Project Proposal

My project is going to be a study influenced by the "voyeur" artists we have studied in class.  I found the work of Sophie Calle very interesting.  The fact that she was bold enough to follow a stranger and photograph them was intriguing yet a little disturbing.  The approach of my project will be similar in nature, but I'm much more timid.  I will take advantage of living at a busy intersection by photographing various strangers from my window using a tripod.  I will then have a story that goes with each photo, exploring my take on the person.  It will be a sort of short biography of each stranger but also include where they're heading at the moment the photo was shot.  In the event that I photograph someone I know (a rare chance) I will not use that photo.   I plan to get the widest variety of shots I can from my window.  An even mix of individuals alone and interacting is what I will seek out.

I considered going out on foot to do this project, but I think it will be a lot easier to do from my house.  I decided to take pictures because I am a photography major.  Photography is something for me to excited about and it's a plus that I have all of the equipment needed.

The guiding question that my project will answer is "How can you learn of concoct information about a person you have never met?"  This project will be an exercise in my imagination.  It will also help me develop timing-something that a good photographer has to develop.  Getting the stranger at the right moment will be crucial in order to make my project interesting.

The message of this project will be one of prejudice and wonder-What conclusions can we draw from a person's image and how can our imaginations build from there up?  This project is the same concept as the Identity Study done in class.  It is a combination of that project which is writing about a stranger and Sophie Calle's project which is photographing them.  

I hope that people see my project and understand the point.  I hope that if people have prejudices about others based on appearance, it can help them get over it because of the vast unimaginable possibilities of humans.  We all naturally like to make assumptions, because it's an important part of the thought process and understanding.  But they can be used in a positive way, which I will attempt.  

One problem with the project is that it may not keep someone's attention, knowing that the stories are all made up.  It should be viewed as a work of fiction.

The photo I have attached was part of my inspiration for this project.  It was shot from a high-rise structure in China.  When I considered the voyeur option, I immediately thought of this picture.  It displays my photographic ambition, and will be a good example of what is to come with my project.