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11/03/2005 04:02:01 PM · #1 |
There are a number of photographers on this site who have styles which make their pictures both unique and recognizable. I wondered if anybody could pick up a style in my work. I seem to be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. I got a note from someone saying I was good at "conceptual" stuff, but I'm not even sure I know what that means. :)
Help me find myself.
You can find more pics on my blog here
There are a lot of challenge entries over there, but there's more stuff too.
No, I don't want this to be a "gee, you are a good photographer Achoo!". I just wondered if you were to put descriptive adjectives to my work, what would they be? |
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11/03/2005 04:13:02 PM · #2 |
well, here are a few quick observations, drawn from a perusal of your DPC work:
- you tend to prefer an overall sharp focus to having the DOF isolate an element.
- your works are frequently monochromatic; color is important, but you use a single color to emphasize a mood more often than including a spectrum of color. for example, your top 4 rated photos are green, orange, sepia, and blue. there are exceptions (e.g. "red dot, meet black dot"), but many more of your strongest images seem to fit this model (e.g., "pianoforte," "volcanic vodka," "golden age of cinema"
-you have a penchant for orange and warm tones over cool tones.
That's by no means definitivve, but perhaps it helps!
Damon |
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11/03/2005 04:13:41 PM · #3 |
| I'm still fairly new to photography and doubt I even have a "style" of my own. I can see it in some photographers and at least one I can actually recognize his work. Basing it on that, I can't say that I would recognize your work yet. I'll let you know when I can! :) Left you a comment while browsing around your profile :) |
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11/03/2005 04:19:11 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by mycelium:
well, here are a few quick observations, drawn from a perusal of your DPC work:
- you tend to prefer an overall sharp focus to having the DOF isolate an element.
- your works are frequently monochromatic; color is important, but you use a single color to emphasize a mood more often than including a spectrum of color. for example, your top 4 rated photos are green, orange, sepia, and blue. there are exceptions (e.g. "red dot, meet black dot"), but many more of your strongest images seem to fit this model (e.g., "pianoforte," "volcanic vodka," "golden age of cinema"
-you have a penchant for orange and warm tones over cool tones.
That's by no means definitivve, but perhaps it helps!
Damon |
Aw, that was great Damon. You might be onto something with the "monochromatic" remark. I think it may be a subconscious expression of what I prefer. (Now to prove the exception to the rule, you can wait for my Transparency entry... :)) |
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11/03/2005 04:24:20 PM · #5 |
I'd like to think style is a "i's knows' it when i sees' it"
I like to think that "I" have a style.
but hard pressed to define it ..
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11/03/2005 04:30:56 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
You might be onto something with the "monochromatic" remark. I think it may be a subconscious expression of what I prefer. (Now to prove the exception to the rule, you can wait for my Transparency entry... :)) |
Breaking new ground for oneself or generally is always good. You know I'm looking forward to seeing whatever new stuff you come up with :)
As for myself, I feel like I'm all over the map - there are some particular veins I will often find myself falling into, but I don't think there's really an overarching unity to my work at all. Maybe that's because I'm pretty new to the serious/artistic world of photography.
How long have you been taking pictures with serious intent? |
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11/03/2005 04:57:26 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by mycelium:
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
You might be onto something with the "monochromatic" remark. I think it may be a subconscious expression of what I prefer. (Now to prove the exception to the rule, you can wait for my Transparency entry... :)) |
Breaking new ground for oneself or generally is always good. You know I'm looking forward to seeing whatever new stuff you come up with :)
As for myself, I feel like I'm all over the map - there are some particular veins I will often find myself falling into, but I don't think there's really an overarching unity to my work at all. Maybe that's because I'm pretty new to the serious/artistic world of photography.
How long have you been taking pictures with serious intent? |
Well, I would consider this my first "good" picture:
This was taken about 15 years ago. I was in undergrad and remember I missed an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation to try to get this. (We get lighting in the Northwest like once a year) I had my relatively new EOS Rebel.
That phase lasted about a year and then there were huge swaths of time during medical school, residency, fellowship, etc. where I hardly touched my camera. I must have done a little because a friend asked me to do their tiny wedding (that was a bit scary), so they must have been at least aware that I took pictures beyond "snapshots".
I seriously got back in a little over a year ago with my 300D. This is really the main chunk of my experience. I've taken about 8,000 pictures since then and I can easily say I'm still learning a ton (even basic stuff) about shooting and about post-production. Image grain challenge being a prime example, but also a recent thread talking about "shooting to the right of the histogram" with digital.
So the obvious reason I may not have a "style" is that I'm new. I am, like you said, still discovering and investigating. I'd love to learn how to take pictures of people (not portraiture). The only reason my people pictures do ok here is my kids are so darn cute. ;) A monkey could photograph them well. That, and I take like 200 pictures a sitting.
Message edited by author 2005-11-03 17:18:26. |
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11/03/2005 05:24:19 PM · #8 |
Not to hijack the thread, but I also would like a "style review" of sorts...
I'm starting to apply to colleges, and I'm looking into a few art schools (KCAI in particular) and I want to know what other people think of my pictures. Here's a link to my portfolio on flickr, and keep in mind these are only my digital. I also do black and white film photography:
//flickr.com/photos/ledzeppelin588/sets/1286070/
Here's what I see in my pictures, mostly:
Vivid blues and reds (looking down the tower, fountain pictures, bridge reflection picture)
Longer exposures, if possible (fountain, espresso)
Repetition (looking down the tower, bowling alley)
In black and white, tons of contrast (look at the chess picture)
feedback in the form of comments on my flickr, and PM's would be HUGELY appreciated. Probably don't reply here, since this probably is a total hijacking...
Thanks :-)
(edited once to make the link a link, and a second time to explain my first edit)
Message edited by author 2005-11-03 17:26:10. |
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11/03/2005 05:29:39 PM · #9 |
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11/03/2005 05:43:09 PM · #10 |
find a consistent style is my most difficult task right now. I'm startin to work on a portfolio to apply for grad school, and I can make images I'm happy about, but I'm havin a hell of a time showing consistency between the images in terms of a certain look or feel. I like how they are individually, but collectively it's like what?
I think the style is the hardest part and is what comes with time more than anything. |
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11/03/2005 09:10:20 PM · #11 |
I would like to hijack the thread to know if I have a style also. I need a few adjectives.
Headed to Dr. Achoos portfolio now to lend my opinion of his 'style'. |
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11/03/2005 09:26:06 PM · #12 |
Not to ruin the enterprise of this thread, but I think there's one fundamental thing we should remember.
Everyone one has a style, sometimes its eclectic.
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11/03/2005 09:27:31 PM · #13 |
DrAchoo,
I definitely sense serenity in your work. And clean lines. Very easy on the eyes. |
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11/03/2005 09:31:02 PM · #14 |
DrAchoo-
I seem to score your entries quite high in challenges. I think what appeals to me most about your photography is your use of light in your subjects. You really know how to use light effectively to make your photos pop.
Dare we call you a 'painter of light?'
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11/03/2005 09:40:59 PM · #15 |
I didn't read what anyone else said so that I wouldn't be influenced or say "Oh, yeah, what he said."
The word I would use to describe your work would be: thoughtful
In that, I mean that it seems to me that you have forethought. You think it through, capture it and then perfect it, although I don't think of your work as one that is highly post edited. Not to say that you don't, but your photos have a purity to them. They are rich of tone and focus, not fuzzy or blurred or soft for the most part. They are clean.
One of my favorites is the recent one from "Coffee Shop." It has a glow sense to it, which I wouldn't think of as your "typical" style, but I think part of it is the lighting in combination with the copper coffee machine.
Ok, I've said enough. Gonna go read what others said now. Judy |
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11/03/2005 09:43:18 PM · #16 |
Yeah, what she said...LOL
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11/03/2005 10:46:50 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by Jutilda:
In that, I mean that it seems to me that you have forethought. You think it through, capture it and then perfect it, although I don't think of your work as one that is highly post edited. Not to say that you don't, but your photos have a purity to them. They are rich of tone and focus, not fuzzy or blurred or soft for the most part. They are clean. |
I think you may have something here too 'tilda. When I take a picture, I get very obsessive/compulsive about a shot. I probably take 50-200 shots to get one for a challenge. This is why I am extremely poor at the on-the-fly candid. I want to control the subject, light, background, everything and those shots are about feeling the moment and shaping your shot around what is presented (instead of the opposite). As an example, when I took the picture of Multnomah Falls for the Corner challenge, I drove out and back (about an hour round trip) and found Iwasn't quite satisfied with my shot. So like a total idiot, instead of just saying "good enough", I went back the next day and shot again. Thanks goodness I got one I was happy with. This may not be a characteristic of a "normal" individual.
I've really appreciated everybody's comments. I will be sure to leave PM's for you to say what I see in your portfolio. |
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11/03/2005 10:53:01 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Help me find myself.
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I asked myself the same questions not too long ago. Your style isn't something that someone else can really help you find. Here's how you develop your style (in a very small nutshell):
1. Decide what it is that you like to photograph. What is/are your favorite subject(s)?
2. Study the subject(s) you discover through #1.
3. What makes them interesting? Photograph that. Make lots of photographs.
4. What do you want the photos to look like? Figure that out, get good at creating the look.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the answer to number 1 changes. Then, start over from #1 again.
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11/03/2005 10:54:55 PM · #19 |
dr - i'd say looking at 7 or 8 of your shots, that you're very good at creating mood with colour. you seem to know how to get the colours to have a soothing, almost pastel look in some of the shots. not sure I could pick your work out of 100 like some others here, but there's a uniform quality to alot of your stuff that is worth noting. :-)
Message edited by author 2005-11-03 22:55:31. |
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11/03/2005 11:01:53 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
There are a number of photographers on this site who have styles which make their pictures both unique and recognizable. I wondered if anybody could pick up a style in my work. I seem to be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. I got a note from someone saying I was good at "conceptual" stuff, but I'm not even sure I know what that means. :)
I just wondered if you were to put descriptive adjectives to my work, what would they be? |
OK, pretty sure it was me who made that comment. What I meant was not well expressed. I hang out here to not only see great photos, throw mine up and see how they do, but also to learn how to think thematically. I think you do the latter very well. So one "style" aspect of yours is a well-executed image with nothing "wrong", all of the bases covered technically, with a slant that is either unique or seldom seen. Like Judy said, "pure" and "clean"
People in my line (horse pics) see a style in my photos, mostly the use of light. Maybe I resonate to a similar orientation in yours.
And maybe I'm a little obsessive, too. Though seldom do I get a "do-over" with my nearly unpositionable models, I'm up to 180 self-assignments at home since April 04. :-)
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11/03/2005 11:57:42 PM · #21 |
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Help me find myself.
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I asked myself the same questions not too long ago. Your style isn't something that someone else can really help you find. Here's how you develop your style (in a very small nutshell):
1. Decide what it is that you like to photograph. What is/are your favorite subject(s)?
2. Study the subject(s) you discover through #1.
3. What makes them interesting? Photograph that. Make lots of photographs.
4. What do you want the photos to look like? Figure that out, get good at creating the look.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the answer to number 1 changes. Then, start over from #1 again. |
Very good advice and the same situation I'm finding myself in. |
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11/04/2005 12:32:39 AM · #22 |
Speaking of your landscape work in general, and your Yellowstone portfolio in particular, you show a marked preference for "flattening" the landscape out, and you have several examples where you show both a color and a B/W version; in each of these cases, the B/W version is MUCH more expressive, carries a heavier emotive content. You might consider seeing if you can go back and process the color versions so they have this same impact. The sorts of compositions you favor are very dependent on color or tonal adjustments to work well. You have the tonal part down pretty well in the B/W versions; now see if you can generate more expressive color. It can be a realtively subtle adjustment.
Robt.
Edit to add: This is certainly not "definitive", but here's a quick reworking of "Teton Moonset" with much different color values. It was very difficult to work from the posted color version, artifacts from low-res were creeping in and I had to throw neat image at the sky, but working from a large original this would not be a problem.
 (original)
 (reworked)
Message edited by author 2005-11-04 01:04:11.
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11/04/2005 02:15:14 AM · #23 |
Originally posted by bear_music:
(original)
(reworked) |
okay - wow.
I have no idea what you did to make those changes. Can you give me any pointers? Especially for a quick reworking, that's pretty amazing. |
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11/04/2005 02:54:54 AM · #24 |
Okay Doc... As I see it, first of all you have a beautiful portfolio. There are some masterful pieces of work in there. Kudos to you. Second (and in specific response to your request), IMHO you tend to make bold statements with your images - whether it is with color tones, contrast, composition, or texture. As a rule, your photos have a strong immediate visual impact. I think this probably stems from contemplative preparation - which is obviously a good thing and something from which all of us can learn a lot. Third I think that you tend to use very bold tones with a lot of contrast in your compositions - whether it is cool or warm - depending on the individual composition.
On a related note, I don't really think that I would denote that you were limited to a definitive "style" here on DPC in the save vein as heida, JoeyLawrence, graphicfunk, scalvert, grigrigirl, moodville, JPR, ennil, AnNaH, nico_blue, or librodo (just to name a few), but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. Sure they are fantastically talented artists and individuals who have a distinctive flair that is all their own (and very marketable), but it doesn't mean that you can't be just as successful (or more so) by being your own voice. And I think it's a very strong one at that.
Again, it's just my two cents worth - a little country bumpkin who knows little of nothing about nothing, but I do know what I like and I have managed to travel around this big ball we call Earth quite a bit - and I always come back to the same conclusions... Be true to yourself, your gifts, and your talents, whatever they may be. Practice them daily, hone them, and share them with the world. Because that is all that you truly have to give.
Okay okay... enough of the sappy crap... long story short is that I like your stuff, I think you're doing great, and I always look forward to your next shots! :-)
Message edited by author 2005-11-04 02:55:58. |
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11/04/2005 05:52:45 AM · #25 |
What's up Doc ? what do you think ? do you have a "style" and if so what is it ?
Be you own critic don't rely on us. Tell us what you think your style is ? What are you trying to archieve ? do you want a style ? Is it important to you to have a certain style ?
From what I have seen I wouldn't associate your photos with a style.
Message edited by author 2005-11-04 05:53:21. |
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