“Let’s just be unique. Let‘s be ourselves. And let’s just be honest with ourselves. ”
Starting out with photography I often read advice like “you need to have a distinct style” and “your work needs to be cohesive”. I thought I understood what it meant. And it sure did sound logic to me, although to be honest: it is also a rather abstract advice. Having studied economics and having worked in the finance industry for decades I instantly understood the business logic behind that advice. In order to market and sell, you do need to have a unique selling proposition. And for this you do need to be specific and be sure of what you are selling. Alright. Alright?
So if your motivation for being creative - for going out to photograph, is only to sell and therefore is merely extrinsic, you might not invest your time in continuing to read this. Because I do believe that ‘you need a distinctive style’ is not a very helpful advice to start your photographic journey with. In fact, it is not a helpful advice at all. Let me explain.
I hear “please help me find my personal style” a lot. The above mentioned mantra has really sunk in and become common sense: you need a style. As if that was some golden code or a ‘works always’-preset you could throw onto your images to have them be unique, great looking and also be very personal all at the same time. I understand where this demand comes from. It is the demand for instant gratification. The ‘need’ to be good fast. And yes, modern technology with great cameras being built even inside smartphones make it incredibly easy. And AI driven fast software solutions presenting impressive results on a single click make it a quick, tempting process in which you might be able to succeed in the eyes of the public. Getting acknowledgment and the daily dose of dopamine by sharing these produced images in social media is enough for many. And it works for many, too. Add ‘style’ and the case is closed, no? Not so fast.
The demand for shortcuts in developing as a photographer and the aforementioned available tools neglect the fact that photography is a craft. It is a craftsmanship that has been formally taught at colleges, apprenticeship programs or similar around the globe for well over 100 years. Yes, you can be successful without certified qualification, but make no mistake: it requires lots of practice and hard work. And what is needed even more: passion and dedication for what you are doing.
I understand that in the eyes of some people my own career as a landscape photographer and my ‘success’ (whatever that is) has come incredibly fast and just within 5 years or so after starting out. The truth is: although I name the year 2016 the start of my landscape photography, I had used a camera before that, of course (not very well and not fully aware of what I was doing, but still getting first experiences) and I had also used photoshop for minor editing, too (not well either, but you get the point). When I did ‘start’ in Spring 2016, all of my free time got devoted into learning and practicing and learning and practicing some more. I got fully immersed. So although it took ‘only’ 2 or 4 years to receive some first recognition, I had spent thousands of hours learning and putting things to practice.
“Be ready to fail. Mistakes will happen and become our greatest lessons. Practice is the process of being ready for it all to come together!”
There simply is no shortcut in getting experience and learning to actually see and develop a vision! Boy, I would have not liked reading that advice when I was starting out. But the truth is not a popular one: it takes time. A lot of it. It needs failure, it needs passion, grit and a dedication in fully immersing yourself into a creative journey. A journey that doesn’t reward you for trying to take shortcuts. In fact the opposite is true: it does reward those who take detours and those who lose track sometimes. It is all about experience and the process of experiencing. I am talking about highs and lows. I am talking about the bumps in the road which almost make you give up, but ultimately shape your appreciation and your vision.
Does that mean you need to be old to grow as a photographer? That you need to ‘suffer’ in order to improve? No, not at all. …it might help, but is not a necessity (sorry, that was too tempting for me to resist here). When I do teach photography I always learn myself, too. What I have learned through most people who sought my help (in workshops or online mentoring) is that photo enthusiasts often need a little push in their self confidence and more attention to listen to themselves instead of the many ‘experts’, ‘rules’ and ‘should do’s’. There is an abundance of advices and tips out there. It is an entire industry built around it: countless YouTube channels, magazines, tutorials and workshops. Which is a good thing on the one hand, because knowledge has probably never been as accessible as it is nowadays. And it is how I can make a living as a photographer. The downside is, the confusion and expectations to deliver have never been higher, either.
Do you want an advice? Get those monkeys off your back. Nobody expects anything, so why not enjoy photography as a creative journey and exploration?
Give yourself time. Have fun. And let things happen. Be satisfied with what you do and yet, be eager to improve and to always keep exploring. Recognize curiosity and playfulness as a rewarding experience in itself, no matter the immediate results in your imagery. The moment I embraced this as a positive and a joyful pursuit in itself, I allowed myself to make mistakes. Of course, it’s not fun to fail. It is frustrating. I get mad at myself. I am not kidding you. But I have embraced failure very early in order to be open to learn. Yes, I was and am ambitious. But instead of trying to look for shortcuts for success, I was and still am willing to learn and very eager to try. I am still willing to fail.
And yes, early on I was also battling with all these „could do“s and „should do“s. I rather followed up on trained workflows, the ‘defined right way to do it’, than trust my own eyes. But once I felt I was able to cover the fundamentals of handling my camera and knew what to do in the digital darkroom, I was looking out for things that satisfied me. That truly excited me. And that is what I do find difficult in finding that ‘cohesive style’ too early. It might make you stop exploring. It might trap you in a comfort zone, especially if you are successful with it early on. Nothing wrong with those who do, but I question the sustainability of such approach. Is it artistic expression which is extrinsically motivated, or does it come from within you: intrinsically? I do believe the latter approach being the desirable one. The one that is sustainable through joy and satisfaction. At least it is for me. And since I consider myself a pretty regular person, I believe it is for many readers here, too.
This is why I believe that ‘style’ finds you, much rather than you needing to find your ‘style’. And quite honestly, I don’t even like the term style. To me style is a label or packaging of your work. Again, all fine in order to sell. But artistically I prefer describing it as photographic language or voice (I would have preferred visual language. But that expression is defined already, and might be confusing in my context here). The result of where you are at in your artistic journey at a certain moment of time. It includes your craftsmanship and workflow, but even more so how you see and perceive your environment at that time. At best it also displays a part of the artist’s personal level and emotion he or she is in during the making of an image.
In order to achieve this in your imagery you need to settle with yourself first; with your strengths and shortcomings, your feelings and emotions. This can also include confusion. But it requires attention to yourself, listening to yourself. And that is why so many people love the contemplative dimension of photographing outside in our natural surrounding. The slow pace enables to let thoughts come and go. It invites to reflect.
If there is an audience that will ultimately connect with your art and recognize it as yours, then you have found a distinct photographic language, a distinct photographic voice of your own. A language in which you can communicate with yourself and also with people who care for what you do. A communication that is personal and as unique as you. An expression that is recognizable like your voice, no matter if you scream, giggle, cry or whisper. Something that has been developed over time, that is not the result of a voice impersonator. Something which you feel comfortable with, which may sound cracked at times, and singing at others, but is always you! Try and enjoy. I would love to hear and see your voice.