shooting style
I had a little fun, in the traffic on the way home last night. I started to think about the way I shoot, and compared it to the approach of some others I know, and then thought about some little categories we might find ourselves in:
Hunter – you go to a location with a specific shot/subject in mind
Gatherer – you find pictures wherever you go
Thinker – you make pictures that reflect on life
Craftsman – you’re more interested in the equipment/process than the final result
Director – you create a scene for the benefit of the camera
Voyeur – you’re looking for a window into people’s lives
I’d say I’m definitely a gatherer. I like to collect those little details from the world around me, wherever I find myself. My nature macros, and keyhole pictures spring to mind, here!
Even though there are particular types of photography (nature/wildlife/street/portrait) that seem to match up nicely to those categories, it’s also fun to imagine shooting one type in a totally different style – a portrait photographer that shoots like a thinker, or a street photographer that takes the director’s approach.
It came from trying to narrow down ‘style’ Рwhat it is, what contributes to a unique style to make it identifiable? I wonder, if you can remove things like post processing or subject matter and still have a definite style coming through by the use of, say, composition, or shooting angle?
That’s really interesting. I would describe myself as a Voyeur though, constantly trying to capture what people are thinking and feeling.
Very interesting post, Julie. I would say that I am a Hunter/Gatherer/Voyeur, depending on the day. I will go to specific places and have a general idea of what I want to shoot.
For example, I’ll go to a park and think that I’ll want to shoot plants, or flowers, or perhaps, water; however, once I get there, I could become enamored with the people that I find there, then I switch to voyeur. I find that I love to interact with people, talk to them, get to know them, and then sometimes, ask to take a picture. If I do that, then I’ve had a great day.
Other times, I guess, I don’t want to be bothered with people and prefer to spend my times with the plants and other animals. So, it varies.