Creative Assignment: Turn Old Photos Into Monographs

One of the interesting things about the assignments in my latest ebook is that they aren’t just briefs you put into action today. You can also apply them to photos you made in the past.

Let me explain how it works. When you’ve been making photos for as long as I have (I bought my first digital camera in 2005 and used film cameras for 15 years before that) it goes without saying that you have a lot of photos. If you want to do something with your photos, even if it’s just look at them, you need to organize them. 

On the surface level that means organizing them by subject, place, date or some other method. Once you have a certain amount of photos, you need an app like Lightroom Classic to keep track of them. Saving them in folders doesn’t cut it any more. You need a way to find photos fast, and to keep track of your keepers and developed photos.

For some photographers that’s all they need. But you can step it up a level by organizing your photos into themes and projects. This is where you go deeper and think about your photos on a conceptual level. It’s about making connections between photos made in different places and at different times. You’re looking for the through lines that connect your older work to what you’re doing now. You’re also looking for hints and ideas for future shoots and projects. 

One of the interesting things about this process is you find themes, connections and ideas that you weren’t aware of at the time. Twenty years ago I was working at sea, visiting ports across North and South America. I would take my camera ashore and make photos of things that interested me. No assignments, no briefs, no themes – no thought at all. I enjoyed it, but looking back now I realize I would have benefitted greatly from following themes and briefs. I would have made better photos if I’d thought more deeply about what I was trying to achieve.

Front yards

That’s where the briefs in my latest assignments book come in. As I was writing it I started thinking about gardens in people’s front yards. Front yards tell you a story. Back yards are built and designed for the people who live in a home. Front yards are different. They are for display, they’re what other people see. They can be beautifully maintained and designed. Front yards may also be the opposite – untidy, rubbish strewn, unkempt. They tell a story, whether intentional or not, about the house’s occupants and the wider neighborhood. They may also tell a greater story about the region or country they’re in.

And there I was, photographing people’s front yards twenty years ago, without thinking about any of this. But now, with the benefit of hindsight, I’ve been able to go through those older photos and draw together ones that fit the theme. I made them in different places, so there’s great variety in the stories they tell.

Let me show you some. I made the photos below in towns like Puerto Chacabuco, Puerto Aysen and Puerto Varas in southern Chile in late 2005 and early 2006. The houses are typical of those in the region at that time. These people may not be affluent by western standards. But when I look at these garden photos I see effort, time, consideration, work and design. There are stories to be told here about people using gardens to improve their lives and homes.

Then, in mid 2006 I was in Alaska, making photos like the ones below. These front yards were made by people with more resources. There are other themes at play here too. For some home owners, I’m sure front yards are an indicator of status and financial success. I’m also conscious that the vast Alaskan wilderness lays behind these towns. Gardening might be an act of defiance, a creative act that exerts control over one’s personal space in a harsh environment.

What next?

There are many reasons why giving yourself assignments helps you improve your photography skills. One of them is that it helps you see themes and connections in your older photos. You can then pull them together, and organize them into something tangible. For example, in this case I’ll search for more photos that fit the theme, and create a PDF monograph. They may end up in a photo book that I can give to my son when he’s older, so he can see what I was doing earlier in my life.

If you’ve been taking photos for any length of time you may have hundreds or thousands of images like these, saved on a hard drive but otherwise doing nothing. This exercise brings those photos back to life. It evokes memories as you think about what you were doing, and how your life was, when you made those photos. Looking back from the present day gives you a different perspective and greater understanding. You see the places you were in and the person you were differently. 

Creative assignment: revisit old photos and create a monograph

This is my challenge for you. Go back through older photos and look for something that you didn’t realize was there at the time. Use the assignments from one of my books, or the articles on my website (type assignments in the search box to bring up the relevant articles) for ideas. 

Bring those photos together. The final step is to select the most interesting images and create a PDF monograph. It doesn’t have to be a work of art. Just bring the photos together in some way. Download Affinity (it’s free) and give the Layout Studio a try. Create something you can send to other people. 

Further reading: 52 Flower, Garden & Nature Photography Assignments

Assignments are a great way to improve your photography. Not just in the present, by encouraging you to go out and explore new subjects and ideas, but by making you see your old photos with fresh eyes.

To get the full benefit go check out my new book 52 Flower, Garden & Nature Photography Assignments. It has enough ideas and inspiration to keep you busy for a long time to come. Take advantage of the early bird special and buy it today for just $10. Click here for the details.

Just curious? Click here to download a free 20 page sample.