This is the part that drives me crazy. (which is dangerous to say when you live in Southern California). I come up with a great idea for a series, which in this case is a working title of Wo Zhi Kankan (I’m Just Looking) a great phrase I found in my Mandarin/English translation book.
Wow, this phrase is so cool, as in I (just me) am only, or just Looking, perhaps not seeing everything that is implicant with my immediate surroundings due to being unfamiliar with the Chinese customs and context of what is occurring. Thus, what you see in the photograph is just what I saw, aka street photography. Now I found out that this phrase means that I may also be trying to objective, while I sure don’t know enough about China to be an expect, but more of a subjective observer; just to photograph what is.
I realize that this is also a way to bring together a large collection of photographs that I have made over the six weeks that I have been in China as a way to provide context to a wide assortment of photographs, completed in a similar but broad style of street photography.
I also kept working on my other new self-assignment, to bring other people into the photographs rather than an urban landscape without any individuals present. To add in another dimensional context of including those who live in this urban landscapes. In China, it is easy to include people in your photographs, as they seem to be everywhere. It was a lot of work to exclude them. I found myself also coming in closer and closer to the people, perhaps not to the point of being a portrait in the more traditional sense. Still, a big step for me!
Yep, that would be what we would call in business as a stretch goal.
Okay, so now looking at my resulting photographs of people, what do I see? A lot of photographs of other people looking at something else. Such as the photograph with this post, a woman who is on the side of the road waiting for her ride, looking for her ride. You can wonder what she is thinking; just where is my ride? Its the end of my day, the snow is starting to melt, but it is still cold, and I am cold. Where are you?
And so I wonder, is my series I’m Just Looking about me looking or the process of me catching the interaction of some else looking? Or could it include both??
This just drives me nuts.
Best regards,
Doug
Singular Images 
I have been going nuts for a while, but where do I sign up for a ticket to go nuts the way you are doing it? Great stuff.
Anita, thanks, I’ve enjoyed your continuing support. And the fact that we are both fruitcakes (just kidding!).
There’s no reason why a series/project can’t be a collection of collections: a presentation in several parts.
Yes, I now totally agree, I think that I have finally realized that the greatest limitation to the interputation of a given series is the photographer who is making the decisions as to what is included. Thanks!