Courious title?
This thread is about photographic style.
Many newer photographers worry and are concerned about developing their own style. This is in my opinion a waste of energy and intellect. Rather, I think that you should concentrate on the following:
Viewing well made photos:
There is nothing better suited to showing you what photography is capable of than to view original well made prints. If you are near a gallery, art exhibit or art museum pay them a visit and look at the prints. You will over time see what the medium is capable of doing.
What kind of personality do you have:
If you are a slow, methodical worker whose interest is in photographing few items but doing so in the most meticulous manner possible then that will come thru in your photography as you practice, If your interest is in candid or street photography and shoot a lot of film then that will come thru in developing a "style".
So what interests you:
Do you love viewing the enviroment,, for example city that you live in or are visiting ?
Do you love flowers?
Do you love children at play?
Where are your interests?
How are these photographs to be displayed or used:
If your aim is to make prints to display in your living space what is the proper sized prints for that enviroment. If you have a large home with a lot of wall space then you can display a large prints effectively. If you live in a small flat with little wall space then it will be difficult for views to appreciate 16x20 prints for example mounted on 20x24 boards. What are the viewing conditions,,IE how much light is available?
Equipping yourself:
If you like photographing street scenes in a candid manner a 11x14 camera may be a poor choice. If you are going to make 20x24 prints and want the ultimate in gradation and clarity then a Minox may be a poor choice. It is only after making these choices, listed above, that one can do a reasonable job in choosing equipment
Get off your ass and take photos:
No one, in my opinion, is going to reach even a mediocre level of competence without working at it. Would you expect that you could be a good marathon runner if you spend all your time either working at a desk or being a couch potato? David Vestal wrote in a Photo Techiniques article about students taking a pottery class: One half of the class was to be graded on quality without any concern with how many pieces were produced. The other half of the class was to be graded on quantity without regard to how good the pottery was. In the end the half of the class that was producing quantity without regard for quality made the better quality pieces because they were doing a sufficient amount of work to learn how to do it well. They class members doing "quality" pieces were not doing enough work to learn their craft. You must work at photography and learn your skills in photographing what interests you and printing it to the best of your ability, as dictated by your personality. You must keep doing this over a long period of time.
As you do this your style has arrived without givin it any thought at all.
OH, that business about the title. That is the beat that I march to.
This thread is about photographic style.
Many newer photographers worry and are concerned about developing their own style. This is in my opinion a waste of energy and intellect. Rather, I think that you should concentrate on the following:
Viewing well made photos:
There is nothing better suited to showing you what photography is capable of than to view original well made prints. If you are near a gallery, art exhibit or art museum pay them a visit and look at the prints. You will over time see what the medium is capable of doing.
What kind of personality do you have:
If you are a slow, methodical worker whose interest is in photographing few items but doing so in the most meticulous manner possible then that will come thru in your photography as you practice, If your interest is in candid or street photography and shoot a lot of film then that will come thru in developing a "style".
So what interests you:
Do you love viewing the enviroment,, for example city that you live in or are visiting ?
Do you love flowers?
Do you love children at play?
Where are your interests?
How are these photographs to be displayed or used:
If your aim is to make prints to display in your living space what is the proper sized prints for that enviroment. If you have a large home with a lot of wall space then you can display a large prints effectively. If you live in a small flat with little wall space then it will be difficult for views to appreciate 16x20 prints for example mounted on 20x24 boards. What are the viewing conditions,,IE how much light is available?
Equipping yourself:
If you like photographing street scenes in a candid manner a 11x14 camera may be a poor choice. If you are going to make 20x24 prints and want the ultimate in gradation and clarity then a Minox may be a poor choice. It is only after making these choices, listed above, that one can do a reasonable job in choosing equipment
Get off your ass and take photos:
No one, in my opinion, is going to reach even a mediocre level of competence without working at it. Would you expect that you could be a good marathon runner if you spend all your time either working at a desk or being a couch potato? David Vestal wrote in a Photo Techiniques article about students taking a pottery class: One half of the class was to be graded on quality without any concern with how many pieces were produced. The other half of the class was to be graded on quantity without regard to how good the pottery was. In the end the half of the class that was producing quantity without regard for quality made the better quality pieces because they were doing a sufficient amount of work to learn how to do it well. They class members doing "quality" pieces were not doing enough work to learn their craft. You must work at photography and learn your skills in photographing what interests you and printing it to the best of your ability, as dictated by your personality. You must keep doing this over a long period of time.
As you do this your style has arrived without givin it any thought at all.
OH, that business about the title. That is the beat that I march to.
I think I'll go develop some film now! 
