Lock-in effect

In vibrations, the term “lock-in” (or lock-on) refers to the phenomenon of an object oscillating at its natural frequency in response to an excitation by a different frequency. The system is said to be “locked-on” to the natural frequency of the oscillator. In marketing the same term refers to the difficulty of switching to a new product, service or technology, if the the consumer has already invested (often psychologically) into the old product or process.

In both cases the term refers to some inertia associated with the status quo. Since this seems to be a universal phenomenon, it is reasonable to generalize and assume that most people tend to lock-in to their current way of doing things. This refers to the tools and methods they use, how they seek and provide feedback, how they form their opinions, etc. Therefore, a reasonable strategy for differentiating oneself from the crowd (which is pretty much a necessary step for an any artist) would be to consciously fight the lock-in effect, i.e. to be responsive to new inputs (learn new techniques, change the workflow, etc.)

Of course, reacting to every new input has its dangers. Borrowing again the concept from engineering, if the system does not have sufficient damping, it will become unstable, so even small disturbances would lead to huge oscillations. I think that in a creative process, ability to stay true to one’s own “voice” and “style” has the effect of damping: not every subject or technique would resonate with the given photographer, for example. In this case, the unique style is analogous to the natural frequency of the system.