I have been a photographer for decades.  I have generally never been one for narrowly defined projects, although that is a process many use to produce a body of work.  Perhaps that was my loss.  I photographed what I wished, when I wanted. 

Years ago, I was invited to join a group project with four other photographers that lasted about four years!   LINK

I suppose one could say that the pipe organ book I published ( LINK ) would be classified a project; likely the closest I had come at that time to a big, personal project.  I thought of it more as an “assignment”, but I am perhaps just arguing semantics with myself. 

Lately, I have been striving to do more with small tabletop still life and macro setups, and I suppose that could be considered a project. 

However, sometimes things just happen, with little or no pre-thought or planning, that result in a body of work that could be called a project.  

Early last year, my wife was in the hospital for 4 nights over a weekend.  (She’s fine, just couldn’t go home before passing some physical therapy barriers.)  I was there all-day Friday, Saturday and Sunday with little to do.  On the weekend, I walked around the deserted multi-building complex where all the doctors’ offices were closed, and the outpatient surgical wards were mostly empty.  I began taking pictures with the phone.  I really got into it and made many images over two days.  It was a short “project”.  I called it: Hospital Noir.  LINK

As the weather got hot and muggy this Summer, I started visiting a local shopping mall early in the morning to get my “doctor’s orders” walking in.  The mall opens hours before the stores open.  Each morning, there are many geriatrics like me getting in their steps.  While walking, just like at the hospital, I started seeing photographs.  Potentially hundreds of them!  First, I worked with the phone, then a P&S camera, and soon a “real” camera.  Will it amount to anything?  Don’t know.  Yet, it may produce another body of photographs that could be considered a “project”.

 A work in progress.