Bucking The Trend: Blending Analog Photography With New Media Funding

As we shared yesterday, Dutch documentary photographer Rob Hornstra has found uncommon success by refusing to change with the times.  He mostly shoots film and his preferred medium is the printed photo book.  Film and paper?   When’s he from?  2000?  Obsolete or not, he’s found popularity and success by sticking to his guns and preaching the analog gospel.  But not quite.  At the New York Photo Festival this past weekend, Hornstra shared some wisdom of how he finances his book projects, and for his most recent work, he’s taken to the Internet in a big way.

The Sochi Project is Hornstra’s latest endeavor and while he is still firmly planted in the print world, he’s utilized the web for fundraising and publicity.  His project focuses on the Russian city of Sochi which will be hosting the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.  Sochi is surrounded by conflict and is emblematic of a transitioning Russia that looks more to the West, while trying to preserve its own culture.  On The Sochi Project’s website, there are videos of subjects, articles and a place to sign up as a donor.  Hornstra, who is working in tandem with a journalist, is soliciting money from the public, using the public donation model of websites like Kickstarter, to get his project off the ground.

Unlike Honstra’s other projects which have had a very specific process of research, shooting and publication, The Sochi Project is a transparent work in progress.  Hornstra plans to make at least two one-month visits a year prior to the Olympics and publish essays, web content and small books about different topics related to the overall project.  But this content is only available to those donating to the project.  Donations range from €10 a year at the “Bronze Level” to €1000 annually for the ” Gold Level” membership.

As described in their mission statement, The Sochi Project is meant to fill a void in traditional journalism.  Newspapers and magazines aren’t covering topics of such breadth and complexity;  Hornstra’s “slow journalism” allows a complete story to be researched and told in a meaningful way.  By taking the DIY road, Hornstra has ensured his freedom as a storyteller and photographer.

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