What's Your 'Style'?

Squidgy Black

I know a lot of the threads I'm posting are a bit inconsistent but this one has extreme relevance to my portfolio as of now.

Have you got a defined style, or found a niche of photography that you've stuck with?

I started out wanting to do nothing but gig shots and skateboarding, and I've found I've drifted totally from it, I think I've done the odd gig shot and a band promo's, but I've found myself just wanting to portraits, landscapes and stuff.

Has everyone got their kind of style that they'd love to just stick with, or would you prefer to just do absolutely everything? I love the variety in some of the kind of shoots, like doing a gig one week and then portraits the next, but would you prefer to just stick to one?

dazftw

Documenting people and the things they do.

Though I would shoot anything given the chance. I would like to try soccer though..

Eirebear

I've been trying to figure this out for a while, and i simply cant.

This week i had a chance to look through a few of my classmates 'folios as we were being interviewed for the degree year, in the majority of them i could see a fairly distinct style, even if the subject matter was varied there was a lot of cases were i could say "you can tell that's your photo because..."

In my own, i cant seem to do that and its something that irks me a little as if you go back to posts of mine on here from years ago when i was just starting out, i'm pretty sure you'll find me saying that i just "want to develop my own style".

Maybe i'm blinded to it because they're my images, i dont know, but its given me some sleepless nights this week!

Borderfox

Anything and everything

OP, I think you're discussing a genre or area more than a style.

I'd say someone who takes portrait and landscape shots, and they're both dark, noisy, high contrasted, etc. would have a style. You could say he's a grungey or low key or (whatever term you want) photographer.

If someone only shoots portraits, and ranges from low key, high key, snapshot-ish to overly processed fashion shots, etc. then I'd say he is a portrait photographer, and I wouldn't comment on his style, as it'd seemingly change from shoot to shoot.


Personally, I don't have a style (at least I don't think I do, anyway). I was told once by a friend, that his manager in his job seen a photo on TV or in a paper or something, and asked was it by me, because it was my style of photo. He never explained what his manager meant, and I don't know what photo he's talking about, but i did find the comment a bit perplexing.

I think the only people who have styles these days are people who are very technical, overly artistic, or the poor bastards at college who may be forced into taking up a style and writing an essay on it (instead of just taking photos to get better).


But yeah... I'd say a style is more the finished product, than the subject.

melekalikimaka

i think alot of people definitely have styles, i can recognise peoples work on here before i see usernames alot, and likewise with classmates. Personally I think I finally am developing a 'style' I never thought I would... but I slowly am...:(

Hugh_C

Seem to have been taking a lot of beauty shots for the last year and a bit, want to get further away from the models and explore fashion and more interesting tableaux. Have got the studio thing down pretty much for head'n'shoulders stuff and want to experiment a bit wider out.

Other than that I've ended up high in the mountains, very luckily for me, so a bit of landscape going on in really amazing places.

I'd like to get better at what I do. Whatever that is.

Eirebear

Deleted User wrote: »

I think the only people who have styles these days are people who are very technical, overly artistic, or the poor bastards at college who may be forced into taking up a style and writing an essay on it (instead of just taking photos to get better).

I disagree entirely, "style" is often a natural thing, depending on how a photographer aproaches a shot - no matter what the subject is.

it's not just a matter of "High key" or "low key" at all, how does the photographer frame his shots? We all see things differently, composition plays a massive part in identifying a photographers style. Do they use props, how about the lines within the shot, where do they like to lead the viewers eye etc etc.

smelltheglove

Genre wise I started off with gigs and wanting to do pretty much anything now its weddings weddings and weddings, nothing else I really want to do, yet the odd rock star gig is cool.

Last night I photographed a U2 tribute act for promotional shots which was fun, its nice to get out and do something different every once in a while for inspiration.

I have found over the last few years I have fallen into weddings, I mean I go out to work and I look forward to it, I enjoy every minute of it and I love doing the editing and delivering the images and album etc so why would I want to do anything else.

With gigs I started with the hubbies gigs, then his friends and so on, even photographed a band for an album but really after photographing bigger gigs I just have no interest in the small ones anymore, I still do it but its more of a chore now.

Style wise, wow I dont even know how to explain my style, do I have one...? Im not overly artistic, I like natural enough editing mainly but I do the odd bit of extra editing and tweaks. I also lean towards a more relaxed form of traditional wedding photography, poses with laughter, relaxed along with some fun shots and natural shots. When I go through a bit of a busy spell and loose interest I go out and do some form of rocked up shoot, be it trash the dress, gig or fashion shoot for fun, just to get me interested in posing again etc.

Promac

I like a mixture of landscapes and candid portraiture. I'm red/green colour blind which means that I find blues very vivid and attractive. I think as a result I like images that have a lot of blue and black in them like sea and sky landscapes.

This one from Telchak in the random thread is a perfect example:

ThOnda

Style? My greatest inspiration is Bruce, so if I get naked girl to pose for me, I am happy
Following two simple rules:
Never harm or disrespect people by the picture.
Shoot more, you can always delete.

Style? Maybe to get feedback on the photograph, not only on processing of the picture.

challengemaster

Genre: Cars / people / landscapes

Style: whatever suits the photo

Tin Foil Hat

Promac wrote: »

I like a mixture of landscapes and candid portraiture. I'm red/green colour blind which means that I find blues very vivid and attractive. I think as a result I like images that have a lot of blue and black in them like sea and sky landscapes.

This one from Telchak in the random thread is a perfect example:

*river*

I like that pic. It looks like the edge of the Discworld

humberklog

Promac wrote: »

This one from Telchak in the random thread is a perfect example:

Someone else's pic is a good example of your own style of photography?

Promac

humberklog wrote: »

Someone else's pic is a good example of your own style of photography?

Style of photography? Yeah it is. That's why we use the word "style".


What's your point? Do you not understand the concept of a "style" of photography as opposed to your highly original examples - given that this is exactly what the OP asked about?

humberklog

Promac wrote: »

Style of photography? Yeah it is. That's why we use the word "style".


What's your point? Do you not understand the concept of a "style" of photography as opposed to your highly original examples - given that this is exactly what the OP asked about?

Well maybe the OP can clear it up but how I read it is that the topic is about your own style of photography. As in: the shots you take with your own eye, finger and camera.

Promac

He said "style" and "niche" - these are grouping terms not specifiers. And this is going nowhere fast except off topic and pointless.

Squidgy Black

Every thread he turns into a row nowadays.......

Basically I realise my OP was very vague, what I meant was are there any certain re-occurences in composition, your view of a certain thing etc.

And also what genre do you prefer.

I think Promac was just showing an example of how Telchak's picture was of similarity to the style of picture he takes, the more black and blue colouring being a trait of his own shots as he sees it.

AnimalRights

smelltheglove wrote: »

but really after photographing bigger gigs I just have no interest in the small ones anymore, I still do it but its more of a chore now.

I'm the opposite, Big gigs are a chore, having to deal with bouncers and stars up their own a r s e.
You can't beat a real Pub gig for atmospehre and genuine warmth from the bands.

I think you've just become starstruck.

SetOverSet

I'm only at this photography lark a little over a year and still finding my feet so I haven't developed my own style yet, but there are deinitely a few posters on here with their own distinct style, whose shots I would recognise immediately...

AnimalRights

SetOverSet wrote: »

but there are deinitely a few posters on here with their own distinct style, whose shots I would recognise immediately...

Name & shame them :mad:

Tallon

I don't have a 'style'

I just shoot when I feel the need too

melekalikimaka

AnimalRights wrote: »

Name & shame them :mad:

your style is quite unique

AnimalRights

I would down Thumb me if possible!

Squidgy Black

Yeah I'd probably say AnimalRights, kevlongshanks, and possibly DaireQuinlan have quite distinctive styles, not only the quality, but the composition and stuff. Or with AnimalRights, just the absolute mayhem

Cakes.

*eadoin's style is very recognisable

squareballoon

hmmm not sure if I have a particular style but I only take pictures of babies and my own children.

Promac

Cakesofrice wrote: »

*eadoin's style is very recognisable

Absolutely!

Telchak

Guys, guys! Please don't fight over me

As for me, for a long time my photos were all sweeping landscapes, mainly because I did so much hillwalking. Then I did a photography module in UCD last semester and took a big interest in architecture/urban type stuff. I've always been uncomfortable with taking pictures of people, so you'll find very few in my work... but that's something I hope to change. So I guess I've gone from having a set style, to re-exploring my options

smelltheglove

AnimalRights wrote: »

I think you've just become starstruck.

Haha, so true, but having said that I married someone in bands and am surrounded by friends in different bands etc so after a few years of photographing them I just kind of lost the enthusiasim. I still do it when needed and every once in a while I get into it but I rather the full lighting, the playing to the camera you get from ore experienced musicians etc.