Do photographs pass through a series of 'states' as you move from an initial idea to the finished work? Or is it more of a concerted process that proceeds directly from start to finish? In other words, is your process single- or multi-step, and, if multi-step, do the intermediate states have any particular value? Are they potential branching points for further developments later? Personal detritus?
Is it important to keep a record of the various 'states' of your photographs, say in the form of a sketchbook (or Photoshop document)? Often, I've found myself flattening my documents in the heat of the moment, in order to force myself to commit to an edit. To make it easier to move on, I guess.
The same questions apply, I think, for so-called documentary photographs, and darkroom work.
In any event, can the viewer tell a priori whether a direct or multi-step trajectory was followed?
