How did you develop your eye?

[Franglais]

You know what I mean - how did you develop your way of taking photos so that your personal style? I just discovered the moment when it happened for me, while scanning my old films.

In 1976 I was trying to do good photos. My diary was full of ideas and reflections on how it should be done. It was all so BORING. Then in the Winter of 1976/1977 several things happened:

1. I started spending my lunchtimes at the National Gallery in London, just looking at one painting a day.
2. I did a Photography Appreciation evening school. No technology - we just looked at great photographers images and learnt about their life and work (Weston, Walker Evans, Callahan, Arbus, etc.)
3. I simplified my technique, just used one small camera with a single fixed lens and 400 ISO black-and-white film.

My diary improved a lot. I started doing narrative, describing what was going on around me. And in the Spring of 1977 my images suddenly seem to become more or less what they are today. Here's one of my favourites, taken in Sardinia.

[another view]

My eye? I'm still working on it - I guess we all are in some ways... Your three points are really great advice. It's the images that are inspiring, and knowing the story behind them and the story of the life of the photographer can increase the appreciation.

I read in one of Michael Johnston's columns that every photographer should spend a year with a manual camera and a 50mm prime lens, and nothing else - it will do wonders for your photography. I'd love to see what happens to my style and the images I shoot by doing this - but can't practically do it at this point in life with some shoots booked (what do you mean that's the only lens you've got?! ;)).

Early on I think I got a little too wrapped up in technique and making sure the shot was sharp, exposure was on, etc - but I noticed the "feel" wasn't there. I started looking more - at the world in general and photographs. I dunno, does my stuff have a style to it?

[opus]

I don't think I have a 'style', yet. But I think I shoot the way I see the world. If something catches my eye, I try to capture it on film.

[Franglais]

I don't think I have a 'style', yet. But I think I shoot the way I see the world. If something catches my eye, I try to capture it on film.

Hello fellow writer! That about sums up my approach too. I improved my vocabulary by seeing what other people had done before me (i.e. I copied other people's style). But as for arranging the picture elements/words within the frame/page - its not even something that I can explain. It just has to feel right.

Charles

[Franglais]

My eye? I'm still working on it - I guess we all are in some ways... Your three points are really great advice. It's the images that are inspiring, and knowing the story behind them and the story of the life of the photographer can increase the appreciation.

I read in one of Michael Johnston's columns that every photographer should spend a year with a manual camera and a 50mm prime lens, and nothing else - it will do wonders for your photography. I'd love to see what happens to my style and the images I shoot by doing this - but can't practically do it at this point in life with some shoots booked (what do you mean that's the only lens you've got?! ;)).

Early on I think I got a little too wrapped up in technique and making sure the shot was sharp, exposure was on, etc - but I noticed the "feel" wasn't there. I started looking more - at the world in general and photographs. I dunno, does my stuff have a style to it?

My learning camera was a Rollei 35 - a little block of metal with a fixed 40mm lens that was small enough to carry around all the time. All of a sudden I was free to do pictures of anything at any time, and have fun. This is still the case when I do pictures for me.

When the pictures are for other people, on the other hand - you just gotta turn in pictures that please the client and somehow it becomes much more serious and less individual. Can you imagine turning in the image I posted earlier? This is the reason I never want to go full-time professional. I just do it to have fun.

Charles

[92135011]

Actually...

Once I splashed some developer in my eye.
Next, someone told me to put some stop bath and fixer in to have it fully developed

Where are the serious answers when you need them?


Plus, serious to all, pictures that are worthy of enlargement only come by once every so rarely. Even the pros screw up most of the time. They only show you the stuff that's good of course. The trick is shoot more. More shooting will equate more good shoots overall.

[megan]

Oh come on! You know I can't resist.

I started taking photographs when I was very young. I think developing my eye came along with experience and grows as I grow, actually. I think mine is ever-evolving - or I hope it is, anyway.

I took classes in high school which focused me towards photojournalism and street photography. Went on to study photography in college and realized I was too much of a wuss to be a photojournalist, and realized I was more attracted to the fine art aspect of photography. Tried to create angry feminist art which was ugly and boring. But it all goes in cycles and all of my interests move in an out of my work - and just at the right times I will clean part of my room and come upon some failed project from along the way and find that glimmer of good in it and recycle it.

But I'm rambling. So my answer seems to be - I'm still working on it!

Megan

[megan]

Copying people's style is a lot of fun! It's a great exercise. We had to do it in college, and I'll still find myself once in awhile doing a "I'm going to do this shot how I think XX would do this shot just for the heck of it..." It's neat to pick out aspects of admired photographer's work and incpororate it into your own.

What is that saying - that imitation is the best form of flattery?

megan

[Aaron]

How do you develop your eye? Wow, what a question! I think that one, we are all product of what all we have done before, this applies to photography as much as anything else. For me, I started taking snaps with a little brownie that were terrible -- but oh so much fun! I learned not take a photo that cut my dad's head off, and what the framing lines were for in the view finder. I even learned what the numbers were for in the paper film back.

Later I learned how useful phtographs were in advertising what our Scout groups were doing, and how much fun it was to dip long rolls of film in developer.

Even later, I found how much evidence could be contained in forensic photographs, and how they had to be handled, presented in court, etc. I also all along the way learned how to royally screw up film in more ways than I would have ever though possible.

In college I was exposed to the elements of composition, design, color and other fun things --- Nikon School years ago firmed up the fascination with film. Somewhere along the lines somone once said the cheapest thing you would have is film. Use a lot of it. See what works and what doesn't.

Digital came along and made that an even better thing -- take lots and lots of pictures, and see what you like. Then see what someone else likes. Hey cool,no film or developing cost.

How did I develop "my eye" well somewhere along in there, a product of all of it combined -- and now including an even better element photo forums!! These can help you get a good critique on your technique and photographs.

Somewhere -- learn there are snaps, candids, action, portraits, scenics - all forms that may be different, but all say something. Sometimes there are photojournalistic aproaches, sometimes fine art. Sometimes photo's are just for fun, and you could care less if anyone else likes it. I've photographed everything from crime scenes, to weddings, Native American ceremonies and football games, and had a fantastic time doing it all.

Some where in all this is an answer, if you find it, let me know!

[Chunk]

When I was a kid I read everything I could get my hands on. Luckily for me, among the things I found to read in small town rural America were National Geographic, Life, and Look magazines.