Camberwell Camera Club

The CCC Series Project - A Photo Essay

Background

Over the years we have had several inspiring speakers at the club who have shared with us long-term photography projects they have been working on.  Many members have been inspired by the depth and passion that seems to emanate from being involved in putting together a body of work over an extended period.

As a result, the club has decided to gather a group of members who would like to embark on their own individual longer-term project and has asked our patron Bill Bachman to provide this group with some training and support along the way. 

Projects of this nature are best described as “photo essays”, produced within the broad framework of the documentary tradition.

A Photo Essay

A photo essay is a series of photographs that visually work together to communicate an idea or message concisely and coherently.

The photographer/author of each essay will assemble a collection of images to convey their idea or message. Relevant decisions will include content, colour, composition, format and sequencing.

The Essay's message may be one or a combination of the following types:

• Narrative . Where images tell a story
• Descriptive, where images express a theme or concept
• Investigative , where images explore an environment or situation
• Documentary, where images accurately portray an event
• Provocative , where images provoke an emotional response
• Creative , where images provide an new insight into a commonly accepted view

 Whilst the images may be captioned, the essay should not require a lengthy written explanation to convey its message, the narrative ideally being carried by the images and their relationship to each other.

It is important to be open-minded and flexible. Your project may evolve beyond your initial concept but in the end your task is to ensure that the final set of images conveys a clear engaging message.

Just as an author is free to write whatever story they want, the measure of a good story is one that captures and holds the audience’s interest and leaves a lasting impression.  This is your story, and your opportunity to tell it.

Some Details

Rather than collecting just a few images for an upcoming monthly comp, this project will involve deeper consideration, more planning and can span over many months (or even a full year).  Like so much we do at the club, it will also involve sharing and collaboration with other interested club members, as well as input and support from experts, including our patron, Bill Bachman. Bill lectured in project-based photography at PSC for a number of years.

Key concepts:

·        This will not be a competition but rather members working collaboratively on their own projects.

·        All members will be working towards a presentation event (possibly associated with an exhibition) in November 2022.

·        The series of photos will be limited to 15 images. It has yet to be determined whether this will involve the printing of images.

·        The emphasis will be on “documentary style” photography, rather than heavily edited images (including compositing).

Full details will evolve over the next few weeks with input from interested club members, but at present the plan and timeline is:

Getting Involved

We would love as many members as possible getting involved in this project.  In order for us to have a contact list of all interested members, please complete the registration for the Zoom meeting on Nov 1^st, 2021, at 7:30pm.

For any enquires please:

·        email series@camberwellcameraclub.org.au  or

·        call Pam (0412706209) or Ken (0419996191).