\/h3>\n
![\"Me](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/2014-09-25-11.58.58-1.jpg?resize=800%2C800\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
h) Pursue your own interests<\/h3>\n
![\""The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/The-Americans-by-Robert-Frank-15-800x537.jpg?resize=800%2C537\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
i) Be flexible with projects<\/h3>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/paul-graham.jpg?resize=600%2C484\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
j) How to overcome \u00e2\u20ac\u0153photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s block\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h3>\n
![\"Provincetown,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Provincetown-The-Old-Colony-5.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
k) Taking a step back<\/h3>\n
![\"untitled,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/issue18_Goldberg_Jim_11-800x526.jpg?resize=800%2C526\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
l) On abandoning projects<\/h3>\n
![\"Americans-30\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Americans-30.jpg?resize=800%2C531\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
m) Always be questioning yourself<\/h3>\n
![\"Detroit,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Detroit-3.jpg?resize=800%2C531\")
Takeaway point:<\/h4>\n
3. Social Media<\/h1>\n
a) Social media giving \u00e2\u20ac\u0153freedom of workflow\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h3>\n
![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/2014-09-10-12.40.10-2.jpg?resize=800%2C800\")
Takeaway point:<\/h3>\n
![\"hcsp\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/hcsp.jpg?resize=800%2C381\")
<\/p>\n![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/eric-photographer-sketchbook.jpg?resize=640%2C640\")
![\"Fun](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/stig-hansen.jpg?resize=601%2C609\")
![\"self](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/self-portrait.jpg?resize=601%2C598\")
<\/p>\n