Planting a Seed
In the past couple of weeks I’ve begun shooting homes on Swiss Avenue, experimenting with this technique and that, exploring different ways of showing them off at their best. As I’ve accumulated a number of images, I’ve shared them with friends -- other photographers, mostly -- for feedback on what works and what doesn’t.
The process has forced me to be a bit more conscious about why I’m doing this and the reasons behind all the choices I’ve made so far. Normally, I’m not quite so analytical.
The idea for the project began as a monograph. A monograph, as the name implies — mono-one, graph-write — is a work on a single topic, created by one person. A photographic monograph, essentially, is an expression of the photographer’s creativity and technical acumen. I had originally seen the project as only a monograph but as so many ideas do, it grew like topsy.
The monograph became a monograph and a photo book documenting Swiss Avenue as it is right now. Then, it occurred to me that the Swiss Avenue Neighborhood Association might be very helpful in facilitating other than street-level photographs. And the association might benefit from a split of the profits from sales. So far, a win-win.
When and where does the association sell the books? The obvious choice is the annual Swiss Avenue Tour of Homes on Mother’s Day. Of course, that leaves not a great deal of time to shoot, edit, print, produce books, and have them delivered by Mother’s Day, May 10th.
A website is an obvious addition to the mix and you’re seeing the beginnings of a site for the project. This is a great vehicle for non-print media and should help us tell the story of Swiss Avenue in new and fun ways and keep in touch with everyone who wants to stay informed.
Then, of course, there’s publicity. But, perhaps, I’ll hold those cards close to my vest. I’ve got plenty of ideas for that, as well.
If you live or work on Swiss Avenue or just love this neighborhood from afar, we’d love to have you participate in the project. If you have skills we can use to make this documentary project even better, please contact us to let us know. We’ll be in touch.