'Photograph the Unobvious': A Look at How to Create Unique Images as a Photographer

Photography, like any art form, is chock full of tropes. And that's not necessarily a bad thing: they provide a sort of guided path to creating solid imagery. But at the same time, getting stuck in them can make it harder to establish your own creative voice. This great video essay examines exactly that topic and why it's important to develop your own style.

Coming to you from Eric Marks of Finding Middle Earth, this video examines a topic I think is particularly important to always keep in the back of one's mind. Photography is a pursuit often learned through emulation, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it's easy to get stuck in that stage without ever realizing it, constantly reproducing images in a style one likes instead of a style one developed. As Marks points out, if we condition ourselves to constantly look for the obvious shots and moments, we end up missing out on the more unique ones that could not only create for more interesting and uncommon imagery, but also help us find out who we are as photographers. Make sure whenever you're shooting that you're shooting to match your vision, not just those you admire.