What is your photographic style??

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DataDog

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Steve
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Happy New year everyone!

I've been doing some reading on this subject lately and it intrigues me. It seems to me that the photographers on the forums I frequent are more interested in the technical aspects of photography (I'm not knocking that at all!), but not too many appear to be demonstrating a definitive "style" in their works.

I'm an inexperienced photographer but I am keen to hear what other people think about this subject. Do you see yourself as having a particular style? Is it something you look to develop over time or has it evolved through your years of experience shooting?

Various articles I've read so far suggest that simple things such as always shooting handheld are stylistic themselves and would define you as a photographer. Others are far more thought-provoking and consuming.

So, what does everyone else think on the matter? If you don't have a particular style, is it something that concerns you as a photographer or are you content with emulating others? Again, I'm not knocking that approach, just curious about the topic in general. :)
 
I suppose you find out what you're good at and also what you like and stick to it!

I think as a photographer, give everything a go. Absolutely everything, and then just see what you like and do that. It has to coincide with another interest however, say.. Cars, so you would take some pictures of cars etc :)
 
Thanks Alex,

I should have said, I already know what I like to photograph and what path I will follow as such. My question was more about defining a style within that genre.

What sets you apart from other landscape/portriat/automotive photographers? What do you do differently? Are you consciously forming a style or as you've said, do people photograph everything/anything and then retrospectively discover their style? That sort of thing... (y)
 
I like to think of it this way.....
I picture tells a story and I guess your style depends on what kind of story you want to tell.

Im not an veteran photographer, Im very much new to the field but already I seem to enjoy taking candid pictures. The best smiles I get or even the best shots of cars I get are most often the random ones. Instead of trying to capture the same moment every one else is trying to get I try and get the shots people tend to ignore. For instance my family were having a conversation and I thought as I had my camera there Id take some pictures without them noticing and got some great pictures.

Hope that helps :)
 
close in and dark with film

digital it varies with subject
 
I don`t think I have a "style" as such, but saying that, some folks here, and at my camera club (for competition), say they can tell what is mine :shrug:
 
I tend to orientate more towards B&W and contrary to what 'articles' may say on the net it's not because I don't have a grip of white contrast. I just prefer the option when things don't look as good as anticipated, it adds a depth of atmosphere and there's more settings to be played around with.

That being said I also photograph landscapes, graffiti art, street/urban, and tens of other 'styles' so I don't limit myself either to just one element of photography. Like with anything in life be it food or music it's always good to find new inspiration from other sources. But that's just me.
 
I do mostly wildlife, butterflies and other insects in the summer and shoot at a very wide apeture as long as the eyes are in focus I,m happy:)
 
I love Macro ( but its mainly a Summer thing) so try my hand at most subjects- this of course incurs a lot of expense buying all the lenses ,Flash guns, tripods, filters etc etc :LOL:

Les :D
 
I think I have definitely now developed my own style and with my client base its one i'm becoming known for now. I like my photos to have a very textured feel to them, I guess gritty is the closest word I can come up with, plus strong but muted colours (if that makes sense). I also tend to shoot around the 85-105 mark with a shallow dof most of the time, and ensure that my photos make a definite contact with the viewer. I would say I prefer my subjects to have direct eye contact, but I do sometimes shoot non engaged too.

I think that rather badly explains it :D
 
Personal photographic style evolves over time, and can best be seen when looking at a body of work or portfolio. It isn't what you shoot, i.e. the genre (landscape, portraits, street, etc), but more a combination of things like aesthetics, compositions, the intent of the image, etc.

Over the past few years, I've developed a style for my industrial / urbex photography, but this doesn't really carry over into the other stuff that I shoot.
 
Erratic, been at this a couple of years and still finding my own style :)
 
jamesoliverstone said:
I think I have definitely now developed my own style and with my client base its one i'm becoming known for now. I like my photos to have a very textured feel to them, I guess gritty is the closest word I can come up with, plus strong but muted colours (if that makes sense). I also tend to shoot around the 85-105 mark with a shallow dof most of the time, and ensure that my photos make a definite contact with the viewer. I would say I prefer my subjects to have direct eye contact, but I do sometimes shoot non engaged too.

I think that rather badly explains it :D
Click to expand...

This is the kind of info I was after! (And the other reply from straycat above). It's not so much about the subjects you shoot, but the way you shoot them. The subject could be your genre that you're interested in but I don't think many people look too closely at their own style.

Do you think it's an important part of your photographic goals that you have a style people can recognise, or do you think it makes people see you as a "one trick pony"? I don't mean to cause offence by that term either, it's just that after reading so many articles on the subject, I'm not sure if I would prefer to take a variety of different shots in different conditions or have people recognise the work as mine.... Tough one.
 
I Just checked out your portfolio there James... Stunning! :clap::clap::clap:

Very nice work!
 
Thank you, very kind of you to say :)

I guess in some ways, it does make me a one trick pony as I am so focused in my mind of how I intend a shot to look, I can't really see it in other genres of photography. I know for one I would make a terrible wedding photographer, I tried macro and was useless at it and as for landscapes... well, lets just say no one is going to be hanging one of mine over the fire any time soon (in the fire maybe ;)).

Even though I shoot people pretty much exlusively, I reckon I wouldn't be very good at high street portraits... I simply like the grungy, textured and dirty look too much so I would end up making people look hideous instead of pretty, and my style just simply doesnt match the subject matter.

That being said, I can do corporate and advertising stuff ok, but to be honest, I gave it up as my heart really wasn't in it and it was showing in my photography.

A lot of it is also being relaxed and confident in your surroundings too. Many people I teach have never done portraits as they are not confident in being in front of someone and taking control... for some they just will never want to do this.

I am in my element when photographing people as I tend to spend a lot of time building rapport, and its this you need to create that stunning shot.

So for me, yes I probably am a one trick pony, but it works for me very well as it just means that I am honing my skill set in that one area. Every time I go do a shoot I learn and experience something new, but I strive to show a consistency in my work which I think is starting to happen nicely.

Hope that helps :)
 
I seem to be drawn to strong compositional elements such as lines and strong subjects/focal points. As a landscaper this seems to be they way I'm going. I do have a play with long exposure now and then, but I don't see the 10 stopper coming out the bag that often now I must say.

Brad
 
I seem to do alot of noisy, OOF, not a good crop, shadows too dark DOF no good but I'am learning from the good people on here. :LOL:
 
It's a great subject for a thread (y)

I've never quite 'got' styles as something I can personally stick to, although I know they exist - just look at someone like Anton Corbjin, who has a very, very distinct style of his own.

I'd probably say that the closest I come to with regard to style in my work is my use of long lenses and my use of diffused light sources. Both types of shot vary massively because of the technical differences between them, but they are my 'go-to' shots and the ones I can nail each and every time. But then again, I'm shooting for clients (editors) of which I used to be one, so I know what they and their designers require for filling magazine pages.

In my personal photography I am far from having a style. I've been doing a fair bit of light painting lately, but I see that as a technique I'm using rather than an overriding 'style' that I have to incorporate into my photography.

I just like shooting things as my head tells me and if one day that is all lights and flashy stuff then that's great; if the next day it's all natural lift then that's cool too. I like versatility and the ability to do a range of techniques. Maybe that makes me jack of all, master of none, but I'll worry about that later....

I definitely think that processing play a big part in some photographer's styles - look at Dave Hill, who does great lighting set-ups but they're purely designed to be processed later and give him more to work with back on the computer. Processing is also something that can be easily applied, almost to the point where a preset in PS or LR can constitute your style. Whether that preset works with all the shots it's applied to is another matter though, but that's photography as a whole - it's in the viewer's mind as to what is 'good'.
 
As a guitar player might say, "Tone is in the fingers". No matter what instrument a guitar player with an identifiable style plays he/she will always sound like them.

In the same way 'style' in photography can transcend both equipment and subject matter. If a style is technique or equipment dependant it may well be commercially successful (paying customers like to know what they will get) but it can, in the long term, be seen to be shallow and unsatisfying, becoming more a mannerism than a style.
 
I believe style finds you rather than the other way around. If you keep getting out there doing what you enjoy then one day you will look back at your work and see some sort of pattern. Passion is the vital ingredient.

I also think being concerned too much about the technical side of things is just part of the learning curve of any skill. Emotional content is my cheesy phrase for 2012!
 
DataDog said:
Do you see yourself as having a particular style? Is it something you look to develop over time or has it evolved through your years of experience shooting?

Various articles I've read so far suggest that simple things such as always shooting handheld are stylistic themselves and would define you as a photographer. Others are far more thought-provoking and consuming.

So, what does everyone else think on the matter?
Click to expand...

"Anyone can take a photograph, just push the button." I genuinely hate that phrase.

I personally think it's essential for a photographer to develop an individual style but it's equally essential that you develop it
over a long time. I've been eagerly taking photographs from about the age of fourteen & I reckon I'm only discovering which
direction my personal style is heading at the age of nineteen. All photographers have particular techniques they prefer, various
post production processes & tend to find inspiration from different sources. It's essential to experiment with your work to find
what works best & which produces your favourite photographs. Most experienced photographers I've had the honour to talk to
often tell me that having a recognisable style contributes to getting more work ~ clients will buy into you if they admire your
work & trust you to produce work they'll be pleased with.

I think that photographers either have the vision or they don't, no matter how amazing their equipment or perfect the technique,
those with an individual style are much more recognised as artists.
 
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