Do we even need a unique voice in our photography? Is having our own style really necessary? I have a few thoughts to share about this.
Every now and then, I read somewhere that if you want to grow as a photographer, you need to find your voice. It’s an essential part of your photographic journey. It’s said that to do this, you need to photograph what you’re passionate about. What motivates you. Okay, I certainly do this. Don’t we all?
I often shoot pretty scenes just because they are there. There is nothing deeper than this. I'm not trying to say anything. This photo from the Canadian Rockies was shot on film, so it's got a distinct look, but that's as far as it goes.
Voice
I interpret voice as what it is we want to say with our photography. But do we really need to say anything beyond one image at a time? And does that one image we’re about to compose have to say anything?
I’m a big believer that when we take a photo, there needs to be a point to it. I believe we should ask ourselves, what am I trying to say with this photo? Is this a photo of something, or about something? What makes this photo different from others who have shot something similar?
Hypocritically, though, sometimes there doesn’t need to be a point to a photo. I love to go out with my camera and shoot what I find interesting, unusual, or aesthetically pleasing. And I’m not sure I have a visual style either.
I do enjoy coming up with projects. Some can be shot in a day or two, while some are ongoing over a few years. This is just a way for me to focus on a theme, a collection of images that tie together, that might tell a story or simply be a collection of similar images on a topic I find interesting. Is this my voice? I don’t feel I have anything to say with these projects, or at least, I’m not trying to say anything most of the time. I just find the subject matter interesting.
Most of my travel and landscape photos are simply pretty looking scenes. The way I process them reflect the feeling from the moment, and is driven by the weather. I'm not trying to create a style.
This photo is the same location as the photo above. Again, the "style" is dictated by the conditions. I'm not trying to fit the photo into a specific personal style. This photo, from a series, was about something, not of something—solitude and isolation on Dartmoor.
Style
Developing a style is an interesting one. Too many photographers feel they need a style, and this is usually associated with a specific aesthetic. Many people buy another photographer’s color preset to give their images a certain look, which is very superficial and pointless to me. Another style choice I see a lot is to buy really fast prime lenses and shoot everything at f/1.2. The thing is, because so many photographers base their style on using a fast lens or a specific color grading technique, they’re not really carving out a unique look; they’re simply following a trend and end up looking the same as all the other sheep doing the same thing. We need to go deeper than these superficial hacks.
Two photos from two different photographers? You would think so, but no, both mine.
I do go through phases when it comes to post-processing photos. Why? Because my ideas shift about what looks good, and I like to change things up and experiment. I’m certainly not trying to develop a visual style, though. What dictates my approach to photographing something like a landscape or travel photo is the weather, how the experience makes me feel, and even where I see the photo ending up being used.
When I take my favorite images from the various editing phases I’ve gone through, there’s no consistent body of work. It looks like a random bunch of photos from different photographers. Is this a bad thing? No, I don’t think so.
The only thing I can think of when it comes to style is related to lighting. I love backlit and side-lit subjects, whether it’s a portrait, product, or landscape. Is this enough to contribute to a personal style? Possibly.
Bright, light, soft, and colourful. I love this vibe from these kind of travel photos.
Shot the same day, as the photo above, in Prague. I also like dark monochramatic contrasty images.
Conclusion
Maybe, after 40 years of being passionate about photography, I’ve yet to find my voice and style. But that’s okay, because I’m not looking for it. Or, maybe I do have a voice and style, but I’m too close to it to notice.
The most important thing for me is being authentic. I believe we should photograph things in the manner we want to—things that inspire us—not what we think others may like.
I have a quote from Cecil Beaton that I read every once in a while to keep myself on track:
Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.
Discussing the creative side of photography is a good thing, something I love to do. However, we can overthink these things, and that starts to ruin the fun of photography. Worrying about style and voice is one of those things I never pay too much attention to. I honestly couldn’t care less whether I have a personal style and voice or not.
All that I know is I love creating opportunities to go off and explore and capture what interests me. It gives me joy. It’s fun. It’s really that simple.
Do you feel you have a voice and style? Are you even looking for one?
Simon is a professional photographer and video producer, with over 35 years experience. He spends his time between Canada and the UK. He has worked for major brands, organizations and publications; shooting travel, tourism, food, and lifestyle. For fun he enjoys black and white photography, with a penchant for street and landscapes.
The point is not to labor and agonize while forcing a particular style on your work. Be sensitive to your work, look at it intelligently, and find the "voice" you already have. Guitar players find their style over time as they learn. Singers don't strive to be unique, they strive to sing better. Their final voice will still be their own.
Photographers could learn from that. But because our work becomes fixed in time, as does a recording, we tend to rationalize and find "the point" later.
Post-processing sometimes becomes a parallel to fixing a bad voice or adding fake string sections in the music studio. Yes, you can make it better after the fact, but it feels a bit like cheating.
The point is not to labor and agonize while forcing a particular style on your work. Be sensitive to your work, look at it intelligently, and find the "voice" you already have. Guitar players find their style over time as they learn. Singers don't strive to be unique, they strive to sing better. Their final voice will still be their own.
Photographers could learn from that. But because our work becomes fixed in time, as does a recording, we tend to rationalize and find "the point" later.
Post-processing sometimes becomes a parallel to fixing a bad voice or adding fake string sections in the music studio. Yes, you can make it better after the fact, but it feels a bit like cheating.
Just thoughts...