2015 Photography Project - 12 Pre-visualized Photographs

The Oxford dictionary indicates the term Pre-visualization as a Noun and Pre-visualize as a Verb as follows:Pre-visualization: The visualization of how something will look when created or finished.Pre-visualize: To visualize (how) a thing will look when created or finished; to imagine or predict (the result of a process or act).Ansel Adams was a pioneer of this technique. He pre-visualized the final print and based on this he determined what would be needed to achieve that result. This would become his game plan for what he captured and how he processed it in the darkroom.Ansel Adams definition of visualization was:The camera makes an image-record of the object before it. It records the subject in terms of the optical properties of the lens, and the chemical and physical properties of the negative and print. The control of that record lies in the selection by the photographer and in his understanding of the photographic processes at his command. The photographer visualizes his conception of the subject as presented in the final print. He achieves the expression of his visualization through his technique—aesthetic, intellectual, and mechanical.Pre-visualization should become a mandatory requirement to consistently make great photographs.When you do not pre-visualize, you are photographing without a plan for the end result. Authors have a story board or an outline of the book they wish to write, architects create blueprints before buildings are constructed, fashion designers sketch their designs before cloth is cut, so should you pre-visualize before you shoot. I do also believe this does not apply to all types of photography, in particular, sports, certain events, photojournalism and street photography to mention a few.Many photographers have challenged themselves to do 365 or 52 projects where they capture one image a day for a year or one image a week for 52 weeks. So here is a twist based on two of my mantras “pre-visualization” and “deliberate photography™”.The project is based on your pre-visualizing 12 images and then striving to capture them as you pre-visualized them.The way you go about doing this is through a process of journalling before the fact.  It is more like creating a story board sketch.  Each sketch is created to record your pre-visualized image and may also contain lens perspective and focal lengths, mood, lighting and some post processing notes.The 12 pre-visualized sketches can be individual images that have no connection to each other, they could be a part of a story or they could be based on a theme you choose.Keep these twelve sketches with you in your camera bag. More importantly flip through these pages every once in a while.  When you come across a scene that is representative of what you have pre-visualized, be deliberate, take your time, wait for the moment and capture the image.Once you have post processed the image, compare it to your sketch - see how well you achieved what you had set out to capture.This is something different but a project that will teach you to be on the look out for the images you desire, think and plan your photographs and help you create photographic art.Leave me a comment if you would like me to set up a page to display your project.