About the 25 Cameras Project

The goal behind this project and the subsequent book is to show the dynamics of social interaction in a global community, how those communities form, how people relate to one another, and so on. It was born out of a conversation over a pint of Guiness about how, just 10 years ago, we were still looking things up in books and wondering how people in Japan and Germany were doing when we heard things about them on the news. These days, we communicate instantly via Instant Messaging, we drop notes via email, we see each other on webcams - we, as a globe, are connected. And we are becoming more connected every day.

And that's the problem. The more connected we become as a globe, the less connected we become as individuals. It's extremely easy to forget that there's more to a relationship with JohnnyUser2003@blahblah.com than just text on a screen and a few smiley faces. The folks we chat with, send emails, talk on the phone with, send penpal letters to - these people have real lives and real interests. I want to tell THAT story. The people behind the communities that have formed across the world, both locally and globally.

This project has the potential to be almost anything at all. It can range from an amazingly in-depth exploration into the dynamics and social aspects of communication - from pen-pals to internet chat to phone relationships to local communities and families - showing that there are real people with real lives behind every letter, every screen name, every phone number - to a glorified picture album with 27 exposures of some guy's foot, a few mountain ranges, and a guy in Boise, Idaho's dog. The end result has the potential to change with each person the cameras are handed off to. That's what's so exciting about the project - we have no idea what it's going to end up being about until it's finished. One thing is for sure - there will definitely be some interesting pictures.

Ultimately, however, the pictures that will be taken are just one aspect of this story. The cameras themselves are merely a torch, if you will - an object handed from one participant to the next, signifying that you are representing yourself and your community in this amazing exploration of culture. Ideally, the end result of sending 25 cameras circling the globe will be a book of 675 images, each one taken by a seperate individual portraying something that matters to them; something pertainent to their lives. What I would like to communicate in this book is the dynamics of community across the globe - how they form, how they interact and communicate. The socialization of people, whether they be in the same town, or in different cities / provinces or states or countries - is the main topic of the book. I really want to communicate that each individual you come across in a phone conversation, in a pen-pal relationship, in an internet chat room - these people have real lives and real feelings.

The captured image does a great job of portraying visually what it is the photographer wants readers to know about them, their lives, their thoughts and feelings. It is also important to get the story behind the image, whenever possible. Who it was that took the picture (username in a chat room, first and last name - or the photographer can choose to be anonymous), where they are from, how they received the camera and what is important about the picture they took - these things tell the rest of the story. I plan to include all of this information in captions beneath each image, tracking the travels of the camera via the stories behind each person involved.

The Rules of the 25 Cameras Project

There are only two rules for the photographers who receive a camera.

First, only one (1) picture per photographer, if possible. I know it's difficult to choose only one place / thing / person that best represents an individual, but the more exposures used by one person, the less there are for others. If more than one exposure is used by one person, it's not the end of the world. It's just that I can only use 1 per person, regardless of the quality of the others.

Second: They may take a picture of anything or anywhere or anyone they want it to be of. There is only one catch - the photo MUST contain the photographer in it.

Now, I realze that it is almost impossible for someone to take a picture of themselves from BEHIND a camera. Therefore, they may enlist the help of a friend OR merely include some of themselves: feet, hands, top of the head - anything that is attached (biologically) to them. Remember, this book may contain images of things and places, but at its roots, it is about the people behind those things.

And no, there are no "rules" on nudity. Nudity is fine and dandy, if the photographers are so inclined. HOWEVER - I can not include nude photos in the book unless they are VERY tasteful, and by that I mean no nipples, hangy bits or cracks of any sort. So if the photographers just absolutely feel like sending images of their naked selves through the mail, they may, by all means, go for it, as long as they understand that nude pictures will NOT be on the website or in the book.

Things to Think About When Participating

First and foremost: This project is about YOU. Your life, your interests, your community. When taking your picture, you can pick ANYTHING you want, and you can give as much or as little information about yourself and the subject of your photo as you would like. However, the more interesting something is to you personally, the more interesting your story will be and thus the more interesting the entire project will be as a whole.

To better tell a story about the dynamics of communication, the photographers should also think about who they are going to send the camera to next. How did you meet them? What type of relationship do you have? Is there a 'chain', a group of people who are all connected in some way, who may all be interested in participating and sharing through this group participation a greater insight to the dynamics of community? For instance:

Are you a member / moderator of a website or chat room? Do you think others on your site / in your environment would be interested in participating? You could post a message asking those interested to participate, and form a small chain showing the faces behind the screennames.

Do you have a pen pal or close friend overseas / across the country? Maybe a letter writing community, where you swap letters once a month. Would this group be interested in a project of this type? Seeing each individual life and hearing each story of this amazing group would be extremely interesting!

Do you play a sport / participate in a club or group with folks who would really dig this idea? You could send the camera home with a different member each night!

Family, friends, co-workers - anyone you communicate with who would be willing to participate is an excellent candidate. Hand it to them in person or mail it across the globe - it's your choice! Your 'path' for your camera is up to you. If you don't know anyone who would be interested in participating, or you are just plain at a loss for who to send it to, just contact me via email / call / IM. I have a TON of addresses I can send your way. Or, you can send the camera back to me and I'll send it off to a willing participant, either way. The last thing I want is for you to feel like you have to go on a huge manhunt to find someone who would want to participate!