For my final project, I want to explore the various bookstores across New York City. I always found bookstores to be an intimate setting where people can come and be part of a community just through their love of books. Cafes can be cozy but they don’t have the serenity you would find in a bookstore. I want to capture this peacefulness that exists within a large, bustling city. Through book displays, storefronts, and the people within, I will explore how this sanctuary of books promotes the sharing of stories and knowledge in a safe and cozy environment. I will emphasis different depths of field and perspectives to focus on small intimate details in some photos and wide angles for creating an atmosphere in others. I will also make use of foreground vs background to achieve this. I will mostly be shooting during the weekend as that’s when I have the most time to explore various bookstores, but I also want to shoot during some weekdays when the bookstore is less populated so I can focus on individuals and displays without the crowds.
Independent bookstores is a great theme as these are places that people hang out. I would encourage you to think of it as a project about people hanging out in bookstores rather than bookstores with some people in them. I hope the difference is clear.
You could take this in two directions. As you state here, make it a survey covering 5 to 10 different stores. Or focus on Bluestockings Collective. And go in depth on this one store. You might even make contact with the people working at Bluestockings and tell them you are doing a project for a photography course and offer to share the photos. Since they run on volunteer labor, they might be very receptive. Everyone is always looking for people to cover events.