Almost a year ago, I came up with a big idea for a new photo project. The subject matter was much more personal and far less pragmatic than my previous photo work, which I'd generally describe as a little quiet and intellectual. It also tried to take on portraiture, which had never really been an interest or a skill of mine before.
Tackling a personally tough project at the same time as a new style can be a little daunting, and sure enough my lack of that special Avedon-esque touch in my portraits gave me just the excuse I needed to shelve the whole thing.
A week or two ago I got into a conversation that dredged it up again, and today new ideas finally broke free and got me scribbling out notes at the office so I didn't lose my train of thought. When I got home I wrote for two pages in my notebook about audience, medium, process, and narrative. The project has gotten big again, but this time I'm feeling really engaged in figuring out how I want to make it happen.
Sometimes an idea seems really good, but it's just not ready. Did I mention I first came up with the idea for the novel I'm writing now 13 years ago? Sometimes we realize those ideas weren't so great after all, but sometimes they speak to us in a new and different way when we pull them off the shelf and wipe away the dust. Hopefully that's what happening now, and I guess time will tell.
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