What now?
Somewhat quietly, with no fanfare, and alongside approximately 160 other images I posted to Facebook on July 4, 2017, I posted the final image of my latest Project 365. That’s right… This project is “on the books”, as they say.
The final product can be seen in all its “glory” here.
The end felt a wee bit anticlimactic. Not that the last image wasn’t great – it was – but I just felt a surge of momentum toward the end, momentum that could have carried me well past the finish line, rather than barely stumbling up to the line and collapsing, as I thought would happen. As happened with my past Project 365 exercises.
I suspect that the more laid back nature of this one, along with my use of a backlog queue, helped with that feeling. This is not to say that this was not challenging. It was. Twice, my backlog dwindled to nothing. The first time it happened, I was able to rally and reload at an event. The second time, I was in the middle of some workplace pressures, so the project took a back seat for a month. And there were the constant nagging feelings of “gotta get faces, gotta get faces” that dragged me out of my comfort zone and into the role of event photographer when I wasn’t sure I was feeling that brave.
One question that kept coming up in the midst of the project was “What are you going to do with all of these?” And another question that started coming up toward the end was “What will you do next?”
I don’t really have a “next” lined up. Except to say that this project doesn’t feel finished yet, even though I have reached my arbitrary goal of 365 faces. I think that the Faces gallery will continue to grow, in the manner it has been growing already. I will continue to gather and collect and publish what I consider to be great photographs of people. I will continue to have only one shot of each person represented. I will continue to publish in black and white. I will continue to combine posed and candid shots. And so on.
So, yeah, if you're not in there yet, and you haven't specifically asked me not to take your picture, your time may be coming.
The difference is, having reached my goal, I expect that I may be more selective. Some of the shots I used weren’t as good as others, but to get me to my goal, I went ahead and opted to use them anyway. Going forward, if a shot doesn’t meet my standards, it won’t be published or included.
Some Things I Learned
Along the way, there were a few things that I learned as I interacted with people, taking their photos, asking for permissions, etc.
- I really like this kind of photography. I mean, I knew that when I started (indeed, that's why I chose to do this), but there was a heavy dose of fear involved then too. Not now. I actually get excited by the chance and opportunity to photograph an event or a group. I look forward to meeting and shooting someone new.
- When you take someone’s picture and interact with them, you build a connection. Over the course of the last two years, I built a LOT of connections. Through this project I met or interacted with dozens of people I might not have otherwise. Maybe even hundreds. I have added a bunch of friends on Facebook. I have been loving these new connections. I definitely want to have that aspect continue.
- It isn’t just about the faces. It was because of this project and those connections that I now go to the gym I do. A friend suggested that the gym might be a great place to photos. And it was. But it also showed me what that gym had to offer, and within a month I had joined. Eight months later, I am still going. So, in an indirect way, this project got me into shape. And introduced me to the community of that gym. Which turned into more opportunities to take pictures. Etc. And the wheel keeps turning.
- I don’t want to stereotype here, but many older people are nearly impossible to reach using the technology I am used to using these days. I have photos of several people in the generation above me that I can’t use simply because I have no easy way of asking for their permission. They’re not on Facebook. They don’t use email. Or text. Or any of that. I’d have to write an old fashioned letter, send them old fashioned prints, and ask them to get back to me. Who has time for that?
- My personal circle of connections could probably benefit from some diversity. Looking through my collection of faces, you see a lot of caucasians. There are some people of color and there is some diversity, but I think what you see is a good example of what the community of a middle class, middle aged white dude from the suburbs tends to look like. I'd like to expand that somewhat.
Acknowledgements
Along the way, I got a ton of support from folks. I'd like to just say a big thank you here to anyone who allowed me to use their photo, anyone who actually sat for a photo, and most importantly, anyone who helped me line up additional opportunities. A few specific people who I think went above and beyond the call in that regard:
- Brita Conroy
- Donald Rose
- Jahnna Henderson
- Chris DeMaria
I also want to thank the general Bryn Athyn amateur photography folks and family and friends for giving me feedback and encouragement along the way. When things got slow, you helped me keep things moving.
Thank you all.
- B