Evolution Of A Small Project

Part 3: The struggle of editorial work

The select I made to serve as the central focus for the project.

Almost two months ago I introduced what might seem to be the odd notion of selecting a paper early in a project. I continued to actively make new photographs for another month while contemplating paper selections appropriate for the feel that was still evolving. Last month I stressed how important developing an editorial voice was long before a final edit.

I made a ton of small 4x6-inch prints of everything I considered a candidate. I made far more of those small prints than my target of 20 final images. I had a collection of 37 of those tiny proofs in total. I’ve gone through that pile of proofs at least a dozen times since then. I’ve sorted them and laid them next to each other in more ways than I remember. As of today, I now have two piles. I have 19 selects and 18 rejects.

“Am I done making new pictures”? This is the truly the hard part of a project for me. It’s super fun to go out and make more pictures. It’s fun to spew out more of those small proofs. It’s even more fun to print those ”selects” larger on the group of thin Awagami papers that I’ve targeted. Will any of those things push this project forward? Where do I go now that will best serve this project?