Can a personal unique vision in Photography be taught?

[gns]

I think maybe the answer is in the question. "Unique", "Personal"?

Maybe a good teacher can help guide you along, but ultimately you are on your own. That's my guess. Maybe best (most interesting) to ask someone who has one.

This reminds me of a podcast I listened to recently of a Chuck Close lecture.
He was talking about starting out in his career and having to figure out what he would do after spending time in art school where you are taught to make things that "Look like art".

Gary

 

[John Bragg]

You can teach the basic framework of the craft as in composition and darkroom work but a personal vision is just that, PERSONAL. Some are better at translating their vision into actual work than others and that is where natural talent shines through. You can teach an appreciation of good photography, but in my opinion, true talent is born not made.

 

[isoterica]

On can teach the technical aspects of photography. One can teach about the masters or who society deems today as masters and what their techniques were, even give an overview of their visions. One can even teach a path by which to follow, perhaps on how to get in touch with the self, maybe through certain meditative or photographic exercises and assist another in finding their vision. Lastly one can say, I have seen your work and it is in this area that you really shine, you should continue doing this here as you have been. That, by the way, is talent. But.. that doesn't mean that just because someone is talented at a particular technique, it is their vision. A vision comes from within and only the person possessing it can truly know what moves them so deeply. They might be inspired to it, but they can not be taught it. Additionally, having a vision doesn't mean you have actual talent in conveying it. It just means you are possessed to try..

 

[semilog]

Mentoring is important in every field of human endeavor. Serious musicians, sculptors, painters, writers rarely arise in a vacuum. Picasso and Brancusi and for that matter Hemingway and Fitzgerald had teachers and colleagues who were pivotal in their artistic development.

It baffles me that people imagine photography would be different.

 

[Charlie Lemay]

This is how I;ve been doing it for the past 10 years

This is how I;ve been doing it for the past 10 years

http://www.charlielemay.net/azsfiles/zonepg5.htm

 

[N.delaRua]

Hmmm.... I think having a personal vision where by you produce a consistent body of work is pretty difficult and rare. Sometimes I look at successful artist body of work, and initially am turned off like The Rhine River by Andreas Gursky. However, in context of his other work it makes total sense. As a single image not so much. I think that is where the real challenge exists.

I feel like if anything, I am very good at copying whats already been done. Thinking of a landscape like Adams or trying for the decisive moment like Bresson, or documenting Guatemala as if it was Nat Geo. Is it original? Probably not. Does it fool others? Probably so....

I'm not sure it can be taught per say because i don't feel most photographers have the vision to see everything in context like the greats do.

Maybe a unique vision can be dreamed of or discussed, but to realize it.... that seem rather unique and probably takes more time than most are willing.

 

[Ken Ford]

Can a personal unique vision in Photography be taught?

Technical concerns and the history of the medium can be taught, but can you teach someone to have their own unique personal photographic vision or is that vision something one can only obtain from doing Photography on one's own terms (following their own path)?

disclaimer: (1) I know it is very hard to obtain a unique, personal, photographic vision and that most people don't. (2) This is with regard to personal work and not commercial work.

No, I don't beleive it can be taught.

However, I am certain that it can be inspired and nurtured by exposure to other people's work and teachings.

 

[semilog]

All the successful ones are driven. They are fighters. Their work may have influences, but it's all unique as are the painters.

"Inspiration is for amateurs." — Chuck Close

 

[kxl]

"You can't teach height."

 

[daveleo]

I don't get it..

Can an aeronautical engineer be taught to be "creative" - Like Johnson or Sikorsky?

Actually, yes.
I was an aero/mechanical engineer for 45 years and an engineer can most definitely be taught to be bold and "be creative". Of course she / he can be taught the opposite as well.

An engineer or an artist or a photographer can be taught to set their minds free and explore their own ideas without worrying about the nay-sayers who will tell you "That's a stupid concept . . . or that's a horrible image".

You can be taught to explore and discover your own vision, or you can be taught to stay inside the box and get good grades.

 

[dcsang]

Can a personal unique vision in Photography be taught?

Technical concerns and the history of the medium can be taught, but can you teach someone to have their own unique personal photographic vision or is that vision something one can only obtain from doing Photography on one's own terms (following their own path)?

disclaimer: (1) I know it is very hard to obtain a unique, personal, photographic vision and that most people don't. (2) This is with regard to personal work and not commercial work.

"taught" - I don't think so.
"developed over time after initial teaching" - yes.

By the second point I mean; you are taught the "basics" - aperture, exposure, shutter speed, focal length, the basic rules, how to break the basic rules, why you should/should not follow the basic rules, etc.

Then it's up the "student" to go out there and shoot.. and shoot.. and shoot some more.. and shoot more after that..

Personal style / vision is developed.. I don't believe it can be just taught like you can teach reading, writing or 'rythmatic 😀


Cheers,
Dave

 

[redisburning]

http://www.charlielemay.net/azsfiles/zonepg5.htm

that's an interesting take.

I definitely agree with your perspective; get technique (and gear) to the necessary level and all that's left to focus on when shooting is what will go on the final print (or scanned image).

so, in response to the OP; you may not teach the vision itself, but you can teach all the tools you need to remove the barriers to finding it.

 

[Charlie Lemay]

Thanks redisburniung. You get it. As Ivan Illitch said, "Teaching is impossible, Learning is possible."

 

[thirtyfivefifty]

I think you're able to teach technique, influence people with your work, but it all comes down to the individual. It was important to me to have a "personal signature" in my photos. It took me 6 years to settle into mine, and my friends notice. Whereas, I have countless of friends who put up money for lenses and cameras to do all the work for them. Their personal signature is what is preset in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. A working professional friend of mine took on the personality of the photographer he assisted for. I think if personal unique vision is important to you. You will come into it with the time you put in.

 

[BobYIL]

Can a personal unique vision in Photography be taught?

I think having a unique vision is not much different than having a personal style in photography. There are some photographers we recognize the moment we look at their pictures, like Salgado or Ravilious, for example, having a distinct look like a personal signature. One can copy that look, reproduce it for one or a couple of pictures but how to create a style to make you known for and how to maintain it through hundreds of pictures?

Very difficult to achieve even after extensive efforts and some talent, let alone be taught.

 

[barnwulf]

I don't think a personal vision can be taught but a good mentor or photography instructor can help to guide you and help you to develop your vision. I know this from personal experience and excellent critiques and encouragement from an amazing professor of art that I had the privilege to study under. There are no real shortcuts to becoming a good photographer. You have to do the work yourself but others can help. - Jim

 

[johannielscom]

IMHO: at best, you can point somebody in a direction that would suit their style but they have to go the way themselves after that pointer has been given.

I find that I favour images that have a certain 'emptiness', even if they are street shots. They either have to be empty image-wise, or convey a sense of loneliness and emptiness for me to like them.
I figured this out myself and looking back, I have always liked those images most. But it took me a long time to recognize it myself.

 

[Roger Hicks]

If you learn anything, you must have teachers. Not just one;not necessarily formal; not even, in all cases, about the subject apparently in hand. Nihil ex nihilo fit, nothing comes from nothing. It's down to you, though, what you take from those teachers.

Even if you are born with artistic genius, in itself a disputable possibility, you have to learn how to use it.

Cheers,

R.

 

[celluloidprop]

Technical concerns and the history of the medium can be taught, but can you teach someone to have their own unique personal photographic vision or is that vision something one can only obtain from doing Photography on one's own terms (following their own path)?

disclaimer: (1) I know it is very hard to obtain a unique, personal, photographic vision and that most people don't. (2) This is with regard to personal work and not commercial work.

Yes and no?

Developing a vision in a vacuum is difficult - and for better or worse, Internet forums and flickr are vacuums. There's very little hard discussion of the merits of work, in part because it's being seen at 1024px on the long side at most.

Classes/school are valuable in two ways - critique (from fellow students and from teachers) and being a way by which people are encouraged to shoot. Probably now more than ever for the latter - I remember 2-3 rolls of 35mm being the standard minimum for assignments in photo classes for 5 prints and because we were all broke students they couldn't really push us to take more photos.

You can do the latter easy enough these days, but getting good feedback on work is much harder.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Can a personal unique vision in Photography be taught?

No, it can't be taught. Replace 'photography' with 'painting', 'writing', 'singing' etc...and you'll know that this would be a dead-end street for anyone.