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Thinking Outside The Box - part 2 of 1 2 3 4

Published 01/11/2010

As we are part of something so subjective it is hard to get confused in what looks good and what is technically right. There is obviously a noticeable difference between something technically perfect and a snap snot taken in bad conditions. But I think where we are constricted in our compositions. Bound by these rules that we feel scared to break. I'm mainly talking about what I call posh 'passport' photos. I heard a saying a few years ago which went something along the lines of 'Shoot for dough before you shoot for show' this has stuck in my head ever since and had me thinking a lot about our industry. My take on this saying is a little different, I believe we should shoot for show all the time, Surely if we shoot for show then we can only get better, develop our own style and then make lots of dough. If we stick to these rules of shooting for what we believe will generate dough how can we progress?

Our clients think they know what they want but lets face it they don't. It's our jobs as artists to show them what they want. I watched a David LaChapelle documentary recently and he said that things only really started happening for him when he stopped thinking for other people and started thinking for himself. By following his own ideas he got recognised as an individual artist and no longer a photographer. If we look at some of the great photographers winning awards within this society it's clear to see that they have their own style and own ideas. Does Gordon McGowen get booked for weddings because he is a photographer or because he is a great artist? `Is the 'Big Dog' so successful because he's just another another photographer?

As I embark on my third year of running a photography studio I finally realise where I have been going wrong the last two years. I have been conforming to these rules that a photographer is expected to follow. Recently I've been set free in the realization that what I should be doing is what's right for me.

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1st Published 01/11/2010
last update 09/12/2022 14:59:51

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