What made you choose this project?
The short answer to this is heartbreak. And on that note, as is often the case, the project choose me more than I it. It was a necessity, not a whim. But the impetus for the NYC Journal was left by the wayside rather quickly and is now incidental. What became interesting is not the inspiration, but the motivation, or what kept me and keeps me working on it. It was so far from anything I'd ever even considered doing; one day I began it, and now over two years later I still work on it on a pretty consistent basis. The reasons why are various, ranging from the physical to the metaphysical, but most of all I do it (and love it) b/c the act of physically shooting it, that process of it, is rife with knowledge. And I love learning.
How many photos were there before you edited it down to the featured images?
Those sets on my site are not by any means static. the NYC Journal changes monthly, or every two months or so, and is not finished. To get an idea of how I work on it, and of the "journal" aspect that is in it's title, go here: graememitchell.com/blog/category/nyc-journal. On my blog there is pretty consistent update to it in the spirit of a journal. Then when I have new favorites, I do better scans, and then post them on my main portfolio page. The portfolio page is edited to ones that I think are effective (logos); the blog is more a stream of conscious - though not in the true sense - and is more visceral (pathos).
What was your favorite aspect of this personal project?
Like I said in the answer to the first question, it's all the things I learn doing it. The people I meet. The things I see. And it can be intense shooting it too, standing toe to toe with uncomfortable situations... Yes, it can be uneventful on some days when I work on it, but at it's best there are moments at once terrifying and sublime. That's a drug. It elevates. It can make the rest of the day seem slight.
The pictures are probably better without my attempt at talking about them.
And on that end note check out the project at graememitchell.com.
