Developing a unique style

Technical proficiency is a foundation of any activity, including all genres of photography, but it is deviations from the conventional standards that constitutes a unique, personal style. That is, until other people start to imitate them. Then, the style becomes popular and eventually turns into a new mainstream.

I came across a very insightful interview with Dan Carlin, who publishes a fascinating podcast called “Hardcore History.” I learned about Carlin by listening to “Wrath of the Khans” – a refreshing alternative to revisionist descriptions of the Mongol invasions (e.g. “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.”) In the interview, Carlin talkes about “copyrighting your shortcomings” (not an exact quote), making them part of the personal brand. In other words, our unique ways of doing things are the essence of our personal styles. In a similar spirit, tea bowls used in Japanese tea ceremony are sometimes deliberately cracked or chipped to give them unique appearance and character. Therefore, in the spirit of turning weaknesses into strengths, it is advisable to work on developing a personal style, rather that trying to imitate someone else.

This argument perfectly translates to photography. Often, deviation from conventional “rules” of composition, lighting, colour management and exposure results in interesting images. Initially, this habits by chance, but by critically analyzing why a particular image “works” (or not) and attempting to reproduce or enhance the same effect in later photographs, we can develop a unique, personal style.

I believe that the difference between the interesting photos that are results of blind luck (and often lack of the technical skill) and the ones that are an expression of a unique style of the artist is that the latter are created deliberately. This concept is similar to kendo, where a strike is considered “valid” (yuko datotsu) when it is executed with intention.