Small Town America?

George Mann · Dec 23, 2020

I would like to discuss an idea that I have had for a while concerning a book, and online exhibit that I have been thinking about for the last few years.

My idea is to travel to various small towns in the heartland of America, to both photograph their local landmarks, and gather enough of their history as a short written presentation.

The biggest hurdle is the funds I would need to accomplish it.

I originally planned on using color film for it, but b&w may be more suitable (but likely a mixture of both). What do you think?

btaylor · Dec 23, 2020

Nice idea. What criteria would you use to decide which towns to document?
Perhaps you could fund it through some sort of grant from an arts organization or foundation of some kind.
Your mobile living situation seems ideal for this sort of project.

MattKing · Dec 23, 2020

Probably not your style, but consider looking at the past work of both Stephen Shore and Robert Frank's "The Americans". Not to duplicate, but to serve as jumping off points.

BrianShaw · Dec 23, 2020

Do it...

George Mann · Dec 23, 2020

MattKing said:
Probably not your style, but consider looking at the past work of both Stephen Shore and Robert Frank's "The Americans". Not to duplicate, but to serve as jumping off points.

More my style than not.

chriscrawfordphoto · Dec 23, 2020

I've been doing it for 25 years, mostly concentrating on northern Indiana, where I have lived most of my life. Funding wasn't hard because I am not traveling far; it costs me very little to drive my car to most parts of northern Indiana.

George Mann · Dec 23, 2020

btaylor said:
Nice idea. What criteria would you use to decide which towns to document?
Perhaps you could fund it through some sort of grant from an arts organization or foundation of some kind.
Your mobile living situation seems ideal for this sort of project.

I find two ways work for me to discover the subjects I wish to document.

One is discovery thru travel, and the other is to scour the web for info on potential locations, (history, occurences, ect.).

Grant's sound like a good idea until one realizes how many years one has to typically apply for one before it actually materializes (I should of started sooner, but I will dip my toe in it next year).

George Mann · Dec 23, 2020

chriscrawfordphoto said:
I've been doing it for 25 years, mostly concentrating on northern Indiana, where I have lived most of my life. Funding wasn't hard because I am not traveling far; it costs me very little to drive my car to most parts of northern Indiana.

Yes, I am familiar with some of your work from the Rangefinder forum.

images39 · Dec 23, 2020

David Plowden did this obsessively for decades. I greatly enjoy his books, particularly Vanishing Point: Fifty Years of Photography. He poured his life and soul into that; the results are impressive. All black and white.

Dale

jslabovitz · Dec 23, 2020

Great idea!

Honestly, the medium/format doesn’t much matter. Whatever’s gonna capture the feelings/emotions. Whatever you understand the best, and what’s closest to your intuition/vision. Or whatever’s in your pocket.

More important is the research and the stories. Look for the quirks. Every place has them: that one story that seems to escape every reporter who comes to town. The thing that no-one can quite agree on. The part left unsaid. The part of the story that doesn’t include The Story.

Head to the tourist office, and introduce yourself as a photographer/journalist who’s come to town to explore. Figure out who’s the local governmental rep (mayor, state rep, etc.), call em up, and buy them a coffee for their thoughts. Walk every street in the town. Attend a city council meeting. Walk the wrong side of the tracks — twice. Dive into to the most divey dive-bar and order the local brew and see what the regulars have to say.

All these things have worked for me, when I’m trying to understand the story of a place.

bdial · Dec 23, 2020

The big national grants would have lots of time+effort overhead, but there may be smaller in-state grants available to you if you research. Or else, just go for it, as Chris says, you may not have to go very far.

Ariston · Dec 23, 2020

Do it. Small towns are within two or three hours of pretty much everyone, and they are worth the drive.

Having lived in many, I would suggest visiting the same town many times. It takes time to get to know these places.

guangong · Dec 24, 2020

As far as grants go, a primary necessity is a well defined narrative, especially one that is not only politically correct, but in today’s environment, one that is woke as well. Just applying for a grant to photograph what you find interesting won’t cut it. Better to carry out you project self funded. Depending on your results, you could perhaps secure funding later to continue.
While primary a BW shooter myself, I would carry two cameras or backs, one for BW, one for color. Near my house is a large barn with a beautifully preserved Mail Pouch sign covering almost whole side that begs fir color.
You have cameras and car...go for it! If you do, you’ll regret it later!

George Mann · Dec 24, 2020

guangong said:
While primary a BW shooter myself, I would carry two cameras or backs, one for BW, one for color.

I would probably use 3 cameras. One for color, one for b&w, and a digital that I would use as a Polaroid for both.

Sirius Glass · Dec 24, 2020

I have found that when I go to a small town or a rarely visited area, I as the locals where the special places are that they recommend. I tell them I am not interested on the ones the people on freeways can see. The places that they pointed me to or even told me exactly where to stand have almost always be really worth the work to go there. Hint: This works worldwide.

runswithsizzers · Dec 24, 2020

For years, I have been photographing small towns, mostly day trips in SW Missouri, but also during longer visits to America's Western states. I have not made any serious attempt to methodically "document" any particular aspect of small towns, but the photos that catch my eye probably do serve that purpose to some degree. You can see what catches my eye on my SmugMug site <here> Eventually, many of my small town shots will be put in a self-published book via Blurb.

I always carry at least one film camera loaded with b&w and at least one other camera with either color film or digital (often all three). But for my book of small town shots, I will probably choose the color shots, almost exclusively.

In my mind (and probably only in my mind), a book showcasing small town America is a type of "travel" book - and for me, color just works better for travel photography. A successful travel photo allows me to enter the scene to some degree. That is, can I imagine what it would feel like to be there. Color gives me more of what I need to make some kind of emotional connection to the time and place of the photo.

As opposed to black and white photography which seems more abstract - something to look at with graphically interesting shapes and shadows, but with less connection to the scene. Without the subtle clues color provides about time of day, and the season, and the weather, I almost never get the feeling for a black & white scene that allows me to imagine being there.

Obviously, this view is my personal perspective about my small town book, and you may have quite different objectives for your project.

Sirius Glass · Dec 24, 2020

runswithsizzers said:
For years, I have been photographing small towns, mostly day trips in SW Missouri, but also during longer visits to America's Western states. I have not made any serious attempt to methodically "document" any particular aspect of small towns, but the photos that catch my eye probably do serve that purpose to some degree. You can see what catches my eye on my SmugMug site <here> Eventually, many of my small town shots will be put in a self-published book via Blurb.

I always carry at least one film camera loaded with b&w and at least one other camera with either color film or digital (often all three). But for my book of small town shots, I will probably choose the color shots, almost exclusively.

In my mind (and probably only in my mind), a book showcasing small town America is a type of "travel" book - and for me, color just works better for travel photography. A successful travel photo allows me to enter the scene to some degree. That is, can I imagine what it would feel like to be there. Color gives me more of what I need to make some kind of emotional connection to the time and place of the photo.

As opposed to black and white photography which seems more abstract - something to look at with graphically interesting shapes and shadows, but with less connection to the scene. Without the subtle clues color provides about time of day, and the season, and the weather, I almost never get the feeling for a black & white scene that allows me to imagine being there.

Obviously, this view is my personal perspective about my small town book, and you may have quite different objectives for your project.

Very well done. You has captured things that I have seen and yet not taken the time to photograph.

CMoore · May 9, 2021

A great idea. I hope you are able to do it.

Depending on the definition of "A Small Town" i grew up in one.
25k people.
There are still the Same/Similar number there today, but it is no longer my small town.
After having been away for 35 years, i went back a few years ago.
Just like Tom Wolfe said.........i was NOT able to go home again.
So much of what was Cool/Charming about the place had given way to the ugliness of modern times and homogenization.

pentaxuser · May 10, 2021

CMoore said:
So much of what was Cool/Charming about the place had given way to the ugliness of modern times and homogenization.

Didn't Bill Bryson find the same but at least he was able to profit from it by writing a book on it?

pentaxuser

CMoore · May 10, 2021

pentaxuser said:
Didn't Bill Bryson find the same but at least he was able to profit from it by writing a book on it?

pentaxuser

I don't know, i have no idea who he is.
Perhaps one of our more literary members...................

pentaxuser · May 10, 2021

CMoore said:
I don't know, i have no idea who he is.
Perhaps one of our more literary members...................

Well basically he almost became an honorary "tyke" as he lived in Yorkshire for about 10 years. Why he ever went back to an America that had changed and which he barely recognised is quite beyond me

pentaxuser

MatthewDunn · May 10, 2021

I suspect that any organization that is going to provide funding will want to see evidence of an existing body of work (at least vaguely) headed in the direction you are proposing. One thought might be to use the small towns around you to develop a narrative and a starting body of work sufficient to flesh out at least the beginning of the story and use that as a springboard for further funding.

MatthewDunn · May 10, 2021

CMoore said:
Depending on the definition of "A Small Town" i grew up in one.
25k people..

Super interesting to me. Because I live in a town of ~13k, I would have said 10-15 is the cutoff. Just interesting to see what different people think of as "small". Cheers!

Charlie Tudor · May 10, 2021

MatthewDunn said:
Super interesting to me. Because I live in a town of ~13k, I would have said 10-15 is the cutoff. Just interesting to see what different people think of as "small". Cheers!

Charlie Tudor · May 10, 2021

have a photobook called "Reaching Climax" by Gary Gladstone. He picked out small towns, odd names, photographed them interviewed residents, researched town's name. Ever hear of Limp, SC or Goobertown, Ark?

Small Town America?

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