This is the first of a series of posts specifically for photographers. But I hope everyone will be able to join in and try some of them out.
Here’s a bit of back-story as to why I decided to do this.
I am friends with a lot of photographers from all over the world. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and partying with some of the best wedding photographers from Canada, United States, Sweden, Australia and other parts of the world. I call many of them my friends. I also know a lot of local Halifax photographers. I call many of them my friends. I can’t even imagine how many local photographers I don’t know. Incase you haven’t noticed over the last few years, there’s more photographers around than ever before. It’s a very exciting time, to be sure. Some of them have serious talent. Others are just in it for a quick buck. All of them are providing a service no matter what price they charge or how great their skill. Clients are putting their faith in these photographers’ skill to capture them at their best, to the best of their ability. For every photographer, no matter how good or bad they might be according to someone else’s standards, there is a perfect client out there just for them. A client who will be very happy with the product they are given and very happy with the relationship the two create as a result of that photographer’s time and effort. Sort of a “there’s someone for everyone” mentality. That gives clients the choice to go to pretty much anyone they want, as long as the service given and personality is up to their expectations. As a photographer, that is just awesome!
In the network of photographers that I am friends with, as well as other people I have talked to over the years, I have had many of them tell me that everyone’s work is beginning to look the same. The same processing style. The same poses. The same…well…everything. So the only thing really separating one photographer from another is their personality. Photography is an art. Art could be defined as an individual expression of an idea. So why is it that everyone’s ideas are the same? They’re not. They’re being stolen, borrowed, whatever you want to call it. Sure, you could say that imitation is a form of flattery and yes, flattery is nice sometimes, but repetition and re-creating is boring sometimes.
Quite often, photographers check out other photographers’ work. That’s no secret. They compare their images to their own. They get inspired. They get ideas. They get lazy. Which is why I do my best not to look at other photographers’ images.
So for any photographers, local or abroad, reading this, I have a challenge for you. Think you can handle it?
Challenge #1:
Do not look at another photographer’s website, blog or photography forum (to look at images) for one month. Starting today, June 16th and continuing until July 16th.
My reason for proposing this challenge is that it’s time for photographers to stop copying each other’s work, whether intentional or not. Our inspiration for ideas, composition and exposure has to start coming from other sources. Maybe it’s something you visualize from reading a poem, or a video game, or something that just randomly pops into your head while you walk down the road, a childhood memory. Inspiration comes from everything in this world. It’s time to separate yourself from the rest of the copycats out there. Cliff Mautner (a fantastic New York photographer) once told me that there are three types of photographers: “Those who imitate; Those who emulate; and Those who inspire.” It’s up to you to determine which you want to be?
Comment below and if you want, email your pictures and where your inspiration came from to david@davidgetson and I will post them in my blog, with your name (and website if requested).
Spread this around to all the photographers out there and let’s have some new and creative fun as a community! It’s time we break the mold!
