Ralph Putzker: Turn-On Ideas

TURN ON IDEAS FOR WHEN YOU GET STUCK, TURN SOUR, GET DRY OF IDEAS, GET BORED, ETC.

Decide that you are going to look intensively for...

Reflected self portraits

Translucent objects

The same translucent object in different kinds of light

Colors and patterns in your closet

Holes

Things with holes

The inside of the refrigerator

Repeated patterns

Sliced vegetables and fruits

Parts of statues close-up

Shiny things

Close-ups of dinner cooking

The kitchen sink

The route to and from school, work, etc.

Shoot and entire roll of film looking down

Shoot an entire roll of film looking up

Photograph parts of your own body

Strange/funny/interesting shadows

Parts of a sewing machine, or any machine

Moving color

Moving camera

"Hot" colors

Shoot a roll of things that are open, however you translate the word

Photograph the inside of someone else's house while they do yours

Facial contortions and actions

Service stations

Objects in improbable environments (furniture in vacant lots)

The inside of fire stations

Telephone poles and transformers and wires across streets

Things that come in threes

"Kitsch" objects

Preposterous front yards and gardens

Loaves of bread, and pieces of bread

Series of numbers, or series of letters

Single classes of object (e.g. things that are rectangular and red)

"Stake-out" of a street corner, a stop sign, a park bench, a cafe table

Graffiti

White-on-white, black-on-black, etc.

Thirty-six photographs made in your bathroom

Draw a color out of a hat, and spend the day finding things that are that color

Photograph the same egg/flower/leaf/your hand, etc. repeatedly in different worlds

Transparent things

"Stick-ups" -- business signs that are elevated on poles

Surreal store windows

Double exposures, Zen style

Arrows painted on things

Wet places on things

People looking at your camera

A day in the life of ..........

One class of things in a Flea Market

Affiche Lacere

Footprints

People sleeping

Schools of VWs

Playing cards in the gutter, discarded, etc.

Teaching Resources by Ralph Putzker
Putzker Home Page


Website and Scans by Stephen Johnson. Please contact Stephen Johnson at sjphoto@aol.com for contributions of material.
Artwork Copyright ©2001 by Ralph Putzker. All Rights Reserved worldwide.
February 25, 2001