Give Me Some Photography Ideas (13 Viewers)

[gray]

Hey guys, quick request for some quick responses

I'm taking a black and white photography elective at uni, and I've got an assignment due on Wednesday. I have to shoot two rolls of film, and the assignment outline says:

Banality Shines
"Develop a concept which explores the everyday, the banal, the ordinary. Create a series of 5 images @ 10 x 8 inches, which somehow bring attention to the trivial, the ordinary, the seemingly insignificant, the overlooked... the banal

Consider appropriate print quality and ISO, narrative structures, emotional ambience, conceptual rigor, humour, drama and understatement as the ways in which you can make banality 'shine'.

So basically "choose something boring and everyday, and make a series of shots".

Just asking you guys for some ideas for concepts. e.g. quick examples were..

time - taking photos of things to do with time e.g. timetables, people rushing, missing trains...whatever.

Cheers guys

 

Buy on AliExpress.com

[KB824]

++ [ originally posted by Graham ] ++
Hey guys, quick request for some quick responses

So basically "choose something boring and everyday, and make a series of shots".

I got it.



Nick's love life.



You could do a series of photos of him staring across the hall, pining for the Juventina in the same complex who won't give him the time of day.



Fix your sig, you whore

 

[Slagathor]

Here's some pictures I've once taken when photography was a sort of hobby of mine. Was never very good though but maybe it'll help you:

A busy railway station (The Hague HS in my case but that's not so much applicable in your case ). It was chaos that day as a traincrash near Rotterdam had caused delays, cancellations etc. I took a picture of an exceedingly busy station hall with people rushing, shouting at railway officials, making fuss and in the middle (of my picture) there were two children about age four playing with a ball, having the best time of their lives.

Another one was in downtown The Hague. I was walking around, suddenly I noticed a chair in the middle of a busy market place. Dunno what it was doing there, maybe someone left it behind, doesn't matter. It produced quite a decent pic - an empty chair in the middle of a rushing crowd, nobody taking the time to take a seat and just relax. All were rushing past it. I doubt anyone even saw it.

Then there were these two young women, early twennies I'd say. They didn't know eachother until some kid on a bicycle rushed past, right between them, shocking both of them in a very rude action. Both women started talking as a result and went away together to have a cup of coffee (alas, they went inside a lunch room). I thought it remarkable that in today's individualistic society we need someone else's rude actions to make us talk to each other.

Also, an elderly woman got robbed of her purse in a busy shopping street. A couple were standing about 15ft away when it happened. They just stood there, pointing and said "someone should help her". Though I couldn't capture with my camera my favourite bit in that act (namely the word "someone"), it still produced a good photo.

Just a couple of pictures off the top of my head that I remember taking. Hope that helped

 

[gray]

++ [ originally posted by Erik ] ++
A busy railway station (The Hague HS in my case but that's not so much applicable in your case ). It was chaos that day as a traincrash near Rotterdam had caused delays, cancellations etc. I took a picture of an exceedingly busy station hall with people rushing, shouting at railway officials, making fuss and in the middle (of my picture) there were two children about age four playing with a ball, having the best time of their lives.

Another one was in downtown The Hague. I was walking around, suddenly I noticed a chair in the middle of a busy market place. Dunno what it was doing there, maybe someone left it behind, doesn't matter. It produced quite a decent pic - an empty chair in the middle of a rushing crowd, nobody taking the time to take a seat and just relax. All were rushing past it. I doubt anyone even saw it.

Thanks Erik. These two sound great, the kind of pictures that look like they've been set up to make an artistic photo. Great stuff

What kind of camera do/did you use?

There's a Dutch guy in my photography class; as soon as I found out he was Dutch, I got excited, getting ready for a fine old football discussion. Turns out he isn't a footy fan. Disgraceful

 

[Slagathor]

You actually managed to find a Dutch person who isn't into football? Admirable

Camera: Minolta Dynax 404Si C-W 28-80mm.

Its actually my dads but ... well ... we are a very open-minded and sharing family. Alas, I'm of the opinion we are

Let me know how it went!

 

[KB824]

hey Graham, how about this for an idea. It may sound strange, but I just finished off 4 diet pepsi's so hear me out. Instead of trying to find a subject, why don't you be the subject? What I mean is, have someone use your camera, and have them take photos of you trying to take photos of people/ animals/ events, whatever.

The mundane/insignificant part of it could be you actually having to do this assignment.



If you think its stupid, at least spare me the embarrasment, and let me have my dignity.

 

[Dragon]

I like that idea Sergio

is it just things that go unnoticed or can it be people? if so, take pictures of the man who sweeps the streets.

One day take your camera with you and take pictures of random stuff in the most random time

 

[gray]

I actually like the idea Sergio

I'd like to just take photos at random times, but I prefer to stick loosely to a certain theme. It can be people too, but the shots have to be truly unique for it to fit in with the topic. If I take a photo of a businessman in the city... sure, it's banal, but it doesn't make the subject any more interesting.

This might be tougher than I thought

Thanks guys for the help

 

[KB824]

++ [ originally posted by Graham ] ++
I actually like the idea Sergio

I can be pretty freakin' brilliant when I'm overloaded on caffeine.

 

[Dragon]

Its tough if you think a lot about it Graham

Sometimes the simple things come without thinking

 

[Emma]

My friend has something like this to do a while back.

She took photos mostly of those old pre-world war advertising boards on the side of buildings, you know the type, worn out almost not visable anymore.

And also other 'overlooked' stuff like old road signs, street signs that were wrong, street names had changed etc.

I guess if you can find that kinda stuff in your area.

But i agree with fabiana, i think with photography its hard to plan, you gotta take a walk around and see what u see, but really its all about the write up, any average photo with a good explanation of why you liked it and whats so great about it will ace any photography assignment i believe, or atleast in my experience it has

 

[Layce Erayce]

wow all these ideas are magnificent. erik's railway station idea came to my mind when i saw the thread,

i would spend a day with my grandmother taking pictures of her doing her everyday thing. laundry, cleaning up, whatever.

its gotta have a motion picture feel, with a sequence of frames that tie together. like taking random frames out of a roll of movie reel.

 

[Hydde]

Maybe a trash can surrounded by two lovers jajaja


or a sewer... or a (how i say in english the thing which control the traffic... yeah the thing ith green,yellow and red lights?)

a fountain.. a statute placed in a very visited place.. a drink/food that everybody eats daily... a pencil..

i dont know...

 

[swag]

I snuck a series of photos of the floor of the Sistine Chapel once. It was great showing to people, because almost everyone had no idea what it was or where it was. In fact, most people probably never, ever see it.

Since you probably don't have a spare Sistine Chapel lying around for this assignment, how's this for banal and artistic? Start with the theme of people who photocopy their rear ends. Take photos of people photcopying their various body parts, or try to emulate the perspective of the copy machine by having people press their body parts up against a piece of plate glass and using a flash.

Hey -- I might actually try this out...

 

[gray]

Interesting swag, thanks

Maybe that should be my theme, people doing weird stuff as if nobody's watching

 

[Hydde]

:LOL:

swag that was crazy but cool

 

[K10]

How about some porno pics?

The only thing I ever really took pictures of was the sun at sunset. Believe it or not, I have actually, honestly see a "rast coloured" sun. That is, a sun with the colours of red, green, yellow and orange. It was in order and nearly divided equally. That was amazing.

What about taking pictures of pollution?

 

[Sarah_old]

A friend of mine is also into photography. She posted some of her works here .

I especially love the one of holes in a building peering out from the inside, and also the cat hiding in the drain

 

[Wings]

Brilliant ideas guys especially Erik. I would be tempted to use Sergio's ideas but am sure Nick will spoil the banality by 'over acting'
Nothing I could possibly add.

 

[gray]

K10, there's not enough pollution in Sydney that it sits on the skyline. Good idea though That sun sounds awesome too

I like your friend's pics Sarah