In the spirit of photography being a medium that informs us about the wider world and the human condition, this rubric will help guide you to a topic with weight and significance. That significance and/or weight can be serious in tone, or light-hearted in nature, or anywhere in-between the two.
This rubric is intended as a means of helping you choose a topic that will expand and enrich your intellectual thought, (perhaps) inform your emotional self, and (certainly) open and clarify your artistic photographic eye.
Choose a topic for your photo essay accordingly.
RUBRIC of RELEVANCE & WEIGHT
The topic/theme/event is exceptionally outward looking and concerned with the wider world. That is to say, it is not a topic wherein you will investigate something with which you are directly involved.
The topic is well outside your current life experience.
In significant ways, the topic/theme/event is separate from you and your own interests, and will require your time/effort/research to step outside of your life (friends, family, personal endeavors, etc.) and investigate something anew.
The weight and significance of the topic will have meaning and relevance to others as an investigation of the human condition.
3 - REGIONAL
The topic/theme/event is outward looking and concerned with the wider world.
That is to say that it is not a topic you will record something that you are directly involved with.
The topic is mostly outside your current life experience.
It is a topic/theme/event that is separate from you and your own interests, and will require your time/effort/concern to step outside of your life (friends, family, etc.) and investigate something anew.
The weight and significance of the topic will be interesting to others as a glimpse into the human condition.
2 - LOCAL
The topic is somewhat outward looking, but it is still centered around your own life.
It might show some concern with the wider world, but is still driven by your own existence.
The need to step outside your own life might be apparent, but is not crucial to telling the story. That is to say it is a topic that concerns you and your own existence and experience,
The topic is within your current life experience, and does not require you to step outside your life.
1 - SELF
The topic is inward looking.
That is to say it is a topic that concerns you and your own existence and experience.
The topic is within your current life experience, and does not require you to step outside your life in any way.
The topic is one that has little relevance to others outside you and your friend/family.
Now...
Look at your list of ideas.
Measure them against this scale of relevance and weight.
Then, let's chat about your ideas and flesh-out the ideas and questions you might have.
This is going to be exciting, and incredibly rewarding for you. I am sure of it.
