Thanks for the post. I have come to the conclusion that I shoot what I like. This might change from time to time but I look forward to a scene that tells a story. I spent years travelling for work so I find that I needed to let where I was speak to me.
Now that I am retired I can take the time to slow down and be more purposeful. Taking my hobby to the next level. But one that I keep the flexibility to shoot what I like depending on where I am.
Hey Steve! Thanks for reading, appreciate it! Shooting what you like is always a solid starting point — and I think what you describe, slowing down and letting the place speak to you, is actually a real approach in itself. Flexibility isn't the absence of style, it's part of it 😊
The images in your portrait portfolio are uniformly striking for their connection throughy wonderful, sometime piercing, eye contact. Thanks for your insightful post - well done!
I've had this same conversation with myself. I've been a hobbyist (but serious, like you) photographer for more than 20 years, and I have _never_ consciously developed my own photographic style. Sometimes this bothers me - as you say, it's simply understood that one must have a style, produce instantly recognizable images, and I've worried at times that I don't.
I think the problem is thinking about personal style as a conscious choice. If that's what we mean - creative decisions like only shooting B/W, or only with certain film stocks, or only with one focal length, only photographing one subject, always using a particular technique... this is not what personal style means to me. If chosen consciously, for the express purpose of defining one's photography, then those are gimmicks, crutches.
The good news, though, is that everyone will unconsciously develop, or evince, a personal style by virtue of our uniqueness as individuals. You and I will pick up the same camera and photograph the same scene differently, perhaps wildly so. Those differences display our personal styles. Perhaps it's bordering on tautological, but it's almost impossible _not_ to have a personal style. Am I making any sense? 😅
Hey! Yes, that makes perfect sense. And that's why I asked it myself. I mean, it happens many times that the hard you try at something, the less you get what you really want. Things happen when you let them free to happen. And also, I talk for portraiture, as I said in the article I find it difficult to force the images fit all in the same "style". Because the people I photograph are different from each other and even the same model, caught on different days, may have a different mood. So, even if it could be important to have a trait that differentiates from others (for portraits I have to involve other people, so looking different could help to find new collaborations), I don't think it has to be something to get crazy for.
And yet I think your images will all have the same "style" ultimately because you shot them, not someone else. Even if you asked another photographer to shoot the same model and described what you want from the photo, that person would produce something different from yours. But I agree - we should not obsess over it!
I don't believe that amateur photographers 'need' a personal style. They may, however, develop one (or more) eventually, dependent on the genres they photograph. Professionals may choose to develop one to help them to differentiate their work from their competition. In that sense, they might feel the 'need' for one. My approach is to create something that interests me - and might be of interest to others.
Yep. Let’s say that at some point, even if I’m an amateur, the idea of finding something to differentiate my work from other artists was interesting. It’s true that a professional need it more than a hobbyist, but it’s also true that, as a portrait photographer, I have to rely on people who want to pose for me. In that sense, offering something that looked different was appealing and a hook to find new collaborations. If that makes sense.
Absolutely, Matteo. However, your question was whether we 'need' a personal style as distinct from whether we 'want' or 'desire' a personal style to differentiate our work. I suppose an ancilliary question is whether a personal style we develop is something we work on consciously or something which develops automatically through repetition.
Touché, I believe the distinction in how I formulated the question is because in italian the words can be very similar in meaning in some contexts. However, that's a good point. I believe that it can be both. A style can develop automatically based on how one apporoaches photography and find a preferred way of doing that. And then work on it to fine tune it to make it consistent.
my personal style is that i don't have one and i don't give a ... i don't really care if i ever develop one. i'm happy to make/take/produce photos, having the camera in my hand is all i care about.
Thanks for the post. I have come to the conclusion that I shoot what I like. This might change from time to time but I look forward to a scene that tells a story. I spent years travelling for work so I find that I needed to let where I was speak to me.
Now that I am retired I can take the time to slow down and be more purposeful. Taking my hobby to the next level. But one that I keep the flexibility to shoot what I like depending on where I am.
Hey Steve! Thanks for reading, appreciate it! Shooting what you like is always a solid starting point — and I think what you describe, slowing down and letting the place speak to you, is actually a real approach in itself. Flexibility isn't the absence of style, it's part of it 😊
The images in your portrait portfolio are uniformly striking for their connection throughy wonderful, sometime piercing, eye contact. Thanks for your insightful post - well done!
Thank you so much! That’s very kind of you! Glad you liked both the article and my images. Thanks again!
Your style is about relationships. Without your interaction, your empathy, your understanding of character, your photos would not be yours!
That’s a very valid point! Thanks a lot, Mark!
The portraits and your models are artistic. You enhance their beauty through your art.
Hey Marc! Thanks a lot, that’s always so kind of you! 🙏🏻
I've had this same conversation with myself. I've been a hobbyist (but serious, like you) photographer for more than 20 years, and I have _never_ consciously developed my own photographic style. Sometimes this bothers me - as you say, it's simply understood that one must have a style, produce instantly recognizable images, and I've worried at times that I don't.
I think the problem is thinking about personal style as a conscious choice. If that's what we mean - creative decisions like only shooting B/W, or only with certain film stocks, or only with one focal length, only photographing one subject, always using a particular technique... this is not what personal style means to me. If chosen consciously, for the express purpose of defining one's photography, then those are gimmicks, crutches.
The good news, though, is that everyone will unconsciously develop, or evince, a personal style by virtue of our uniqueness as individuals. You and I will pick up the same camera and photograph the same scene differently, perhaps wildly so. Those differences display our personal styles. Perhaps it's bordering on tautological, but it's almost impossible _not_ to have a personal style. Am I making any sense? 😅
Hey! Yes, that makes perfect sense. And that's why I asked it myself. I mean, it happens many times that the hard you try at something, the less you get what you really want. Things happen when you let them free to happen. And also, I talk for portraiture, as I said in the article I find it difficult to force the images fit all in the same "style". Because the people I photograph are different from each other and even the same model, caught on different days, may have a different mood. So, even if it could be important to have a trait that differentiates from others (for portraits I have to involve other people, so looking different could help to find new collaborations), I don't think it has to be something to get crazy for.
And yet I think your images will all have the same "style" ultimately because you shot them, not someone else. Even if you asked another photographer to shoot the same model and described what you want from the photo, that person would produce something different from yours. But I agree - we should not obsess over it!
I don't believe that amateur photographers 'need' a personal style. They may, however, develop one (or more) eventually, dependent on the genres they photograph. Professionals may choose to develop one to help them to differentiate their work from their competition. In that sense, they might feel the 'need' for one. My approach is to create something that interests me - and might be of interest to others.
Yep. Let’s say that at some point, even if I’m an amateur, the idea of finding something to differentiate my work from other artists was interesting. It’s true that a professional need it more than a hobbyist, but it’s also true that, as a portrait photographer, I have to rely on people who want to pose for me. In that sense, offering something that looked different was appealing and a hook to find new collaborations. If that makes sense.
Absolutely, Matteo. However, your question was whether we 'need' a personal style as distinct from whether we 'want' or 'desire' a personal style to differentiate our work. I suppose an ancilliary question is whether a personal style we develop is something we work on consciously or something which develops automatically through repetition.
Touché, I believe the distinction in how I formulated the question is because in italian the words can be very similar in meaning in some contexts. However, that's a good point. I believe that it can be both. A style can develop automatically based on how one apporoaches photography and find a preferred way of doing that. And then work on it to fine tune it to make it consistent.
My wife uses the terms 'want' and 'need' interchangeably, too!!
Ahahahha that made me laugh a lot 😂😂
my personal style is that i don't have one and i don't give a ... i don't really care if i ever develop one. i'm happy to make/take/produce photos, having the camera in my hand is all i care about.
Yep, that’s also a style indeed 😁😁