A photographic voice

[Murchu]

This morning (and many, many other mornings) have found me curious about the thought of a photographic voice, or rather the affinity one can feel in expressing themselves in one or more respects through photography.

Personally, its something I've struggled with, although have achieved it with other creative forms. With photography I plough on in the hope one day it will click the same way some other things have clicked after long, difficult beginnings. Right now though, I do not reach for the camera in the same way I do a pen, for example, although at the same time do not expect photography to replace the written (or typed) word as my own personal primary form of communication/ expression. At the same time, photography is an oddball for me, and in the manner different creative forms lend themselves to specific forms of expression more easily, photography has no home for me personally, yet.

I do not worry that I will reach for the camera more readily one day, but for now am curious where photography and expression fit in for you, or your thoughts in general..

 

[FrankS]

Kind of a vague/nebulous question. All i know is that I do photography because I like it. The hardware, the process, and the images I produce, all give me pleasure. I'm an intuitive type so I don't tend to over analyze and worry about voice or style, I just do. Even if that means that I can never be a serious photographer, so be it. I am what I am.

 

[victoriapio]

I got a degree in photojournalism in the late 70s (probably the golden age of PJ, or the waning of it) and was published in many magazines, a few newspapers and was honored for several of my images over a 15 year career.
Then when I wanted to make some real money, I transitioned into the "communications" business that paid well. I have been doing this for another 15 years and like it a lot.
But nothing speaks to me about life like photography. My work has shifted from PJ to more art photography and until my dying day hope to convince at least one person besides me, that I am great at it. Now that I don't have to support myself with my photography, taking pictures has become even more fulfilling for me than in the past.

 

[Damaso]

Finding your voice is one of the most interesting things. It took me a few years to figure out what my voice it. One thing to think about is what you're passionate about in terms of visual storytelling, what you want to communicate and how your method of shooting affects the images you make...

 

[icebear]

...

Personally, its something I've struggled with, although have achieved it with other creative forms. With photography I plough on in the hope one day it will click the same way some other things have clicked after long, difficult beginnings. ...

Hi Damien,

as photography is a recording medium, it for sure is more limited than other art forms in regards of personal expression. Congrats, if you can say for yourself, you have achieved that level in other forms. I looked at your link and I can see your struggle. I think it is much more difficult to communicate a personal voice in photography and only a few reach a level at which their voice is heard and their work recognized. Maybe you use photography just for fun and it get's there by itself.

 

[retnull]

It comes down to one question: how connected are you with the thing your lens is pointed at?

If you have some strong investment in the subject--some love, hate, fascination, repulsion--the image will be strong. If not, then...

 

[thegman]

I enjoy taking photos, I find it relaxing and I enjoy waiting for the shots to come back from the lab. I also enjoy trying to get better at something, and also the idea that I have recorded a scene which I look at in 10 years and get a hint of the feeling of being there.

I don't try to have a "voice" in photography, I don't think I have one to be honest, I just like taking photos, and I like being in beautiful places taking those photos.

I guess if you do want to try to find a voice though, I guess you've got to find something you care about, maybe some kind of campaign, either one you make up yourself, or an existing one for the environment, or homeless, or against fascism or something.

 

[jsrockit]

No need to force photography into your life. If you aren't feeling it, don't do it. I took ten years off after getting burnt out. It was the best thing I could have done because now photography is fun and relaxing.

 

[Murchu]

This has become an interesting thread, as I had imagined and hoped 🙂

The original post/ topic was intentionally a little vague or open to elicit some broader responses, and also personally to help me figure out where photography fits in for me, something I had not thought openly about before, but find myself thinking out loud about right now.

I think the thought/ concept of expressing yourself visually through photography is a very specific strand of photography, and by no means some holy grail that all photographers should seek, but rather the end I am interested in at the moment. I've muddled through having fun with a camera for the last 10 years or so, but seeing where photography fits in as a tool of expression or communication is where I am now, probably especially so given I have difficulty picking up a camera casually right now.

Right now, all I can say is I hope the discussion keeps going, and have found words like Damaso's above particularly evocative of what I was hoping to find from such a topic.

edit: I find Johns/jsrockits comment about not forcing things quite insightful. It is something I hope to be definitely mindful of, but there is no argument for me that my photographic muse definitely needs some gentle teasing/ rejuvenation/ fresh focus right now 🙂

 

[Dektol Dan]

Picture Perfect Craft

Picture Perfect Craft

Photography can be both skill and craft, very rarely art. Basically it's the enjoyment of collecting representations of found objects.

When collecting sea shells at the beach one may find some very beautiful ones, but those shells found in a fossil or a paleolithic cave may also have a message. In as much as the design or composition of the shell may have emotional appeal, likewise in photography whatever the photographer brings to the choice is as close to art as photography can become. True art by the most classical definition requires the artist actually create something. Strictly speaking, this almost never happens with photography.

However, I am very satisfied with the craft.

 

[Murchu]

Well, if one can express themself simply with the brand of coffee they drink, I am sure it it possible to express oneself photographically, without worrying whether the form is a high art or not.. 🙂

 

[jsrockit]

Photography can be both skill and craft, very rarely art. Basically it's the enjoyment of collecting representations of found objects.

When collecting sea shells at the beach one may find some very beautiful ones, but those shells found in a fossil or a paleolithic cave may also have a message. In as much as the design or composition of the shell may have emotional appeal, likewise in photography whatever the photographer brings to the choice is as close to art as photography can become. True art by the most classical definition requires the artist actually create something. Strictly speaking, this almost never happens with photography.

However, I am very satisfied with the craft.

I feel like I travelled back in time... 😉

 

[cz23]

Finding your voice is one of the most interesting things. It took me a few years to figure out what my voice it. One thing to think about is what you're passionate about in terms of visual storytelling, what you want to communicate and how your method of shooting affects the images you make...

Damaso has it right, I think. Voice comes down to two things: 1) understanding yourself -- who you are and what you value, and 2) expressing that understanding with consistent photographic methods.

Doing so is easier, I think, with writing, because it is inherently more internal and laborious. Photography makes it easy to be all over the place. Most serious writers of prose and poetry have a relatively narrow focus that aligns with their values. I think we need to apply the same introspection and selectivity to our photography. I'm not talking about casual shooting for entertainment; I mean to establish an artistic voice and take our work to the next level.

That's a quality I see in the photographers I admire, such as Robert Frank, Saul Leiter, Michael Kenna, Prabuddha Dasgupta, and Daido Moriyama. My guess is they all understand themselves, what they want to express, and how they wish to do so. I doubt they give much thought to voice; it is just a natural consequence of those two qualities.

John

 

[dabick42]

Wise words from Dektol Dan...

... ''Photography can be both skill and craft, very rarely art''...

That single sentence accurately and succinctly encapsulates all that can sensibly be said about photography as an image-producing medium.

Calling it an ''art'' is just heavy breathing and wishful thinking....

 

[oftheherd]

Wise words from Dektol Dan...

... ''Photography can be both skill and craft, very rarely art''...

That single sentence accurately and succinctly encapsulates all that can sensibly be said about photography as an image-producing medium.

Calling it an ''art'' is just heavy breathing and wishful thinking....

Well, I agree some skill is an advantage, and there is a craft to be learned for best results. But rarely art? Personally I don't agree. Not all photographs are art, but many are imho, at least for me.

As for the OP, who can say if it will ever become something you like as well as writing? It just may never click like that. Maybe you should be satisfied in documenting the world around you. That is what a lot of writing is about, even when it is fiction.

But if you want to push it a little, is there any of your writing that could be enhanced with photographic illustrations? Start looking for photos when you are out that could illustrate some of your writing.

Good luck. Let us know how you come along (if you do).

 

[Charlie Lemay]

This is how I have pursued unique personal vision and what I try to convey to my students:

See light rather than things

Eliminate the unnecessary

Find the extraordinary within the ordinary

Shed preconceptions, what you expect to see, and see what is actually in front of you

Don't show us images we've all seen before, show us the images, that if you don't make them, no one else will ever get to see.

I have found that following this sequence is a way to find your own voice.

There is a more in depth exposition of this in the ZoneSimple section of my website under the heading "What to Photograph."

 

[daveleo]

I am not an artist nor a photographer. I'm a retired engineer.

I don't have an artistic vision nor a photographic voice, and I have no delusions about the qualities of my images.

I get pleasure when someone likes a picture I make, but I am personally very pleased with some of my stuff that most people think just sucks. Okay . . . so be it, I guess. I still like it, and I don't care to explain why I do. (Sometimes I can't actually explain that to myself!)

 

[mfogiel]

Your voice should be obvious in photography, if it is obvious in everyday life: do you have any strong opinions about what is right or wrong, just or unjust, interesting or boring, beautiful or ugly? If yes, then you have a voice, and you just have to figure out how to show it in a way that would be interesting photographically.

 

[paulfish4570]

i have a voice. it shouts, "light!"

 

[zhenka22]

This is something I have been acutely experiencing myself. Photography as a medium most certainly can be used for art, as well as for more simple reasons.

It appears in this case we are speaking about photography's capacity to represent, to become something that you innately feel or wish to express. I think whilst on the surface photography seems a very flexible and expressive medium, in reality it is difficult to express some ideas with it simply because it is such a direct language of symbols, symbols that can be appropriated, misinterpreted or can simply dilute the original thought of the artist.

There is also the argument that can stem from Eastern philosophy that says that anything fundamental or from the 'real world' can only be communicated through myths or symbols, therefore indirectly. From this point of view, photography can be problematic as we confuse photography with reality.

I think contemporary photography that explores quiet literal themes can be very successful, but when it comes to exploring more complex topics that cannot necessarily be defined, I am still myself undecided on where the limits of photography lie...