seeing

[Pickett Wilson]

If you want to change your photography, than photographic process is not your concern. You will have to change yourself. Unless you've never progressed beyond the point of occasionally snapping random photos of just about anything, your photography is going to reflect who you are. There is no way to get away from that connection of self and photographs.

I think the real challenge is not an attempt to change our "style" or "vision" or whatever, but to allow our photography to actually be influenced by who we really are. If we are not interesting persons, for example, our photos will not be interesting.

 

[NicoM]

"Style" is something that continually changes though out time. It is essentially a name given to something that has been repeated over and over again. When you hear about past photographers that has a certain style, that was something that was determined looking back at the past, not looking forward. Most of these photographers were just shooting in a way that they liked, and it was later given a tittle.

Shoot what you find interesting. You'll develop a "voice", a way of communicating something personal. Your way of communicating. In time, your work might have a "style" associated with it, but that will be after the fact. If your photos are driven by idea/concept/content, they'll remain timeless.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Let it evolve. Look at your favourite pictures (yours and others'). Ask yourself what you like about them, and whether there's any underlying visual coherence.

Also, ask others whose opinion you respect. I learned a lot from the observation, "Your pictures are like glimpses: something you're not even sure you have seen, and are not sure that you can remember properly."

Finally, free yourself from being literal. Try taking pictures that concentrate principally on light and shade, or just shade, or just colour. Eventually they'll come together. It's something I've thought about at some lengths: see

Narrative, record and graphic pictures: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps graphic & narrative.html

Colour for colour's sake: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps colour sake 1.html

Chiaroscuro : http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps chiaroscuro 1.html

Developing a theme: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps critique.html

Cheers,

R.

 

[gilpen123]

Don't shoot everything standing up.

 

[daveleo]

every now and then i determine that next time i go out shooting that i will try my damnedest to 'see' things differently...that i will not take the 'same' sort of images that i usually do but will come away with something that looks different from my norm.

this mostly has never worked.

there are times when i am in a certain sort of 'goove' and i do manage to walk away with an image that i really like and that isn't in my 'normal' style.

this happens very rarely.

do you think that it's possible to change the way we see the world around us when photographing?

This perfectly describes my "hunting" trips, and the dilemma that goes with them. I have no answer for this. Somedays, you just see things differently, is all I can figure.


Now I will back up and read the other responses.

 

[thegman]

For me, the biggest difference has come from going different places. I was photographing the same places in London over and over. When I stopped that, I was happier with my results.

 

[John E Earley]

every now and then i determine that next time i go out shooting that i will try my damnedest to 'see' things differently...that i will not take the 'same' sort of images that i usually do but will come away with something that looks different from my norm.

this mostly has never worked.

there are times when i am in a certain sort of 'goove' and i do manage to walk away with an image that i really like and that isn't in my 'normal' style.

this happens very rarely.

do you think that it's possible to change the way we see the world around us when photographing?

Define your "normal." Define your "different."

It will be difficult until you do. The change is much easier if you know where you are and where you want to go.

 

[Damaso]

I certainly think it is possible. One assignment I give my students is to spend an hour, a full hour on one block in their town. Then spend another hour at another time of day on the same block. And repeat. And repeat. Do this ten times and a guarantee you will be seeing things differently...