How? Unlearning photography? You’ll be wondering if you’ve made the wrong blog, you’re looking for one where photography is learned, Photographer’s Blog, to be more exact 😉 Well, you haven’t been wrong. You are in the right place, what happens is that today I am going to talk about a topic that initially shocks but is very necessary.
Once you have passed the initial fever of immersing yourself in the ocean of photography, you have discovered your favorite photographers, you have been inspired by them when shooting and you see that in your photographs there is a bit of their essence, it is the right moment for unlearn photography.
What does unlearning photography mean?
What does this mean? Why should you unlearn what you learned? It is very simple. When you fall into imitation, when your photos have more essence of others than yours (something that is much more common than you can imagine), it is time to stop, take a step back and take a run, that is, find your own essence, your own style. Like any other art, photography breathes from your personality, your experiences, your emotions and feelings, not from the photographer or the photographer you admire.
I have a clear favorite on Instagram, many times you have seen his photos as an example in articles that I share on the blog, he is Emilio Chulia. I like his style and the type of photographs he takes so much that without realizing it, when I shoot with my mobile I end up looking for that style. It’s funny because when I photograph with the SLR it doesn’t happen to me…
Well, as much as I marvel at his gallery and admire his own style, I must find my own, find my way and shoot with my heart and not with his eyes. And if something similar happens to you (think about it because this is not something you realize easily) you should consider taking that step back.
But how do I do it?
Once you have recognized “the problem” ;P it is time to solve it. Be careful, that does not mean that you can never be inspired by life in his work or that you discard a good photo for being of that style, but to find your own. What can you do to find your own style? Well, here are some tips.
1. Feel free. It’s time to start skipping rules, aesthetics, composition rules and your own, those that you have imposed on yourself to look like Pepito or Pepita. Let your hair down and break the rules. You’ve already learned them, right? Nope!? Ahem, ahem… Then you’ll have to take not one, but two steps back. Get to know the composition rules first (here are some basic rules and composition mistakes to avoid). Only when you have learned to master them will you be ready to skip them.) And now yes, we can continue. Skip them, make creative photography mistakes, have fun, experiment, find a subject and aim to take ten completely different photos and I don’t mean just change the perspective, but also the lighting, shutter speed, depth of field, color, etc. the movement, the decoration, etc., as if you want to shoot doing a bridge handstand ;P .
2. Do exercises. I suggest that you do many photography exercises (for example these 100 that we proposed from the blog). Practicing not only helps you improve the quality of your photographs, it also helps you discover what type of photography you like the most, the one you feel most comfortable with, the one that allows you to combine your own style the most. Perhaps you are short distances instead of large stages, or discover your photographic vocation in landscapes, or even decide to immerse yourself in black and white with no intention of returning. The only way to find out where your place is is to visit it. The only way to decide to stay in it is to be there. Staying in the art of portraying your family will only limit you and prevent you from discovering new photographic worlds (and for the record, I am in love with portraits 😉 , but maybe you think that it is what you like the most and you discover that you don’t It is like that. Of course, to achieve that discovery you must explore.
3. Spontaneity. Sometimes your best photographs are not behind a great organization, or a very elaborate planning, much less behind an imitation. The instant is on countless occasions what is full of magic, of beauty. Having your camera always at hand and shooting without thinking, with your purest instinct can give you your most beautiful images, the most “yours”, those that are full of your essence. Don’t think about it too much and shoot (there will be time to put the straight lines in the editor ;P ). Here are two examples of spontaneous moment.
4. Choose a theme. Think of a topic that particularly inspires you. It can be music, the sea, pastries, hands or whatever you fancy. Think about it for a few days, you don’t need to decide right now. Take your time and choose a subject that you feel like spending time on, that you know inspires you, that other times you’ve felt like photographing out of the blue or without knowing why (maybe you’ve got cracks in the wall, go ahead). The choice is so personal that everything is worth it. Once you choose that theme, you have creative freedom to shoot. Don’t think about anything or anyone else. Just the reason, your camera and you. Look for that theme wherever you go and try to tell through your camera what inspires you, what moves you inside, what makes you feel.
5. Park your fears. Your camera is a piece of equipment that has cost you its own, I know. Perhaps you are afraid that it will spoil and it will be difficult for you to take it out of the house. Have you thought about the amount of images that you can lose if you overprotect it? It is one thing to take care of your team and quite another to lock it up and deprive it of spectacular situations and deprive yourself of having fun. Taking it to the beach or photographing meteorological phenomena (with minimal care) is not crazy, it is a necessity that your creativity has. Have you thought that maybe your photographic style hides behind the raindrops? Your own style is not within the four walls of your house, there is your physical home, not your photographic stamp, go out and discover the world so that the world discovers you.
6. Stop reading and go outside. You’ve read enough, it’s time for you to have a talk with your camera, a “one to one”, tell her what you expect from her, that she be your faithful companion, your right hand, your instrument to create and go out into the street looking for your inspiration. Have fun and don’t stop feeling. Your seal will more likely be inside your heart than in your eyes, It’s time to close your eyes and open your heart.
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