Michael Gregory, no relation, wrote an excellent article for Aperture magazine in 1961 about the nature of photographic style and idea for how to define and use style in photography. I was recently rereading the article and used it as the foundation for this week’s podcast. One the most common topics I hear about that is related to creating great photography is that you need to have a style, but the definition of style is both ambiguous and misapplied. This week, using the insights from this 55-year-old article, we talk about what style is and how to understand how it appears in our photography and what it matters.
For me, the photographic style is at its core is about your unique way of seeing. It is about how you find meaning in your world and communicate that to us with an insight we didn’t have before. A style isn’t about a preset or look or methods. While most of us will develop a signature look that is distinct from our style. Our style is about our awareness of the world realized through the print. It is the combination of a style and signature that allows us to experience the wholeness of the photographer and their photographic experiences.
Gear used in podcast
All three Rode components as kit
Adobe Audition (part of create cloud subscription)