So, I was listening to the most recent “The Candid Frame” podcast tonight and an interview of photography great David duChemin.
David duChemin is one of those people who has a body of work that completely speaks for itself. And, not only that, but he is one of those people that you see his photos and immediately think: “I want to listen to this man. Whatever he says must be good.”
Well, in amongst the other really fascinating advice about travel and photography (my two biggest interests), he talked a bit about style.
“Style is the voice you give to your vision.”
I’ve been doing this photography thing for 3 years now and people keep talking about “style” this and “style” that. But when most people talk about finding their “style” they turn the camera 45 degrees or they make photos that look like the first frames on the film advance before the spool takes up… that’s not style, that’s just silly.
But still, when I look at my photos, I’m extremely critical. I see things I wished I did differently or things I wish were or were not there. However, as far as that all-important “style” thing goes?
I look at thousands and thousands and thousands of images per week. Literally. My RSS feed gets nothing but photoblogs all day and I look at just about all of them – even if only for a few milliseconds at a time.
These images I make, they come from my camera, but I see them as along the lines of other people’s style: I lit that like Chase Jarvis or Joe McNally, I caught that sports action like Walter Iooss or Bob Rosato, I isolated that subject like Steve McCurry… etc…
But I never really see the image as: I made that image like Noah Darnell would make that image. I don’t care how long I’ll be doing this – 3 years or 50 years – I just think I just can’t see it. I wonder if the greats like Nachtwey or Kennerly can see their own uniqueness?
So, I’ll just keep making images like this:
…and hope that my own elusive “style” – or lack thereof – will still get me somewhere.
Eventually.
But for now, stay tuned…
-Noah D.
