Create a personal photo project: part 2
Marc Newton explains why every photographer should undertake a passion project
Last issue, we asked Marc Newton to offer an insight into how he comes up with ideas for his photo projects, then develops and executes them. This month, he concludes with advice on staying focused and seeing the project through, plus what to do with the body of work once it’s completed.
“The most interesting thing to me about working on these projects is that you’ve seen what others haven’t. If I go for a photo walk with a fellow photographer, I want to see what they’ve noticed that I haven’t. We live in a chocolate-box, prettypicture world: apps like Instagram and 500px are proof of that. But let’s face it, one pretty landscape is as nice as the next. All you need is knowledge of photography, planning and some equipment.
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking picturesque photos, and I personally love doing it myself. The internet will always put pretty pictures above the rest, but that doesn’t mean they’re better than your project.”
Don’t worry what others think
“If I post one of my landscape shots to Instagram, it gets all sorts of ‘wow’ emojis and clappy hands.
If I post one of my documentary pictures, it gets very few likes at all. Online, it’s a fast-food photography world – and unfortunately, most people just want a drive-through.
“If your work isn’t getting liked, that doesn’t mean it’s not good: it’s probably just going to the wrong audience. While you’re doing a project, remember: it’s your project, and the only person you need to please is you.”
When to end your project
“If you’re like me, projects will probably always continue in some shape or form. There’s a reason you started the project – and believe me, that reason will keep dragging you back in. But it’s good to give yourself some kind of target. In my case, it normally ends in an exhibition of work, or a book.”
“You shouldn’t set yourself an end point at the start: just see where it goes first. Chances are the end will present itself to you while you’re on the journey. If you’re passionate about what you do, and it’s a story you think must be told, someone will listen in the end.”
Sponsorship and publicity
“This is really hard with a personal project. Don’t expect to earn a fortune from it, or even a pound! The first barriers to overcome when you’re seeking support are, ‘Who are you?’, and ‘Why should I care about your vision?’
“To overcome this, be ruthless but nice. Don’t let any opportunity pass you by. Even if you think it’s unrelated or won’t get much attention, you’ll be surprised how one thing leads onto another.
“Contact local papers and smaller blog sites first, as they are most likely to publish your work. With this behind you, contact bigger magazines, websites and photographic brands to see if they will publish your work or sponsor an exhibition. One thing is for sure: no‑one will come running to you!”
Marc is looking for a partner to publish a book of The British Boot Sale. Any interested parties should contact him via www. theschoolofphotography.com
Way back in 1597, Sir Francis Bacon supposedly coined the phrase “Knowledge is power”, and it remains true to this day. Sir Francis probably didn’t have Instagram in mind back then, but the idea very much still applies.
Instagram gives you insights into key pieces of information, such as how popular your posts are, and who the people viewing them are. Let’s take a look at how you can use this knowledge to steer more people to your feed and keep them engaged.
Explore hashtags
After you’ve posted your photo, you can click on one of your hashtags to see other people’s similar posts and content.
Find useful hashtags
Use sites like All Hashtag (all-hashtag.com) to help you generate the best hashtags within your chosen topic.