3. Developing Your Style
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Everyone has a point of view. Some people call it style. When you trust your point of view, that’s when you start taking pictures.
—Annie Leibovitz
Your clients are more visually sophisticated than any other consumers in history. Commercials, magazine editorials, and the array of images on the Internet have influenced how they expect to see their children in photographs. Some clients may even own the same camera that you use. Others might dabble in Photoshop. It seems everyone has a photography business on the side these days. You might consider quitting photography before you even start. How can you possibly set yourself apart? The only way is by developing your unique style.
In this chapter you’ll learn how to cultivate your style by improving your critical eye, defining what attracts you, identifying your influences, finding your muses, and staying inspired.
It’s Been Done
When it comes to photography (or painting or sculpture, or any other art), there’s nothing new. It’s all been done before, and that is both frustrating and freeing at the same time. It’s frustrating when you come up with this great new concept, and before you have a chance to shoot it, you see someone pinning the same idea on Pinterest. It’s freeing because, although it’s all been done before, it hasn’t been done by you, and you are the X factor—the element that no one else can duplicate. Your eye, your vision, your ability to interact with your subject, and your choice of lighting and setting are all ingredients in the creative stew of your next photography project.
You simply cannot afford to waste time comparing yourself to anyone else. Keep in mind that Picasso used the same tools that were available to everyone else. He didn’t buy a book on How to Paint Like Picasso. He used the available tools and with his unique vision created something new. So how do you find your unique vision? Let’s explore the elements that will help you develop your style.
Your Critical Eye
Pay attention to photographers whose work you admire and whose images are a source of inspiration to you. What is it, specifically, that you are drawn to? What is their subject matter of choice? How do they use light? How do they employ the use of color or the lack of color? What angles or perspective do they shoot from, and how does that change how you view the subject? What do you feel when you look at their work?
Carefully analyzing what you respond to, positively or negatively, in another artist’s work helps develop your critical eye. Over time, your critical eye will become an increasingly refined lens through which you will view your own work. Rather than being discouraged by the difference between your work and that of your heroes, you’ll be able to see what they do and be inspired by why they do it. You can then incorporate those techniques into your own work and evaluate whether they work for your style. When I experiment with a new technique, it never works out the way I think it will. It’s always harder than I thought, but it leads me to something new. So it’s not whether the attempt was successful or not but what it led me to.
Pay attention to photographers whose work you admire.
As a senior in high school I attended a lecture given by the Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Brian Lanker. Lanker won the Pulitzer for his images on the new trend of fathers being allowed in the delivery room. I don’t remember a word of his lecture, but I still get goose bumps when I recall how I felt when I saw the slide show of his images of a mother and father sharing the moment of seeing their baby for the first time. As I sat in that darkened auditorium, I realized that this is what I wanted to do—to capture images that would evoke real emotion.
Imitate Those You Admire
Like a child learning to write the letters of the alphabet, in the early stages of your photographic education you’ll imitate to learn. If you are influenced by great photographers, your imitation will pale in comparison to the work you seek to imitate. But in the beginning, imitation can teach you method and technique. As long as you don’t try to pass off the work as your own idea, it is a useful approach to help you develop your own style. As Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like an Artist says, “Don’t just steal the style; steal the thinking behind the style. You don’t want to look like your heroes; you want to see like your heroes.”
Be Selective
Throughout this book I’ll nag you to be selective, to embrace restraints, and to limit your variables. The reason is that although I love having lots of options, I’ve learned that too many options can be your enemy. Be selective about:
• Who influences you. Select your heroes carefully. Study the masters of portraiture in photography and painting. Learn from the best of the best. Look for excellence, not just popularity.
• What you photograph. When you start out, you may generalize in photography, but pay careful attention to what you love to shoot. You don’t want to make the same mistake that I see on many photographers’ websites: We specialize in families, kids, seniors, corporate head shots, weddings, and bar mitzvahs. That’s not specializing. Resist the temptation to try to be everything to everyone.
• Trends. New trends occur in photography every day, or at least it seems that way. A photographer posts an interesting shot online, and before you know it, everyone’s trying that Photoshop action, texture, or lighting pattern. Stay true to your vision of how you want to portray your subjects, even if you don’t have a solid idea of exactly what that is. If you love rich, saturated color and everyone else is desaturating their work, who cares? Pursue your own vision. Don’t worry about what others are doing. What you decide not to include in your work is as important as what to include. Don’t chase trends. Chase excellence.
Tip
As you are editing each shoot. Pay attention to the images that interest you. Even if you can’t say exactly why.
Beware of the Rabbit Hole
Beware of the rabbit holes of other photographer’s blogs, photography forums, and constantly comparing yourself to others. You’ll get discouraged. These influences can distort your vision, so take a break from them. Clear your head and instead go shoot something for yourself. Mom said it best, “Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing; worry about yourself!”
What Attracts You?
The simplest way to begin developing your style is to pay attention to what you are visually attracted to. Do you love rich, vivid color, or is a neutral palette more your style? Are you drawn to images that are light and bright, or do you prefer a dark and somber treatment? As you pull inspiration images from magazines or websites, watch for common elements that you are repeatedly drawn to.
My sister is an interior designer, and when she starts a project with a new client, style is their first consideration. Style informs every subsequent decision they will make in designing the house. The most immediate way for her to determine a client’s style preferences is by using a visual method. She pulls hundreds of photographs of different rooms, furniture, and finishes, and gives her client the interior design version of an eye test by asking “Do you like this better or this?” The images left on the table after this weeding out process give my sister a clear idea of what her client does and does not like, allowing her to proceed with confidence as to how she will combine her client’s preferences with her own unique vision of the design project.
Developing your style can work in a similar way. It begins by simply concentrating on what you like. What do you love to shoot? What types of images attract your attention in your own work and in the work of others? What do others comment on in your work? Can you identify a common theme in what you are attracted to and what you shoot?
What Do You Love or Hate to Shoot?
No matter how cranky or naughty they are, I love to photograph kids (FIGURE 3.1). I get a charge from hanging out with the short set. On the other hand, I hate shooting weddings. For a couple of years I shot weddings but had to quit because I realized that I couldn’t care less about the bride and groom. All I wanted to photograph at the weddings were the kids and the old people. Even within the genre of children’s portraiture I have likes and dislikes. For example, photographing newborns is boring to me unless a sibling or parent is in the photo with them. And I like to shoot relationships, either a relationship between two people or an interaction between my subject and me. I love to photograph kids who are just a little (or a lot) mischievous. The unpredictability of the less well-behaved child injects some sass and personality into the images.
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FIGURE 3.1 Twin sisters each hold their baby, but only one has the real baby, their little brother. Jealousy results.
Determine what you love and hate to shoot. What images do you want your clients to buy? How can you shoot more of what you love?
Editing for Style
During the process of editing your own work, identify the images that most attract you. Keep an eye out for that bit of something unexpected, when there’s just something about a certain image that draws you in (Figure 3.1). Even if you’re convinced your clients won’t get it, show it to them anyway. If you love it and it represents the kind of work you want to do more of, put it up on your website or your blog. Posting the images that you love best will draw clients who love your style of work. And the opposite is true. If you don’t like photographing newborns but you post an entire newborn gallery because you think you should, be prepared to shoot more newborns. Show only those images you want to shoot more of. As I edit my shoots, I find I am consistently drawn to negative space, simplicity in composition, and an element of the unexpected in my subject’s pose or expression. What elements are you repeatedly drawn to in your own work?
Shoot for You
During every shoot, you should make time to shoot something just for you. Disciplining yourself to do this will help you develop your style by giving you the freedom to try something new. After I’ve already captured the safe shots (FIGURE 3.2), the shots that I know the client wants, I shoot something just for me (FIGURE 3.3). During the proofing session, I’ll show both images to my client. When I first started doing this, the clients liked “my shot,” but they didn’t usually order it. Now, they’ll order my shot about 50 percent of the time. Clients want to see your most creative work on your website, even if they’ll select a more traditional shot for their home. Clients also want to see that you’ve pushed the creative envelope during the shoot of their children. Shooting something for yourself keeps you interested, keeps your skills sharp, and keeps you moving forward in your work and style.
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FIGURE 3.2 There’s nothing wrong with delivering a nice, traditional portrait for a client.
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FIGURE 3.3 Take some extra time to shoot a couple of images just for you.
Elicit Other Opinions
It’s difficult to be objective about your own work, especially in the early stages. Sometimes it’s helpful to gather opinions from those around you. Create a PDF of ten of your best images. They should be your favorite images—work that you want to do more of. Email the PDF to people whose opinion you value (not just your mom). For example, send the file to fellow photographers, clients who love your work, a sister or friend who always tells you the truth, or all of the above. Ask them to carefully look at the images and then email you a list of ten words that come to mind when they look at your images. Then compare their responses and see if any words are repeated from person to person. This exercise will give you an objective idea of how others see your work. It may validate what you already know, or it may surprise you. When I performed this exercise, the most common words in the responses I received were motion, expression, light, and humor. These words have been the guiding themes for me in my work. What are the words that represent your work?
Find Your Muses
Have you noticed that there are some kids you just jell with? You get them and they get you. The camera loves them, and what you create together is some kind of magic. These children may be your muses. My muses are not the best-behaved children; in fact, they are some of the wildest kids I photograph. But somehow the combination of their personalities and mine forms a creative chaos that makes for my most dynamic images. It’s not difficult to get a nice image of a perfectly behaved, beautiful child. The challenge comes when the child wants to do it his way, and I love that challenge. I have seven children and two of them have autism, so I am no stranger to bad or crazy behavior. My experience with my own kids allows me to enjoy my subjects’ crazy antics rather than being upset by them—that, and the fact that I can send them home in an hour!
The relationship I form with my subjects is my favorite aspect of what I do.
Each year for the past seven years I’ve been photographing the boys in FIGURE 3.4. Brothers Maxwell and Henry first came to me as two and four year olds. Every year the shoot is completely crazy, and every year they deliver the goods. Henry has the face of an angel, but don’t let those blue eyes fool you, he gives me a run for my money. Maxwell has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, and is in constant performance mode. He has no inhibitions and is only too happy to bust a move or tell you about his latest Jedi mind tricks. These boys have taught me to go with the flow and keep shooting. Some kids have great instincts; you just need to let them do their thing and be there to capture it.
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FIGURE 3.4 Maxwell and Henry deliver the goods in every shoot we do. They are my muses.
At their most recent shoot, Maxwell sidled up to me and said, blushing, “I love you.” Henry’s friend who had tagged along to the shoot scoffed at this and said, “You love her?” Maxwell defended himself by saying, “Hey, I’ve known her for a long time!” I see these boys just once a year, but in that one concentrated hour each year we’ve formed a relationship that I count as priceless. The relationship I form with my subjects is my favorite aspect of what I do. I feel connected to my clients and their children. They are my people and I love them. Who are your muses? Take some time to think about particular shoots in which you’ve captured your favorite images. It might be because you’re a great photographer, or it might be great because you were photographing your muse.
Learn by Doing
You might think you need to hurry and nail down your technique so you can move on to developing your style. Actually, both happen concurrently. It’s while you are learning technique that you make some happy mistakes and luck into a compelling shot. Then you figure out how you did it and how to repeat it. You can’t wait until you’ve completely mastered the medium before you turn your eye toward style because, honestly, you will never, ever feel like you’ve mastered the medium of photography. There’s always something new to learn. As author David McCullough says, “The beauty of the arts is that we learn by doing.”
With a specific vision and a willingness to solve the problems that lie between you and a great image, there is very little that can stand in your way. If you have the “what” in mind, you can always find the “how.”
Experiment. Evaluate. Continue.
The next section of this book is all about the “how,” but before we delve into the essentials of lighting it’s important to highlight what you already know. In a nutshell, photography is problem solving. With all the variables of exposure, lighting, you, and your subject, every situation will present a unique set of problems for you to solve. Every time I step on the set of a shoot I’m in problem-solving mode, my mind whirring a mile a minute. If I’m lucky, I arrive at the solution quickly; if not, the inward swearing begins. So cut yourself some slack and realize that problem solving is what we do. Experiment. Evaluate. Continue to problem solve. Don’t worry about how others are doing it. Learn good skills, and then photograph your subjects the way you think it should be done (FIGURE 3.5). Trust your instincts; you might be wrong, but you might be right. Now put down this book and go shoot something.
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FIGURE 3.5 Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. Focus on the work.
Every situation will present a unique set of problems for you to solve.