<p>I hadn't been actively taking photos for quite some time until I recently got my hands on a DSLR a couple of months ago. As a personal challenge to myself and a way to jump-start my return to photography, I started a photo a day project (<a href="http://kasprouse.tumblr.com/">http://kasprouse.tumblr.com/</a>). After a few weeks, I noticed that there are some definite patterns or preferences or themes or whatever term you'd prefer in the photos that I've been taking: I respond to patterns, even when they are quite abstract, for example, and I like to photograph them; also, I have yet to have made any photos of landscapes. Some of these choices have to do with where I live and the things I see on a daily basis, but some clearly have to do with what we might think of as my mental model. I suspect that many of us, if we look back over the totality of our work (or even a solid cross-section of it) might find that there are themes or recurring graphic elements or somesuch that stand out. But, as always, your mileage may vary.</p>
<p>Personally, I'm trying to make an effort to expand that model to include more and more different types of subject matter and compositional strategies and so on, but there will probably still be some distinguishing feature of the photos that I make. And I'll just call that my <em>style</em>.</p>
Do you have a Mental Model?
in The History & Philosophy of Photography
Posted
<p>I hadn't been actively taking photos for quite some time until I recently got my hands on a DSLR a couple of months ago. As a personal challenge to myself and a way to jump-start my return to photography, I started a photo a day project (<a href="http://kasprouse.tumblr.com/">http://kasprouse.tumblr.com/</a>). After a few weeks, I noticed that there are some definite patterns or preferences or themes or whatever term you'd prefer in the photos that I've been taking: I respond to patterns, even when they are quite abstract, for example, and I like to photograph them; also, I have yet to have made any photos of landscapes. Some of these choices have to do with where I live and the things I see on a daily basis, but some clearly have to do with what we might think of as my mental model. I suspect that many of us, if we look back over the totality of our work (or even a solid cross-section of it) might find that there are themes or recurring graphic elements or somesuch that stand out. But, as always, your mileage may vary.</p>
<p>Personally, I'm trying to make an effort to expand that model to include more and more different types of subject matter and compositional strategies and so on, but there will probably still be some distinguishing feature of the photos that I make. And I'll just call that my <em>style</em>.</p>