I think it is quite common for photographers to reach a point along their path in photography where they would like to pursue a personal project that has some sort of objective, where the images will eventually compose a larger body of work that intertwines, and perhaps even becomes something that can be exhibited as a series or group of interrelated images.

One of the biggest problems I think many are faced with when wanting to take this direction in photography though is the difficulty in coming up with a concept that they feel is original, or has at least not been overdone by many other great photographers already.

As we look around at all the amazing work that has been captured by other shooters, I think many of us lose motivation if we begin to feel that we are absent of a “new” idea on something unique to shoot.

Here is the reality though. I think people try too hard to be innovative with their photographic concepts when yet a very simple subject, and perhaps even a repetitive theme, can also be explored and studied with the camera in new and unique ways which then draws great interest to a subject that may otherwise just appear ordinary.

As a result, I began to realize that to set something apart from what has already been done by others in the past is that one doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel, you just need to roll your wheel in a different way.

Having lived in Bangkok for many years I had never really photographed street life around me before even though it would have been very easy to do because it’s just right in my own backyard. Part of the reason I never ventured it is that I see Bangkok street life everyday at all times while simply going about my daily life. So even though my environs might look exotic to people who don’t see it on a regular basis, it looks completely ordinary and uninspiring to me after already being surrounded by it for so long.

In addition, I had seen so many street photos of Bangkok over the years taken by other photographers thus, I wasn’t sure I could really bring anything new to the table.

But then I realized one advantage I have is that I know the ins and outs of the city in a far more personal way than many others who haven’t lived here as long as I have. And because of that, I started to embrace the notion that perhaps I could show life on the streets through my pictures in a way that others haven’t already done before.

The first thing I did when I started shooting was, instead of trying to avoid all the grunge and chaos of the city that many people feel is an eyesore, I decided to try and embrace the beauty of the chaotic element and even emphasize this aspect in my photos.

The most important thing I did however was set a discipline for all the photos in the series so that all the images would share some common elements. The controls I set out for my eventual Bangkok street photography project were that all of the shots needed to be taken with a 15mm fish eye lens, that every photograph needed to be shot handheld (so no long exposures on tripod) and that all images were to be shot with only available light (no flashes). I also attempted to place a person or people in every photo to give each shot an element of human life.

These disciplines helped to inspire me because they posed certain challenges I might not face if I were to just go out and start taking random street photos at any given time. And the fixed, super wide focal length forced me to look for large compositions and ruled out any closely cropped shots. These disciplines also gave me an objective and a focus which I was lacking before. In the end, I felt by shooting in this fashion that my Bangkok street photos might at least be a bit different than other Bangkok street photos I have seen in the past.

In the end, I shot this controlled project over about a 1 year period, adding to the collection of images whenever I had time, and I ended up having a lot of fun with it. Eventually, I edited the series down to only 30 images and titled the project Urban Lines, which I eventually held an exhibition with. You can see and read more about Urban Lines here if you like.

So I think the take away from my experience is this. Pick a subject that you like and/or something that you can easily shoot. If it’s a subject that’s too difficult to photograph then it could hinder your success in executing the project. So for that reason stick to a simple concept and a subject that is easily accessible. Also, don’t worry if you think its already been done before. Your eye is different, and so is your style and thus, your shots won’t be the same as other photographers’ work as long as you don’t try and copy something you have seen elsewhere. Then think of ways that you can embody the subject in an original way, with creativity, and with a different theme or twist. Put your heart into it. Stay focused on your subject and shoot it regularly with passion. Don’t set limitations on how many shots you will produce for the series or limit how long of a period of time you will shoot it for. You can always decide how many images you want to select for the final collection later and stop shooting the project whenever you want to. Just shoot until you feel you have fully explored and covered the subject you have in mind and have captured enough images that you are proud enough to show to the world. In the end you might even find a secondary theme evolves from the photos when you lay them all down together as a set.

If you take my approach I think you will find it is much easier to come up with an idea or concept of something to shoot and thus, shake off your creative road block. Remember that the creative process is often the sum of putting together a series of thoughts and ideas and methodically refining them into something that becomes artistic. Enjoy…