BROAD_STREET_IN_FLUX-2026-05-10

Two photographers. One street. One day. Both move north to south across the entire spine of Philadelphia, documenting the city in real time from two different vantage points. Every photograph contains the exact date, time, and GPS coordinates of the moment it was made. The workflow collapses the distance between seeing, photographing, mapping, publishing, and archiving.

Generator

Download the exact HTML generator used to build this archive.

DOWNLOAD FLUX GENERATOR

Broad Street in Flux — Archive Generator

The Broad Street in Flux project was built using a custom HTML-based FLUX archive generator.

Instead of manually building webpages, layouts, maps, and publications by hand, the generator automatically assembled the project from the original photographs and metadata.

The system was designed around a simple idea:

Photograph first. Publish immediately.


What the Generator Does

The generator automatically:

  • reads the JPEG files
  • extracts metadata
  • builds the archive structure
  • generates the timeline
  • creates the image grid
  • organizes the project chronologically
  • links photographs to map locations
  • builds downloadable publications
  • creates a responsive archive website

The goal is to eliminate unnecessary friction between photographing and publishing.


Why This Matters

Most photography projects involve:

  • complicated editing workflows
  • manual website building
  • layout software
  • endless file organization
  • slow publishing pipelines

FLUX approaches publishing differently.

The system is designed so the archive itself becomes alive and continuously updateable.

Instead of treating photography as isolated masterpieces, the archive becomes:

  • a visual diary
  • a living document
  • a chronological record of movement through the world

Open Process

The generator itself is part of the project.

Rather than hiding the workflow, FLUX embraces transparency, reproducibility, and open systems.

The exact generator used to build the Broad Street in Flux archive is available below.

OPEN FLUX GENERATOR DOWNLOAD FLUX GENERATOR

Broad Street — In Flux Documentation

project notes-

Broad Street — In Flux

One-Day Documentary Execution Plan

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Two photographers.
One street.
One day.

Both photographers move north to south across the entire spine of Philadelphia, documenting the city in real time from two different realities.

The final work becomes:

  • A zine
  • A geospatial map
  • A digital archive
  • A physical archival object
  • A reproducible documentary system

The Core Idea

The goal is not simply to make “good photographs.”

The goal is to create a complete document of a city in flux.

This project combines:

  • Street photography
  • GPS metadata
  • Automated publishing
  • Mapping
  • Archival systems
  • DIY zine culture
  • Open-source distribution

Every photograph contains:

  • The exact date
  • The exact time
  • The exact GPS coordinates
  • The exact location
  • The photographer’s name

The workflow collapses the distance between:

Seeing → Photographing → Mapping → Publishing → Archiving

The entire project is designed to function almost automatically.


Philosophy Behind The System

The system removes:

  • Decision fatigue
  • Gear obsession
  • Editing paralysis
  • Publishing delays
  • Organizational chaos

Everything is standardized.

One camera.
One aesthetic.
One orientation.
One workflow.
One day.

No RAW.
No color grading.
No endless Lightroom sessions.
No overthinking.

Just walk and see.


Core Shooting Rules (Non-Negotiable)

Horizontal Photos Only

Always shoot landscape orientation.

No vertical photos.

This keeps:

  • sequencing clean
  • layouts consistent
  • zine assembly effortless
  • visual rhythm cohesive

Small JPEG Only

No RAW.
No large JPEG.

Use small JPEG files only.

Benefits:

  • Faster transfers
  • Faster automation
  • Faster sequencing
  • Smaller archives
  • Easier long-term storage
  • Faster printing
  • More fluid shooting experience

Camera Setup

Ricoh GR IV Monochrome Settings

Image Control:
High Contrast B&W

Enter the following settings:

High/Low Key: -2
Contrast: +4
Highlight Contrast: -4
Shadow Contrast: 0
Sharpness: +4
Shading: +4
Clarity: +4
Grain: On
Grain Size: 2
Toning: Off

GR World GPS Workflow (IMPORTANT)

This is the critical part of the project.

The Ricoh GR World app successfully embeds GPS location data directly into the image metadata.

This allows the backend automation system to generate:

  • captions
  • addresses
  • CSV files
  • maps
  • zines

automatically.


Ricoh GR World Setup

On Camera

Go to:

Menu → Wrench Icon → Wireless Communication

Enable:

Wireless LAN → ON
Action Mode → ON
Pairing → Execute Pairing
Smartphone Link with Store Location Info → ON

On iPhone

Open:

Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → GR World

Enable:

Allow Location Access → Always
Precise Location → ON

Inside GR World App

Open:

App Settings

Set:

Background Location Information Transmission → No Time Limit
Location Information Transmission Frequency → High

Confirming GPS Is Working

You should see:

  • the camera connected
  • the satellite icon active
  • the blue iPhone location arrow active

Test with 1–2 photographs before the actual walk.

The system was successfully tested while:

  • turning the camera on and off
  • walking through Philadelphia
  • sleeping/waking the phone

The GPS data remained accurate.


Folder Structure

Create this exact folder on desktop:

BroadStreet_InFlux

Inside:

BroadStreet_InFlux/
├── dante/
│   └── photos/
├── dylan/
│   └── photos/
└── output/

After the walk:

  • Dante drags his photos into:
dante/photos
  • Dylan drags his photos into:
dylan/photos

The Automation System

After importing the photographs, a single terminal command is executed.

The script automatically:

  • reads GPS metadata
  • extracts longitude + latitude
  • converts coordinates into real addresses
  • associates photographer names
  • creates captions
  • generates a CSV
  • generates a print-ready zine PDF

automatically.


What The Script Outputs

Inside:

output/

The script creates:

broad-street-in-flux-google-my-maps.csv
broad-street-in-flux-captioned-zine.pdf

Caption Structure

Every image is automatically captioned with:

Date
Time
Full Address
Photographer Name

Example:

2026:05:09 14:32:10
1549 John F Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dante Sisofo

The long institutional-style metadata actually strengthens the archival feeling of the work.


The Walk

Meet Time

Saturday — 7:00 AM

Meet at Dante’s place.


Before Leaving

Both photographers:

  • confirm camera settings
  • confirm monochrome recipe
  • confirm GPS recording
  • confirm horizontal-only shooting
  • test 1–2 images

Keep setup time tight:

10–15 minutes maximum

Then leave immediately.


Broad Street Official Route

Northern Terminus

Cheltenham Avenue

Boundary between Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township.


Southern Terminus

Philadelphia Navy Yard

Distance

Approximate total walk:

10.5–11 miles

Estimated walking time:

3.5–4 hours minimum

not including photographing.


Shooting Methodology

Dante photographs one side of Broad Street.

Dylan photographs the opposite side.

Rules:

  • Keep moving
  • Do not double back
  • Minimal crossing
  • Photograph instinctively
  • Respond to light and movement

Focus on:

  • architecture
  • gesture
  • shadows
  • signage
  • discarded objects
  • texture
  • rhythm
  • windows
  • humanity
  • atmosphere
  • transition
  • change in real time

Influences

Eugene Atget

Documentary recording of the city.

Systematic visual preservation.


Daido Moriyama

Instinct.
Ambiguity.
Movement.
Raw visual energy.

Think:

Atget documentation
combined with
Moriyama instinct

Creating The Map

After the script generates the CSV:

Step 1

Upload all photos into a Google Photos album.


Step 2

Open:

Google My Maps

Create a new map.


Step 3

Import:

broad-street-in-flux-google-my-maps.csv

Use:

Latitude
Longitude

for marker placement.


Step 4

Import the Google Photos album into the map.

The photos now become spatially attached to the exact locations they were photographed.

The city becomes navigable through photographs.


The Zine

The script automatically generates:

broad-street-in-flux-captioned-zine.pdf

Each page contains:

  • One photograph
  • Full caption underneath
  • Photographer attribution

Print Settings

Paper Size → 8.5 × 11
Orientation → Landscape
Double-Sided → ON
Flip On Short Edge → YES

Assembly Method

Simple DIY construction.

Stack sheets.

Two staples on left side.

The object should feel:

  • temporary
  • reproducible
  • distributable
  • archival
  • democratic

Open-Source Distribution

The project is intentionally designed so that anybody can reproduce the zine instantly.

A library, school, institution, or individual only needs:

  • the PDF
  • a printer
  • paper
  • staples

This allows the work to circulate freely and function as a public document.


Final Outputs

Physical

  • Printed zine
  • Archival print stack
  • Institutional archive box

Digital

  • Google My Map
  • CSV metadata archive
  • Full-resolution JPEG archive
  • Zine PDF
  • Workflow documentation
  • Behind-the-scenes video

Archival Edition (Library Version)

Includes

1. Loose Photograph Stack

150–300 photographs.

Unbound.

Chronological.

DIY aesthetic embraced.


2. Zine

The distilled sequence.

Acts as the entry point into the archive.


3. USB Drive

Contains:

  • JPEG files
  • CSV
  • map data
  • zine PDF
  • BTS video
  • workflow documentation
  • flip-through video

4. Documentation Sheet

Explains:

  • concept
  • workflow
  • methodology
  • automation system
  • map process
  • publishing process

5. Optional Map Print

Static printed map or QR code linking to the live map.


Institutional Framing

This project functions not only as a photobook, but as a reproducible methodology for recording the city in flux.

It combines:

  • photography
  • spatial data
  • automation
  • mapping
  • publishing
  • archival practice

into one unified documentary system.

The work becomes:

  • a visual record
  • a geographic record
  • a temporal record
  • a procedural record

of Philadelphia on a single day.


Final Mental Model

Shoot
→ Import
→ GPS Extraction
→ CSV
→ Map
→ PDF
→ Print
→ Staple
→ Archive
→ Share

Everything collapses into one fluid process.

No friction.

No backlog.

No endless editing.

Just walk and see.

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