Finding a niche

[sarahbeth1]

It has been suggested that I find a photographer whose work I find inspiring

and try to immulate it. I have viewed many different portfolios and am

inspired by many works posted here. However, the more I view the more I feel I

lose a piece of my own originality or perhaps, the originality I have yet to

find. Can any of you relate to my dilemma?

[dan_fromm2]

Sarah, the best way to find a niche is to make one. Pick a nice thick wall, address it with a hammer and chisel.

 

Did you mean emulate or immolate? I like the idea of you setting fire to work that inspires you.

 

While you're deciding, go shoot. Look at the results as critically as you can and try to decide what about them doesn't please you. Think hard, figure out what you did (poor technique, poor composition, ... ) to cause the unpleasing effect. Shoot some more, trying to eliminate the errors you found. Repeat forever. You'll get there.

[ambers-photos]

hi sarah i have been told the same thing and i have found it helpful with my technical side trying to recreate great work and then applying what i learned to my own artistic view

 

amber

[tmcleland]

Well, I think the first thing is to differentiate between emulating and copying. When one says to emulate someone's work, I think it's more of a reference to taking what

inspires you about certain photos or bodies of work, and seeing how you can apply it to your own work. Conversely, if you just take images that you think (insert

photographer here) would take, without putting your own vision into it, that's a different matter entirely. I don't think that just because you emulate someone's work whom

you admire, that it's necessarily at the cost of your own originality.

 

There's nothing wrong with taking something that inspires you, and trying to duplicate it to some degree in your own work. I see many images where my biggest influences

(Strand, Sammallahti, Goldin, etc) show up in the photos I take, but still feel like the end result is something unique to me.

 

I think finding a niche is a little like developing a personality. Over time, we tend to mimic things we admire or like in others, and try to avoid behavior or actions that we take

dislike to, and so on. With photography, we see things we like, things we don't, something that makes us go "how did they..." and gives us something new to explore and add

to what we already do.

 

And of course, study your own work. What did you do well? What could you have done differently? What the **boop** happened here, that's kinda cool! :-) If you're really

looking for you niche, study your own images and looking for what's there that you haven't seen before, and learn to harness it. You'll totally get there.

[don_mckeith1]

"to the beginners mind there are many possibilities,...to the expert's,..few."

 

-Suzuki

 

 

the hard part isn't finding a niche,it's holding on to the beginners mind.

[lex_jenkins]

I like Dan's "emulate or immolate" quip. Very appropriate. Find what sets your creativity on fire.

 

Inspirations, unlike influences, don't always show up in one's own work. For example, Eddie Van Halen has cited Eric Clapton as an inspiration and wasn't a fan of Jimi Hendrix. A casual listener might have assumed that Van Halen's pyrotechnics were definitely Hendrix-inspired, while he seldom plays within the confines of the blues or folk rock. What's important was that he was *inspired*, not necessarily influenced.

 

Stevie Ray Vaughn incorporated elements of many great blues guitarists, often switching styles from song to song to pay tribute to his idols, sometimes even blending styles in a single song. He was both inspired and influenced by other blues guitar legends. But he didn't merely emulate them.

 

Rolfe Horn, an excellent photographer and darkroom master in his own right, was very obviously *influenced* by his mentor Michael Kenna and actually emulates Kenna's work. However, Horn doesn't merely ape Kenna's style, but works his own magic within a seemingly narrow framework. It's akin to haiku. At first blush, all haiku sounds alike because of the rigid parameters. Yet there is room for individual expression within that framework.

[mcpoljak2003]

Exterminate all rational thought.

[seismiccwave]

In photography as in any other art form you have to first master the technicalities. If you

want to be a musician you have to learn to play the guitar or piano or cello or flute or any

other musical instruments. If you want to be a painter you have to learn your brush stroke

and your paint and your canvas etc. If you want to be a photographer you will have to

master the technical side of photography. If you can pick any photographers' work and

duplicate what they have done then you can move on and start to create your own style

and use you own imaginations.

 

There is no short cut in art as in life. You have to practice, practice, practice if you want to

be good at anything.

[nolan_ross]

Immerse yourself in photography and art. Pursue what you are passionate about and photograph it. After many years if you think about it look back and see if you were a competent photographer or a photographer with an identifiable vision (people sometimes can recognize your work).

[keith_leonin]

While there's nothing wrong with looking through someone's elses photos to find inspiration, it doesn't mean "jack" if you don't take the next step. Vision and inspiration WITHOUT execution is nothing but a fantasy.

 

So, I say, just take your camera in hand and start taking pictures. It'll come, and at some point, you'll find that niche.

 

If you check out my gallery -- yes, shameless plug -- at http://klix.smugmug.com from the bottom up, you'll see my own progression in finding that vision.

 

Good luck!

 

KL

[sarahbeth1]

Thank you everyone for your insight.

Dan, "setting fire to work that inspires you." Your words are inspiring and much appreciated.

Amber, thanks for your advice. I definately need to work on my technical side.

TM, thanks for putting "immulate" into perspective for me.

Don, "the beginner's mind," That makes sence to me. If you know it all you have nothing to learn. Very true.

Lex, I always look forward to your advice. You are the Sage of PN- Oh, wise one.

Marc, I'm female. I wasn't even born rational. :-)

Hansen, I'm starting my fight against technical ignorance and investing in a range of photography books. I'm very giddy about getting them. I realize that my lack of knowledge is the barrier between me and my vision, which I have yet to define.

Nolan, "an identifiable vision (people sometimes can recognize your work)." I had never considered an identifiable vision before. I looked at many portfolios of PN's top photographers and their work was very recognizable. I like that line of thought. I just have to remove the blinders of ignorance to have a full vision of what I'm trying to provoke with my photography.

Keith, you are right about the taking the next step and just shooting away. I'm excited to see where my progression takes me.

Thank you all again.