Seeking photo ideas for project

[june_hobson]

<p>I'm doing a english asignment where i have to take a series of pictures based on a statement. I cant seem to find a subject that suites the statement.. Please help me !<br>

Statement: To make the right choices in life you need to experience solitude to hear the truth and acquire the answers.</p>

 

[Matt Laur]

<p>My first concern is the sentence structure in that statement! (hey, you did say it was an <em><strong>E</strong></em>nglish assignment, right?) <br /><br />Regardless, the notion pretty well calls for images of either people in quiet (solo) contemplation, or perhaps of settings that are conducive to such ... park benches, zen gardens, a bicycle. Or objects/artifacts that evoke contemplative solitude: a walking stick, a book, a saddled horse, a pen and paper. Obviously this is serious cliché territory, but that's going to be hard to avoid in a photo essay on such a, well, clichéd concept. Think ... a single set of footprints. A single wine glass next to a chair. A hat. <br /><br />Or catch a crowd of people walking along, with one person walking the opposite direction. Look for any situation that suggests a deliberate disconnect from surrounding activity. Mostly, don't take it too seriously! These are images <em>about</em> the idea, not <em>of</em> the idea.</p>

[AlanKlein]

<p>A person praying by him or herslf on the beach or in the woods in in a church. If outdoor, take the shot near sunset or sunrise.</p>

<p> </p>

[James G. Dainis]

One person, hands folded (not clasped) , head down, eyes closed with lighting to give a dark and moody setting. But, I'm sure many people in your class will come up with this idea

[JamesFarabaugh]

<p>How about a person wearing headphones while working on a crossword puzzle?</p>

<p>That would be taking the words of the statement a little more literally.</p>

[jon_robert]

<p>Perhaps a series of: <br /> a perplexed youth, alone at a lake shore looking at, college brochures, military brochures, come work for us company brochures, maybe holding a photo of a love interest and wedding brochures. etc etc.<br>

Present each piece of the puzzle/brochure with a new pose that suggests uneasiness and turmoil (not an at ease peaceful pose) Laying on back reading the military recruiting brochure, head in hands staring down at wedding brochures, a my head hurts pose looking at college brochures.</p>

[jimmckinnon]

<p>June, I have to agree with Fred. Your instructor worded the assignment (in an extremely clumsy fashion) to make <strong><em>you </em></strong>think, not to make a bunch of strangers think. In the long run, getting ideas here will not help you to grow.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>To create a visual presentation to: enhance; comment upon; or represent: prose; poetry; or other written work, one must begin with the <em><strong>Primary Source.</strong></em><br>

By reaching the origin of the statement and the author, one will better understand it.<br>

From that point one writes the <em><strong>Artist's Concept Statement.</strong></em><br>

Then based upon the ACS, the Artist develops the set of images to address each point made in the statement and also makes their presentation to reflect the whole.<br>

It is important that <em>Each Image </em>is meaningful and relevant individually, usually each Image only addresses an individual point of the Source Document or Quote or Idea. <br>

Also the set of Images must endorse the statement. <br>

The Presentation of the images must be meaningful and relevant, also.</p>

<p>Where I work we refer to this as “A Body of Work” and it is common place to base such a Body of Work upon: famous quotes; Biblical extracts; a popular theme; a Poem or Play; or a concept which at first glance appears totally divorced from the Arts.<br>

I am presently working with a few Matriculation Students whose major Bodies of Works cover topics as diverse as: <em>“The Brain”</em> . . . to . . . <em>“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”</em></p>

<p>If this describes your assignment, then I suggest you begin at the beginning.<br>

And that is NOT <em>“find[ing] a subject that suites the statement.”</em> <br>

But rather, firstly understanding and then dissecting the statement selected and subsequently developing YOUR Artist's Concept Statement upon YOUR understanding and dissection of the selected topic, or work . . . in this case: A Quote (albeit an abridged version of a quote).</p>

<p>WW</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>“To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions” Deepak Chopra</p>

</blockquote>

<p> </p>

[William Michael]

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/13213433-md.jpg" alt="" width="679" height="485" /></p>

<p>The Swimmer walks to the change room, in silence and solitude.<br>

She hears the Truth.<br>

She knows what she has to do.<br>

She knows that her preparation is adequate – or not.<br>

(REF: <a href="../photo/9193572&size=md">http://www.photo.net/photo/9193572&size=md</a> )</p>

<p>***</p>

<p>Similarly, after the Meet this Runner sits by Herself: <a href="../photo/10738709&size=lg">http://www.photo.net/photo/10738709&size=lg</a></p>

<p>WW</p>

[jon_robert]

<p>IS IT ME/ OR ARE MOST FAILING TO SEE THE "i have to take a series of pictures"</p>

[William Michael]

<p>Yes - a point worth underscoring. <br>

<br>

. . . of those who offered ideas . . . I count that there are three who gave plural ideas and three who gave a single photo idea. <br>

So to answer your question: NO. <br>

"Most" are not failing to see that it is "a series of pictures" which is required. . . <br>

at the moment it is "three all" . . . (I think).<br>

<br>

WW</p>

[AlanKlein]

<p>No Jon it is not you. I failed to the the "series" of pictures in the assignment too. Maybe I should put the camera down and take a course in English comprehension!</p>

[JamesFarabaugh]

<p>ah, I missed the "series" requirement as well. That should make it a little easier, I would think.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>Score 5 - 1<br>

:)</p>

[Andrew Garrard]

<blockquote>To make the right choices in life you need to experience solitude to hear the truth and acquire the answers.</blockquote>

 

<p>Am I the only one finding it ironic that your response to this project was to ask the internet for help?<br />

<br />

You need to find a solution that's about what that statement means for you. I appreciate your difficulty, but the assigned project is about ideas - and, for an English class, it won't be about technical photographic ability. If it's not your own inspiration, any teacher who knows you may well call you out on it. Besides, the project is about you coming up with ideas; the solution to writer's block is to think about something else and await inspiration, not ask someone else to be creative for you. (I sympathise that this is difficult, and I'm sorry to sound unsupportive - I just think you're crossing the boundary between "getting assistance" and "cheating".) Find a time in <i>your</i> life when you solved a problem by making space for yourself to think. This project may be one of them.</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>"Am I the only one finding it ironic that your response to this project was to ask the internet for help?"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No you were not the only one.<br>

Speaking for myself: it would be incorrect for the OP to assume that her Body of Work should be about Swimmers or Athletes or that that was my suggestion to her. I have ongoing relationships with many Sportspeople and I understand their solitude: and their need for it, especially at the Elite Levels. Hence I gave those as a examples of <em>one </em>of my interpretations, of the quote.</p>

<p>I don’t think the OP is crossing the line to “cheating” – I’d guess rather that she merely interpreted the task as more a photographic (technical) task and not as an introspective and creative task. Moreover the internet is a medium which can harness a multiplicity of responses quite quickly – so that’s a good vehicle to use to get initial responses to what was perceived as a problem task. That is not “cheating” – but yes, ironic, I agree.</p>

<p>Technical and Practical examples can trigger introspectively and foster creativity and can be the catalyst to be called out on the task at hand.</p>

<p>It would be “cheating” if the aforementioned examples were just applied without due relevance.</p>

<p>WW </p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>For what it's worth, I've heard similar requests from high school and college kids I met, including in my own family. They weren't asking anyone to do their homework for them. They were struggling with adapting to independent creative thinking.</p>

<p>The main problem I saw was that most of them hadn't been taught or encouraged to think independently and creatively. They were raised in schools that emphasized attendance, rote learning and discipline, not to think for themselves. As an extreme example, a school district near Dallas several years ago caught some well-deserved media attention when they instituted a policy that forbade teachers from asking leading questions such as "What would you think about...?" or "What's your opinion about...?"</p>

<p>So when the opportunity came around for a creative project, they were stumped. Usually just chatting about it for awhile encouraged them enough to give them a jump start. Often it's just a matter of talking about how to relate vague notions and personal interests to thoughts to concepts to plans to execution of those plans. Any kid who can make the leap from "I'm hungry for something sweet" to slicing ready-made cookie dough and baking 'em in the oven, is capable of following that process from urge to finished product.</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>The main problem . . . was that most of them hadn't been taught or encouraged to think independently and creatively. They were raised in schools that emphasized attendance, rote learning and discipline, not to think for themselves. . .</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Ditto . . . I see this also.<br>

Seeing this once, is “too often”.</p>

<p>WW</p>

 

[Andrew Garrard]

<p>Lex, William, you may be right, and I may be being too harsh - I've seen blatant efforts to avoid doing homework, and I may see the worst in people.<br />

<br />

June: Please don't feel I was getting at you, and I hope I haven't discouraged you. I hope the replies that others have given you can inspire you to come up with a response that means something to you; I wish you the best of luck with it. If creativity was easy, I wouldn't spend all my time answering technical questions on this forum and reading with interest the responses to the more creative questions.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>The irony, here, is that June doesn't appear to have actually read any of this! Oh well. Kids these days.</p>

[William Michael]

<p> . . . :)</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>June is probably busy executing the initial suggestions to read the philosophy so eloquently introduced here...;-)</p>

[june_hobson]

<p>Thank you everyone for the help! The project is done thanks to your ideas !</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Well shut my mouth.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>. . . :)</p>