Okay, I know this site is all about Aperture. I also know that Aperture is nothing without its images. These next two posts are about images and faith. Faith is an element of my photography that continues to surface, from project to project. Not only in the stories I choose to pursue, but also in my philosophy and approach to shooting.

What happened to me with my project Empty Sky--The Pilgrimage To Ground Zero, was an exercise in faith and belief in my work.

This story dates back to just after 9/11. I decided to do a set of pictures documenting the pilgrimage of people who felt compelled to go to Ground Zero, to see with their own eyes, the site of such unbelievable destruction. I wanted to do the project, partly to express my own grief and bewilderment after 9/11, but also because of the reactions I witnessed, which were very powerful and told a story about the event that was different from the photographs being made at the site itself.

After shooting more than 100 rolls of 35mm Tri-X during a three-month period from late September to Christmas 2001, I felt I had a series of photographs that would work well as a book. I created multiple copies of a book dummy and had done my research looking for publishers of photography books, whom I then submitted the work to. (Aperture is the easiest and best tool I have found for editing and creating a book dummy; more in a future post)

People React to seeing Ground Zero from the book Empty Sky. Copyright Steve Simon

Though the project was well received judging by the positive comments in some of the rejection letters, they were rejection letters nonetheless--many rejection letters. Photography is a great way for us to communicate what we think is important in life, or beautiful, or scary or is a problem that needs attention; in other words, it can be a very personal way to communicate. So when you are rejected, it can hit you pretty hard. But it's important not to take it personally, and try and learn from it.

You may know this already, but it is extremely difficult to get a photography book published, since they are often expensive to produce, and have a limited market. So if you're planning a book, expect rejection, and keep the faith, persevere. I believed in this work and did not give up on my dream of getting it published in book form, despite the many rejection letters. I learned from the constructive criticism the letters would often contain, and finessed the book dummy to improve it.

There are many, many more of these in my collection.

Mr. Yashuda, a very wise man I had met in Japan once told me, "if you're trying to solve a problem and after giving it a good effort without success: STOP, go back to the beginning-- and try a completely different approach or way around the problem."

This is a philosophy I often apply if I get "blocked" in a shooting situation, or whenever I'm frustrated finding a solution to a non-photographic problem. In practical photographic terms, it may mean switching locations or lenses. If you're in tight, it may mean backing far away. Applying this philosophy with regards to my book proposal worked, but not in a way that could ever be predicted, as you will see in next week's posting. In the meantime, if there's something that's just not working for you, give Mr. Yashuda's advice a try.

A new book: Heroines & Heroes: Hope, HIV and Africa by Steve Simon
(Designed in Aperture)
Book Launch & Lecture, December 1, World Aids Day
7pm, Barnes and Noble, Chelsea, 675 6th Avenue, New York City (Corner 21 Street)
www.stevesimonphoto.com