ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the fundamentals of planning and researching one's ideas and encourage to treat the process of shooting as a research exercise. The best projects are those that develop an individual interpretation of the world, however, this is rarely achieved without sustained shooting, reflection and critical awareness. Blockbuster photographic projects, such as Edward Burtynsky’s ‘Oil’, are conceived and realized across different continents and involve a supporting cast of production and research assistants. Most of the still images used to represent news and features are captured by photojournalists, reportage and documentary photographers, who have positioned themselves as eyewitnesses to significant events. Conceptual photography is often described as a kind of practice subservient to the idea, sacrificing craft and subjectivity. Conceptual frameworks, though, have been used by many photographers whose work is anything but cool and detached. Since William Eggleston’s use of colour photography, there has been a growing interest in vernacular photography.
