| This was from one of my most recent collaborative projects, a double exposure series with a friend. Photo: Myra Holt and Abby Ferguson |
If you’re anything like me, photography most often feels like a solo endeavor. I typically go out to take photographs on my own. I edit alone. And, at least these days, I create images without any feedback or different perspectives.
Admittedly, all of that isolation is somewhat done on purpose. Photography for me is frequently quite personal. It can be a time for me to reflect, decompress or even work through things. Plus, as an introvert, doing things alone comes naturally.
Photography will always have a solitary side, since for many of us, that’s part of the appeal. But I’ve been realizing that some of the most meaningful growth in my own work has come when I’ve let other people into the process. Thankfully, collaboration can take many forms and works well even for an introvert like me.
The number of ways to collaborate is essentially endless, so I won’t be providing an exhaustive list of the possibilities here. But I will share some of the things that I have experience with and that have been meaningful for my practice.
Collaborative projects
When most people think about collaboration in photography, they likely think about projects worked on with someone else. I’ve previously written about using photo projects to find renewed creative motivation, but those were largely personal projects, not collaborative ones. Projects done in collaboration with others can also be very helpful for finding your creative voice again, and lead to some really cool work.
Double exposures
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| Two images from different rolls of our double exposure project. Photos: Myra Holt and Abby Ferguson |
One ongoing collaboration I’ve been tackling lately is a double exposure project with a friend from graduate school. We live in different states, but we wanted a way to work on something together, so we schemed this up. We each shoot a roll of film, mail it to the other person, and shoot the roll of film again to create double exposures.
Thus far, the project has largely been about troubleshooting to get better results, so we’ve purposely kept the subject matter completely open. It’s something we hope to narrow down and do something more specific with at some point, but for now, it’s mostly just playing around. It’s been a fun way to stay connected to a friend and a good excuse to get out with my camera (which I need to do, since I’m overdue in shooting a roll that she sent me).
Of course, this collaborative project requires access to film, film cameras and the means to develop and scan negatives. But the unpredictable results make it a fun way to work with someone, and it’s an opportunity to have some fun with photography.
Photo challenges
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| One of the prompts during the photo challenge project was “fear.” While I don’t think this image does a perfect job of conveying that, it did get me to dust off some skills I hadn’t used in a really long time, but that I really enjoy. Photo: Abby Ferguson |
Another project I worked on for a while was a challenge project with a friend. Each week, we would alternate who picked the topic, and then we had to make an image with that in mind. The topics varied from broad, like black and white, to somewhat more specific, such as fear. We would typically each take more than one, sharing our top three picks at the end of the week before a new topic was selected.
When I started the project, I had been in a bit of a rut with my photography. The weekly challenge was a good way to flex my creative skills again. It pushed me to think outside the box for the first time in a while, which was refreshing and motivating. In this case, collaboration was a method for accountability, helping me to pick up my camera for something other than work on a more regular basis. I like the images I made, but it was more about the process and collaborative act than anything else.
There are plenty of variations on this type of idea, too. My local photo group is currently gearing up for a bingo challenge for our next photo walk, with a board created collaboratively as well. There are also group color hunting challenges (which the DPReview team tackled in Tokyo this year), and more. I’ve also seen collaborative editing ideas, from as simple as editing each other’s photos to creating composite photos with elements from different people.
Shows as collaboration
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Last fall, a friend put together a collaborative show to raise money for a wildlife area near us. |
While not an area everyone will have interest in, group shows can be an excellent form of collaboration. I’m currently scheming up a show with two of my colleagues at the school I teach at, and last fall I participated in a group show with friends dedicated to wildlife and nature in our state.
A show could be based around a theme or simply an opportunity to show your work together, whatever it may be of or about. It could be in a formal gallery space, or maybe just the local coffee shop. No matter what, the process of planning and coordinating the show is a fantastic way to connect with others.
Seeing your images next to those created by someone else can give you a fresh perspective on your work and give you ideas for where to take it next. Plus, it’s always nice to see your photographs up on the wall in some form.
Feedback as collaboration
Collaboration doesn’t have to mean making something together, either. While feedback may not be the first thing people think of when it comes to collaboration, it can be a very useful form of it. Inviting someone else into the process, even after the photographs are made, can change how you understand the work and where you take it next.
Formal critiques
I have a somewhat unique experience in that I went to school specifically for photography, spanning both undergraduate and graduate degrees. As a result, I had 7.5 years of getting regular feedback on my work via critiques. In undergrad, every single project was critiqued, which meant one every couple of weeks.
“Those critiques could be difficult, but they forced me to consider how other people were reading my images.”
Graduate school was less structured, since there wasn’t a definitive end to projects, but there were still regular and formal group critiques. Those critiques could be difficult, but they also forced me to consider how other people were reading my images, not just what I intended when I made them.
School isn’t the only place formal critiques can happen, either, so you’re not out of luck if you don’t go to school for photography. Some photography groups will host critiques, either in person or virtually, so it’s worth checking locally. Photo conferences and expos will also often hold portfolio reviews or critiques, giving you the chance to receive feedback from experienced reviewers or significant names in the industry.
Informal feedback
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| My studio space in graduate school allowed for lots of impromptu discussions about my work. Photo: Abby Ferguson |
While the structured critiques in graduate school were worthwhile, even better were the impromptu critiques that happened when a classmate would pop into my studio to say hi and we would end up discussing my work. They inevitably involved a mix of straightforward feedback and brainstorming on what could work better for a given piece or series.
Those casual conversations were often just as valuable as structured critiques, if not more so. They were more conversational and often served as a time for problem-solving rather than simply being told something isn’t working, as can happen in a critique. They also happened in the middle of making the work, so they could help me think through problems before a project felt finished or fixed. That often meant I was more open to feedback, too.
Informal feedback is often easier to recreate outside of school than a structured critique. It can be as simple as sending a photograph to someone you trust to ask what they think or how they would suggest improving it. Or maybe inviting a friend over to flip through some of your recent images on a laptop to see if they have any suggestions. It can also be as simple as a conversation about something you’re stuck on, either technically or visually. Or, you can even head to our forums to get input from our incredible community.
Learning to be open to feedback
Since leaving school, I haven’t sought out feedback nearly as much as I should, but I know how useful it can be. Formal and informal critiques have led to significant breakthroughs in my work, leading me to produce projects I’m still proud of to this day.
“If you find yourself in a position to have your work critiqued, be open to it.”
If you find yourself in a position to have your work critiqued, be open to it. It can be scary, especially since not everyone knows how to deliver feedback well, but getting a glimpse into how others perceive your work can be a valuable opportunity to grow.
At the same time, staying open doesn’t mean taking every comment as truth or instruction. Feedback is information, not a command. It also helps to remember that, no matter how personal the work is, the feedback is a comment on the photographs, not you as a person.
Start small
Collaboration doesn’t have to feel like a chore or an overly structured project. It can be as casual or simple as trading prompts with a friend, asking someone you trust to look at a series or single image, or putting your work in conversation with another photographer’s. For those of us used to working alone, even small forms of collaboration can be enough to shake something loose and open up renewed creativity and motivation.
If you have collaborated with others in meaningful ways, share those in the comments! It might give someone else an idea to try out as well.