What is my Photographic Style?

[entitysmokes]

To help my artistic growth, and help me identify where I stand, I was wondering if anyone would be able/willing to take a look at some of my photos and tell me what you feel my style is?
I am a bit new to photography, I got my first Digital SLR December of last year.
This would be a great help to me, and thank you to anyone who does this.

You can take a look at my flickr photostream at Flickr: Portrait Words' Photostream

Thank you.

-Kristina

[Krusty79]

Well, since you're not getting any responses, you might try posting one of your shots in the Critique section and ask similar questions. Or you can post up to 4 of them if you post in the SYS section. You should get more attention there. You're also more likely to get responses if you can embed the image in your post instead of requiring people to click a link.

I shoot landscapes, so I don't feel qualified to answer your question.

[ravncat]

It doesn`t (to me) look like you`ve developed a style yet (from what I`ve seen). I`ve gone through your flickr images, and I see alot of experimentation. You have some strong and simple (feline/fancy feet), as well as some weak compositions (Aquarium / untitled (clouds/trees). I don`t want to go into long critiques, so I just mentioned those titles to give you an idea of what I think is strong / weak

Your subject material varies, and as a whole body of work, your flickr is a bit skitzophrenic (food/portrait/landscape/still-life/) . This is probably true of alot of people though - many of my sites have been that way. You look like a developing photographer. From the images posted, you seem to have a tendancy towards higher contrast and shallow depth of field. Your portraiture appears to be your strongest suit.

I imagine, that you are on your way to developing a style. In my experience, I`ve determined personal style comes about in a few ways - constant working towards a kind of style you previsualize and want to achieve will get you one, also you`ll find over many years that a style can rise up from unconciousness. It`s also possible to be a chameleon and mimic styles without having one of your own, or to develop multiple styles. I`ve found myself lately focusing on projects - trying to do coherent bodies of work, and thinking less about style and more about what I want to say. One could probably call that a style too. Definition of style is probably a harder thing than finding one

I hope this is useful, you have some very nice images in your flickr - and some that, if I were trying to start a business - I would remove - as to only show "stronger work". Like the above poster - the critique section may be a good place to learn abit more =D

Also - just so you have a gauge of how to think about what I`Ve said, Photography is just my hobby, and I`ve been at it for more than 10 years now. I`ve not got a degree in photography, but I have studied a little bit here and there about art and photography - so you may find comments from someone who is more learned in art and photographic history to comment on style =D

You`re free to take a look at my flickr below, as well as my ravncat's deviantART gallery I consider myself not to have quite found my style yet

[journeybetween]

I've taken a quick look at your flickr account, and would have to agree with a lot of ravncats comments. Some organization there, would help, and you would be better off focusing on making definate bodies of work. I love your exploration, and think you should keep exploring to your hearts content. For website purposes, your stronger work is in something of a sleek commercial style, including your portraiture and some of your fashion type pieces. Your landscapes are your weakest images and in a website, I would leave them out completely.

If I could generalize your style it leans to the fashion/commerical area of photography.

I am a photography student who is one portfolio from graduating with an AAS degree, so exploration of style has been center in my photography recently (take a look at my flickr account if you are curious Flickr: amanda_explore's Photostream). If I have discovered anything, it is not to box yourself in, by claiming a single style, explore all of them if you want, and realize that as you become more experienced as a photographer, your style will change through the years. Many photographers and artists change with time (research Picasso for example), so allow yourself to keep re-defining "style" throughout your life.
Hope this helps

-Amb

[nickbedford]

I agree with the rest. I'm also a fan of higher contrast photos that fill the dynamic range available, touching the blacks and the whites at the same time. Your black and whites are great.

As far as Flickr goes, mine is one where I show the photos I'm proud of, but in no particular genre. It's more like a stream of photos for myself, rather than for my portfolio. I do contain them into sets however.

My website is where I portfolio my best work in People (colour and B&W), bands and "interesting things" (these my highest quality shots of interesting anythings). This conveniently feeds straight out of my Portfolio sets in Flickr so I can change it at will.

If you don't treat your Flickr account as your portfolio, you can still use it as a "testing" ground for own purposes.

I think you probably don't have a particular genre preference yet, maybe portraits and people, but your development style is taking shape. It's a little like mine.