Do you have a "style"

[Manuel Madeira]

Hey just wandering about what is your style. In other words, what kind of look do you seek in your photographs

 

[Pieter12]

I don't seek a "look" I shoot what I like. That ends up being my style.

 

[Auer]

I wear one red and one black sock.

 

[awty]

Uncouth

 

[removed account4]

Hey just wandering about what is your style. In other words, what kind of look do you seek in your photographs

Hi Manuel
I guess I might say that I'm kind of eclectic .. sometimes a little expressionist other times clinical portraits ( of people places and things ) and still other times a little somethings else ... for whatever reason people usually know my work when they see it ..
John

 

[fgorga]

I wear one red and one black sock.

I would have thought that would have been black and white!!!!

 

[NB23]

When composition transcends into a feeling.

This is the best I can say

 

[Auer]

I would have thought that would have been black and white!!!!

Too predictable, obviously.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I never thought about it. I don't think I'd be comfortable if I had a style...

 

[MattKing]

I think a style is something that other people notice before you do.
I have preferences and tendencies, and if I'm either photographing with a purpose, or curating with a purpose, I expect that a style can emerge.

 

[mooseontheloose]

I don't have a style that I cultivate, per se, but I think I do have one. I know from my experiences with the Postcard Exchange that people will recognize my images (even the non-IR ones) without looking to see who it's from. When I look at them as a whole, there seems to be a lighter, more airy look to my photos, rather than a darker, more contrasty look that seems to be popular with other photographers.

 

[guangong]

One can either copy a style (desire that pictures look like so-and-so’s), or once can cultivate a style by taking many, many photos. The advantage enjoyed by amateurs is a freedom with regard to style and even modifying their style. Professionals are often prisoners of their style, compelled to satisfy market expectations.
No need to worry about style. A lot of pics plus engaged brain will cultivate a style.

 

[Mr Bill]

I never really thought of myself as having a particular style, but did come to a realization some time back. Looking through some older family photos, one of my sisters asked if I had taken a particular photo. Although I didn't clearly remember, I said, with some certainty, no - I just don't shoot stuff like that, meaning in "that manner." So my avoidance is sort of a style, in a way.

Aside from that I'd say that I have used a number of varying styles over the years. Sometimes it's come about partially as an equipment limitation and that sort of thing - you can only shoot what your equipment allows.

One thing that I strive for in my personal "play" is to photograph in ways that are not commonly seen. And where the photos are interesting in a way that people like to look at em. I realize I'm not being real clear about details, but what can I say? I'm willing to spend a lot of time on a particular thing, making multiple trips if necessary, and perhaps doing some setup. So the tradeoff is that I focus my efforts on getting a few better-than-average photos of one particular "thing," or concept, or whatever, rather than more common photos of more things. Not all of the time, of course, mainly when I specifically want a more memorable shot of something. I don't really call this a "style," although perhaps it is.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

"It takes a long time to sound like yourself" - Miles Davis

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" - Oscar Wilde

You can "have" a style tomorrow if you want ; much more interesting to take the time developing (pun intended) into the photographer you are. That'll end up being your style, without ever having thought about it.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

I'm predominantly a temperate rainforest interior photographer, which means with every step you take another multi-million potential compositions present themselves as branches, trees, and undergrowth slide past each other from inches away to as far as you can see through the forest.

As a young photographer I'd go on a hike with potential images in mind, like sun streaming through branches for example, but Nature would usually offer heavy cloud cover, rain, fog, or snow instead. It took a long time to minimize my expectations, empty myself of wants or needs, and to accept what was being offered.

My 'style' is to walk through the forest, not forcing compositions out of the infinite possibilities at hand, but open myself for compositions or interesting relationships to emerge from the chaos. Sometimes a single tree or fungi will jump out, but that's pretty rare.

Once a potential image is found, my job is to emphasize what it was that made me stop. Being a large format photographer for so long was a great help, in that it forces you to really consider a photograph before going through the effort of setting up all that gear.

If I had to put a name to it, I believe they would slot into "The Thing Itself" photographs, where the photographer is more conduit than enforcer.

 

[Vaughn]

A style is the direction one is pushing one's work.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

A style is the direction one is pushing one's work.

I like that, as it implies growth/searching as opposed to a series of tricks & rules one applies to conform to a stagnant 'style'.

 

[Vaughn]

Yes, it also hints at a constant refining and redefining of one's work...and making whatever 'style' others may think one is working in, one's own.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Yes, it also hints at a constant refining and redefining of one's work...and making whatever 'style' others may think one is working in, one's own.

Agreed. A style doesn't exclude experimenting, but whatever you do in the darkroom (or computer) must not be an end in itself. It must be organically linked to something bigger than itself.

Take Koudelka, for example. A Koudelka is immediately recognizable. It's the result of what happens in the darkroom but it's also, and essentially, how he sees the world.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I don't seek a "look" I shoot what I like. That ends up being my style.

one mistake is just a mistake;five mistakes are a trend and 100 mistakes are a style.

 

[George Mann]

My style can best be described as realist, abstract and minimalist, while being influenced by William Eggleston, Vivian Maier and Steven Shore.

But as Gary Winogrand, I am mostly driven to see what things look like on film.

 

[MattKing]

A style is the direction one is pushing one's work.

And I would counter that one's style is the direction that one finds their work heading.
I think it may be a bit of both. We shoot the way we do both because that is how we want to do it, and because that is how we feel compelled to do it.

 

[John Bragg]

I used to shoot more wide angle, usually 28mm and used hyperfocal focussing, but these days I am more about precision, using 50mm and longer and shooting wide open. I am less affraid about getting in close and intimate on my people pics. Is this now my style ? I guess it is my current default setting for no brainer photography. I also always shoot in manual.

 

[Dismayed]

My style has evolved. It initially was, "Damn, I left the lens cap on my rangefinder lens!"

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I used to shoot more wide angle, usually 28mm and used hyperfocal focussing, but these days I am more about precision, using 50mm and longer and shooting wide open. I am less affraid about getting in close and intimate on my people pics. Is this now my style ? I guess it is my current default setting for no brainer photography. I also always shoot in manual.

I've upgraded from'M'(mediocre) to the 'P'(professional) mode.