Photography Thailand Forum

[dcdk]

We invite you to attend our two day workshop on "Finding Your Photographic Style" which will help you see and develop the elements in your technique and point of view that make your work stand out in the crowd. The workshop will be near the Asoke BTS station in Bangkok on July 30-31, 2011. For more details and to register go to www.portfolio-therapy.com or find us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portfolio-Therapy/126629817394613
All discussions will be translated to Thai as needed.
We look forward to seeing you,
Dk and Dennie Cody

[Khun Hans]

Dcdk, thanks for posting your offer here. I checked it at FB and on your web site and quite frankly I don't know what you are offering exactly Don't you think a serious photographer doesn't know his own style of taking photographs. Without any offense it should rather be a workshop for beginners, isn't it?
Hans

[dcdk]

Hans,
Thanks for your response and the chance to share my thoughts about this idea of style. What separates the most famous photographers from the masses of picture takers is primarily their unique style. Most professionals work their entire careers to build and establish an identity which is instantly recognizable to everyone who sees their photographs. When I work 1 on 1 or in a workshop with a photographer what I seek to do with them is to find the images in their collection that are unlike any other photographers work that I have ever seen as this will very likely become the basis for their "style". Then they can begin to build a portfolio of images in that stye that will visually inform the viewer that this is the work of this particular photographer.
When I look at the portfolios of professional, semi pro, emerging or advanced amateur photographers like your self I usually see hundreds of competent and well done images but most are just repeatable versions of each others work with out any real element of cohesion or point of view. To find style is not just a pursuit for the pro or the amateur but for all photographers who wish to do something beyond the snapshot. To help you understand what I am trying to convey here are links to four sources discussing style. I hope you will find them as informing as I do. Again thanks for your comments, i look forward to more.
Dennie Cody
http://photofocus.com/2009/09/01/a-few-thoughts-on-photographic-style/
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/aesthetics9.shtml
http://thediscerningphotographer.com/2010/03/18/developing-photographic-style/
http://www.pixiq.com/article/your-photographic-style

[Khun Hans]

Thanks, Dennie.
Unfortunately I'm about leaving home right now, coming back Monday without having access to the internet. I will look into that and coming back to you. 
Hans

[Marc Schultz]

This comment of mine is not intended to sound negative in any way towards the notion of one having their own style. But I have been a professional photographer for while (I think professional simply means I spent more than the average photographer has on lenses  and which means I have less money left over for everything else).

I have though shot years of travel editorial pictures, done books, magazines, as well as just about every type of commercial and corporate photography there is. I shot out of a helicopter once as well. Luckily I am still here to talk about it

The point is what I can personally say after the various experiences I have had in photography is that I feel I definitely don't have a style, nor have I ever attempted to try and achieve a certain definitive or recognizable and/or signature look to all of my pictures.

My style is always to evolve and raise my techniques to a higher level of technical quality if I can. Push the limit and shoot things I have not shot before. That is my style. If you can look at a single photo of mine anywhere and say "Now that is definitely a Marc Schultz photo", then that means I have stopped evolving. But that's just me.

[dcdk]

Marc,
I am glad to have your comment. We are all different in our approach to the world of photography which is why it is such a fascinating occupation or preoccupation for so many of us. The challenge for me to try to bring some visual sense out the chaos of life into a visual language that makes music to the eyes of the viewer. So if I can help someone do that with their work then it gives me a sense of satisfaction for having helped them see what others see in their work. I believe that most of us are our own worst editors because of our emotional attachment to various photos in our collections while an unbiased eye will sort out the wheat from the chaff. In a world filled with visuals I believe that we should always try to present the strongest most powerful images while leaving the rest on the cutting room floor. Film makers are quite adept at editing (there is always an editor on any film production) while so many photographers flood the world with unedited unconsidered reams of photos that dilute the waters. My hope is that I can help just a few edit their work to find their point of view and their voice through their style. 
All the best,
Dennie

[Marc Schultz]

Good. It sounds like a nice approach and set of objectives Dennie. I agree with what you are saying and what you are aiming to help people achieve. And if it helps people weed through their weeds, then you have done someone a big favor.

I recently went though an exercise of revamping my own main web site. It used to be flooded with galleries of pictures in every genre and so it was very busy trying to say "I can do it all". About 3 weeks ago when I re-did the site I took a "Less Is More" approach. I decided, like you said in other words, only put your best foot forward. So I attempted to do that. At first I started with a new site of about close to 20 images. No categories anymore, just what I thought might grab someone's eye. Then I cut it down even more to just a dirty dozen. And I believe with just 12 of the right images you are still able to suggest to people that you are capable of doing the work they might want shot. And furthermore, if a picture is worth 1,000 words, then even with just 12 pictures I have probably already said too much.
 

What is also interesting in all this is that, during the process of arriving at the final 12 from the initial set of close to 20 images I had selected, I took some pictures out of the original mix and then added some others in to replace them. As the objective of what I was trying to say with my images became more defined and clear, so did my collection. I also put the images I was removing into a separate folder to keep track of what I discarded in case later I had any change of heart on the final selection. In the end I ended up with 12 final and 12 more that I removed.

If you ponder the notion that you should get rid of at least one for every one that you keep, then my exercise turned out exactly right, even though I wasn't aiming it in that way.

Good thing I didn't keep chopping out pictures though after a while or people would have gotten quite bored at looking at just a big white empty square on the screen.  

[dcdk]

Marc,
I think you did the absolute right thing with your main site as those are 12 really strong photographs and they do the job much better than hundreds of pictures could do in my opinion. I like it very much. However I will disagree with something you said in your first statement and that is that you don't have a style. I would beg to differ with you. I believe you have three different styles, one the big bold clean saturated color correct structured images in the 12 on your main site. Two the "Urban Lines" with the HDR fisheye documentary style which is a great collection. And finally three, your documentary of Thailand with the careful compositions and accurate color well exposed style.  Each is different but each is you and sets you apart from other photographers with each definitive style. So in spite of all that you say you do have a style(s) and I think what I said in the beginning that we all strive to find our style to set ourselves apart from the others holds true. Which why I believe my workshop is a valid process for almost all photographers since almost everyone one of us is too close to the forest to see the trees. You were lucky enough to be able to sort out your top 12 while others are not able to do that editing process so successfully. For those I feel I have a valid service to offer, while not all need apply. Obviously.
I did enjoy seeing your work and look forward to the continuing dialogue.
Dennie