A Change Of Style
So, I’ve been wrestling a debate in my own mind for months now & I think I’ve finally come to an understanding. (Note: Debating yourself is not a pastime I would encourage. It’s exhausting, to say the least.)
What was my debate? Well, I know there’s this conversation going on all the time in photography of things being overly edited & processed versus the more realistic and natural image conveying reality. I have worked very hard to get my technical skills up to par to where I can minimally edit my photos afterward (some adjusting of exposure, bumping contrast/brightness, and tweaking levels of saturation – less than 5 minutes & BOOM – photo is done). That’s been great, I’ve learned so much, I still have so much more technical learning to do BUT (& you knew this was coming) the artist inside me is suffering.
Pigeon On The Ledge
I don’t see things in reality. I have a fairly fantastical mind that adores fairytales, fantasy, science fiction, & pretty much anything that is incredibly far from reality (Harry Potter fan? Uhhhh, yup!). I am also a HUGE fan of color. Bright, bold, shining, sweeping levels of color. So, I needed to decide what I wanted & what I want is to paint more. That is, I want to manipulate, colorize, switch the colors, step awaaaayyyyyyy from reality, stretch the boundaries, & have more fun. I do this (photography) entirely for my inner joy. I have a full time job & photography is where my right brain gets to spin, jump, and dance with artistic creativity. I haven’t had enough of that lately. I was locking myself into my own cubicle rules of photography etiquette.
New York Public Library – The Red Coat
So what does this mean? You will be there to see my style evolve, my vision become more assured, me push my mind’s eye boundaries, probably some mistakes, possible over-edits, and a rotation of visual styles. In other words, the adventure that is my life. I am super excited to see how this evolves & I look forward to all of your feedback & comments!
Empire State Building Shadow
P.S. The photos in this blog post are from my visit to New York City, December 2011.
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I have been doing that more and more myself lately, too. Super-saturated colors are really my thing, and I like to see just how far I can push them sometimes. But then I posted an almost-sepia tone photo last week, too. That’s the cool thing about your own personal style – it can be whatever you want it to be. And it can change whenever you want to change it.
You make an excellent point! I did notice your heavier saturation & like it a lot. The Cinderella’s Castle photo is a great one!
I LOVE to see artistic images! These are FAB!
Thanks Kerri! I really really appreciate it.
I can definitely relate to this post, Rachel. I think I read somewhere you don’t really develop your own style until a few years in. I’ve still got a couple to go probably, but it’s been fun trying new stuff. I love the Pigeon and the Empire shadow shots and what you did with them. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Matt! I read an excellent article recently about comparing yourself to others & letting it impede your creativity. It really made a lot of sense & I said “who cares anymore” when it comes to the idea of something being so technically perfect and/or realistically edited. I’m 2 yrs into seriously doing photography, so you make a good point! I didn’t think of it that way.
Your photos are just…stunning. How you managed to get them is beyond me. I wish you the best of luck in finding your style! I may not be a photographer, but I can definitely understand the process and debate of figuring out what your creative balance is, for me it’s in my writing. Anyway, like I said, good luck to you rachel!! Looking forward to more of your photos 🙂
Jade – I think all creative people go through this, even entrepreneurs and business folks who have to find that “edge”. What I’m also learning is to let ALL art influence & excel my creativity. It really helps a lot. Thanks for your kind wonderful words about my photos! Incredibly reassuring I’m going in the right direction. Keep up your beautiful poetry too!
this is great! looking forward to it!
Thanks Cindy! Much appreciated 🙂