How to create one's own personal photography style?

[Tanya.Tan]

My mentor just commented that I have yet to develop a personal style in photography. He pointed out that when my portfolio of images look like they were photographed by a few different photographers.

Too much variety? No consistency in style?

I tried to probe further for my mentor's opinion but he couldn't explain to me how to create one's own style. He's a quiet folk and not articulate. Could someone enlighten me pls? thanks in advance.

[PNCHONG]

Can I ask 2 questions, please?

1. How long have you been photographing?

2. Can you show us some of your photos?

[Tanya.Tan]

Dear PNCHONG,

1. I have been shooting for five years. Currently I'm doing my major in media studies where i major in photography. Right now, I am also working as an intern for a professional studio as part of my professional attachment program.

2. attached some images here. I can't show the ones that i have shot during my internship as my mentor will object to that...

[Tanya.Tan]

Another two of my shots.

[PNCHONG]

Dear PNCHONG,

1. I have been shooting for five years. Currently I'm doing my major in media studies where i major in photography. Right now, I am also working as an intern for a professional studio as part of my professional attachment program.

Dear Tanya,

Looks like you are much more qualified than me! I have been doing "serious" photography for about 7-8 years. But I do not have formal education in photography apart from short photography workshops!

Well, I am not sure if I can give "appropriate" comments, but I can certainly share some thoughts on this issue. Will do this in the next post.


2. attached some images here. I can't show the ones that i have shot during my internship as my mentor will object to that...


I think it is nearly impossible for anyone to make a sensible and meaningful "judgement" on photography style based on a few images.

But if these images are any guide to your photography, I would agree with your mentor. I will elaborate in the next post.

[PNCHONG]

My mentor just commented that I have yet to develop a personal style in photography. He pointed out that when my portfolio of images look like they were photographed by a few different photographers.


I am not a professional photographer. I am a pure amateur. My thoughts on the issue of "Personal Style" should be taken with this in mind.

What is "Personal Style"? I think it is not wrong to say that "Personal Style" means that the images shout "Tanya.Tan, or Lance, or PNChong". It means that the images bear the imprint of the works of a certain photographer. It does not mean that the photographer only makes that kind of imagery. Howwever, if a photographer is recognised by his works on edgy sex imageries, it does not mean that he does not make lyrical poetic images of landscapes etc.

I think that there are probably at least 2 things that bear the mark of a "Personal Style". The first is the content. The second is execution. Content and execution are of course intertwined.

Let us talk about landscape. Let us talk about two different photographers. Ansel Adams comes to mind when one talks about landscapes. Absolutely beautiful. Sharp from foreground to infinity. Beautiful tonality. Great details. Contrast this with the works of Michael Kenna. Brooding. Dark. Intimate. Lyrical. An Ansel Adams landscape is instantly recognisable, as is Michael Kenna's. Similar subjects but different execution.

Or similar execution but different executions. Let me mention 2 photographers. Michael Ackermann and Antoine D'Agata. Both of them makes edgy high contrast blurry images. But Antoine D'Agata images are often about sex and sex workers, and Michael Ackermann on street imageries.

Coming to your images.

You have shown images of what is called "street photographs" which is related to, and overlap with, "documentary photography" and "photojournalism". There are slight but important differences in these 3 different categories. Are you majoring in photojournalism?

As I mentioned earlier, I think I can concur with your mentor. The images which you showed appear to be random snapshots taken from the street. Please note that I do not denigrate "snapshots". I think that snapshots are extremely difficult to do well. The problem with the images which you show is that they appear to be taken by anybody else.

But to be fair to you, I think it will take you many more years to have a "personal style". Probably another 5-10 years if you kept at it! Why? Because while a "personal style" has content and execution at its core, this depends heavily on who you are.

You cannot make photographs that you are not. In other words, you need to mature as a person. If you do not appreciate music, you cannot compose music, let alone compose music that is "you".

You will have to allow yourself time to mature as a person. To know what matters to you. Ansel Adams made great landscape pictures partly because the great landscapes of southern California matters to him. Without a camera, he might even make poetry of the landscapes! But to Antoine D'Agata, the lives of the sex workers matter to him.

Once a photographer know what matters to him, he then decides his personal vision of that subject. Is documenting the life in the street "clearly" important to his vision? Then he might makes images like Cartier-Bresson, or Peter Turnley. Or is impressions more important? Then the execution like Paolo Peligrini's might be better.

Do not fret. Take your time. Find out what matters to you. And find out how you feel about the subject that matters to you. And then find the execution to express your feelings about your subject.

[Tanya.Tan]

Thanks PNCHONG

my area of interest is in portraiture. That's the content for me.

As for execution, I am experimenting with different ways of photographing a person. With flash, without flash. B/W or color. etc.

Will work harder. :)

[PNCHONG]

Thanks PNCHONG

my area of interest is in portraiture. That's the content for me.

As for execution, I am experimenting with different ways of photographing a person. With flash, without flash. B/W or color. etc.

Will work harder. :)

From the pictures which you showed, I would never have guessed that portraiture is your interest.

May I ask a little more? There is a little confusion about "portraiture". What do you mean by "portraiture". Frankly I do not think that 95% of the "portraiture" images in a couple of websites in Singapore are "portraiture". There is a role for these kinds of images. But I do not consider them "portraiture". I call them empty pretty images. Or "clothes/accessories" hangers.

To me, a portrait is a biography of the person you photographed. A biography from YOUR perspective. And that comes back to my previous comments, about expressing YOUR feelings, YOUR biography, YOUR story about the person.

Pictures of smiling pretty faces are meant to be given as presents to the pretty girls. As "portraitures", as far as I am concern, these are nearly meaningless.

Work "hard", yes.

But have fun also!!

[Tanya.Tan]

From the pictures which you showed, I would never have guessed that portraiture is your interest.

Hi PNCHONG, you are right. I was reading your comments in the topic "What makes a good portrait" http://www.asiaphoto.com/showthread.php?19-What-makes-a-great-portrait and i realized your point. i have yet to capture the essence.