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Spring cleaning came early to Yarrow this year...
Over the years, before digital photography all of our pictures had to be sorted and put into albums. Its a big job, which really gets out of control in a hurry if you don't stay on top of it. In my studio its a monumental task for I take a LOT of pictures! Taking LOTS of pictures is critical if you want to get the few OUTSTANDING ones needed for first rate promotion and sometimes publication.
Picture taking in my studio starts with research. This means going to our worksites and documenting what's there already. Long shots, detail shots, all kinds of pictures from every angle possible. These pictures are about gathering all the information I need to document our worksites so there will be no surprises later. Its critical when my worksite is hundreds r even thousands miles away from my shop.
Then there's the research for the subject at hand. To design well you have to know your subject inside and out. And to remember the details for later reference you need photographs.
Then we document our design work. Now its all digtal, but back before computers it was all done on film for presentation. Each drawing and model was documented, sometimes in various stages of development.
Then there's the construction stage which I also documented all the way through. THese photos can save you a lot of grief later should things go sideways down the road. The construction shots also are a means of recording some great times with the awesome people I've had the pleasure to work with along the way.
ANd finally there's the shots of the finished project. More pictures is better than not enough. ANd often it meant shooting at various times of day so everything was shown in the best possible light. LOTS of pictures and double printing was more economical than not enough.
All this combined with our many project meant we gathered thousands and thousands of pictures through the years... MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS of pictures.
I had been faithful in putting them in albums about 2/3 of the way through, but about 15 years ago it got out of control and they ended up filling five large plastic bins before I switched to digital photography.
Each time we moved in that time we dutifully packed the bins, making note of the inevidable task ahead... sorting and putting them away. This week was finally the week we could put it off no longer.
Bec first went through them quickly, sorting them into projects, a relatively easy task as many were still in their envelopes we got them in.
As she did the rough sort I went through the old albums taking out pictures we no longer would ever need. Research photos of projects long finished were the first to go. Then I went through the various design and build albums trying to narrow down the photos which were not that good. Duplicates were also weeded out as much as possible. I emptied almost 40 albums which we'll reuse as we sort through the non-catalogued pictures.
Then it was time to go through the loose pictures. Bec brought stack after stack to my desk and I went through them with a critical eye.
It was fun! Work stopped often as I called out to Bec to show her a picture, mostly of people we employed and shared so many laughs with. Many memories were kindled in the process.
I was reminded of so many good folks and so many exciting and challenging projects. It was a great way to begin the year!
Through the sorting work I unearthed plenty of great photos of work we've done through the years. Bec and I had fun remembering the many good folks who worked for us in that same period.
We still have plenty of phtographs on file... in binders lined up on the shelves, probably more than 20,000. But now they are all in order and accessible at long last. The other half are going into the dumpster.
Best of all a big job we've been putting off for more than a decade is now almost done!
A bit more organized in Yarrow...
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8741 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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