I have quoted Christine's original post in full below for those who missed it the first time.
I think Christine has an inspired idea that could allow PDMLers to take their work in a new direction. We have had the themed PUG for many many years, and as Doug notes in his Introduction to this year's PDML Annual, the PUG has been an important element of our identity as a group, taking us beyond random chatter to a more fundamental sharing process. (Doug, my apologies for mangling your thoughts and words with this rough paraphrase.) We have had instances where multiple PDMLers have shared images of a common event (e.g., PDML gatherings, GFM) But always we have seen a collection of single images. We have seen portfolios and photo essays from individuals (Bob W. and Christine's work comes to mind.) But I cannot recall a previous suggestion for a collaborative process like the one C has suggested. C was inspired by a particular body of work which focused on relatively mundane day-to-day activities: tending gardens, eating dinner, going to church, buying gasoline/petrol, getting married . . . But there is no reason this collaboration notion could not encompass any photographic subject. Macros of flowers? Wide angle landscapes? Backyard wildlife? Product photography of grocery-store food items in different countries? The particular topic is irrelevant as long as it inspires two or more list members to decide to work together to try and reflect their shared vision of something. Dan, for example, has an ongoing project on roadside diners. There must be someone on the List who has seen those and thought about the parallels and differences in common eating places in their own countries? >From the above you probably have gathered that I strongly endorse C's >suggestion. In more specific support I offer the following: a. For the collaborators who are interested, I will commit to editing/publishing the first 4-5 photo essays produced thorough such collaborations; I am imagining a Blurb book with 10-20 pages per essay. If/when such a work is produced, a free copy to all contributors, any profits to the Dana-Farber organization. b. Inspired by some of the "industrial" images posted by PDMLers, i have been planning a small series of photos of active and decaying midwestern silos and feed mills. I would love to try and work up a collaborative photo essay on such a theme. I also stand ready to join in if anyone has an alternate idea they would like to pursue. (Except beaches, Christine. Not my thing.) Lets try out this notion of collaborative photo projects and see where we can get with it! stan On May 18, 2011, at 4:07 PM, Christine Aguila wrote: > Hi Everyone: > > I just finished F. Jack Hurley's book, Portrait of a Decade: Roy Stryker and > the Development of Documentary Photography in the Thirties. Many of you have > probably read this, but if not, you should be able to find it in your local > library or secure a used copy via bookfinder or amazon. > > At 175 pages, the book provides a nice broad look at Roy Stryker's life, his > years studying and teaching economics, his working relationship with Rexford > Tugwell, and, of course, his leadership at the Farm Security Administration > (FSA). All fascinating stuff! You won't be disappointed--I promise! > > The book has inspired an idea that might be of interest to PDML list members. > In 1936, Stryker began to broaden the FSA projects to include photographic > documentation or rural, small-town, and urban life (as opposed to poverty in > agricultural communities). According to Hurley, Stryker used questions to > give focused direction and purpose to the photographers' field work--to > illustrate: "What do people do at home in the evenings? Do the activities > in a small town differ from those in a large city? How do people dress for > church? Where do people meet? Do beer halls and pool halls take the place > of country clubs for the poor? [and even broader questions] What are the key > economic factors in the existence of a small town? The railroad? The > highway? How can these be represented visually? Has anyone ever taken a > really good series of pictures of a filling station, showing its relationship > to the restless, shifting American population? What do railroad stations > look like? How do they relate to small-town life?" (98) > > When I first read the above, I thought it might be interesting if PDML > photogs worked in self-selected groups and pursued similar questions but with > an international scope. For example, What do people from selected countries > do at home in the evenings? How do people from selected countries dress for > religious services? What are the key economic factors in selected small > towns around the world? What do back yard gardens look like in selected > countries? What are the popular tourist sites in selected countries? How > does the architecture differ in selected countries? What does the native > flora & fauna look like in selected countries? What do gas stations look > like in selected countries? (see Tim Hetherington's study on Arab gas > stations--fascinating stuff) What types of dance classes are offered in > selected countries? How do weddings differ in selected countries? What > kinds of pets do people have in selected countries? How has the landscape > changed in selected countries? and so-on and so-on. The possibilities are > endless! > > A project like this would give those who are interested a chance to > collaborate with other photographers from different countries, work on a > question together, post the final international photographic study in a > gallery, and share with the PDML list, of course. I see this as an > *anybody-who-wants-to" and *in-your-own-time* kind of project. I also see it > as a project that takes advantage of PDML's international character, which is > rich and interesting. I also envision a hint of text to accompany each > photograph in the gallery--think of the old Life magazine. > > Any interest? > Cheers, Christine -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
