One Camera • One Click •One Moment – Presenting The “Focused Project”
by Fred Bonilla

Imagine a project where 200 photographers,both celebrated individuals as well as those who never have shot a roll of film in their lives are participating with the results culminating in print sales,a traveling show and a book. Also imagine that all the proceeds of the project being donated to four different global youth photography programs.

Also imagine that all the images being taken for the project are done with as their website describes as
“Five fully manual 35mm cameras that will be pre-loaded with a single roll of film and packed into five separate camera bags. The bags will be shipped across the world from one photojournalist to the next – one in a small town in the middle of the U.S.. another among relief efforts in a natural disaster zone, or working the White House press pool. Each photojournalist will get only one click of the shutter. ” JUST ONE CLICK”.

© Chip Litherland : The Traveling Case

Along with the camera in the case will a journal notebook where each photographer will post notes on the details.on their one click. Then it will shipped to the next photographer resulting at the end with 200 unique images from it’s 5 globe trotting cameras.

This is the premise of the “Focused Project”, which is the brainchild of Florida based photojournalist Chip Litherland, who will begin the project sometime in early November. He regards the project as an answer to an industry polluted with imagery from countless digital cameras & IPhones by forcing the participants to slow down and put conscious thought and effort to their one image.

© Chip Litherland : Self portrait

The project has gotten some exposure with blogposts on Wired.com and on The New Yorker’s photo blog (photo booth) and Litheland is hoping to enlist sponsors and interested individuals to help defray the costs to bring the project to it’s fruition. Speaking to Mr. Litherland, he’s hopeful that people would understand the usage of film and only one image per photographer by voicing that if it were at all possible for it to be done digitally, he would’ve pursued it but that this approach allows the photographer to thoughtfully construct the moment and what the image will convey to it’s viewer. And he (as I) is excited with the impending results of the project.

Among the 200 photographers participating include over 30 Pulitzer Prize winners and a virtual who’s who of photojournalism’s best (listed on their website) and all involved I’m sure will see this project as an exciting challenge to produce lasting and important images.To contribute to the project,or if you’d like more information, please go to www.focusedproject.org/.

More info is here:@ Wired.com article, and the New Yorker.

We’d like to thank reader Fred Bonilla for supplying us with this post. He always has a good thought for the photo community.

Over at Photoinduced, we’ve personally slowed down lately as we started to shoot with a Noblex film camera. Sure does change the amount of times you press the shutter.