Own Your Photo!

Have you experienced when somebody has just copied your work? And then he/she intends to pass it as if it is his/her own work? Irritating right?

Here’s another: You have an output or drawing in the past that you have made and has already checked by your teacher. And then, someone or a good friend of yours saw it. By the time he/she encountered to do the same thing, your friend decided to just imitate your own output having the same color, style, or simply, the whole drawing! It is like an identical twin which maybe the difference only is just a mole in the forehead or an inch of height. If you have felt that angry feeling, well I hope we did not encounter the same person. Oh just kidding! What I mean is everyone must practice originality. We have to do our own work with our own sense of style.

Even in photographs, we might be seeing the one which is similar to us and thought it’s our own but actually, both of you have just gone to the same place and took a picture of that view having the same angle, style and setting.

For an instance, you are given a chance to visit the Land of the Rising sun which is Japan. And there you will find the Mount Fuji and the amazing cherry blossom trees during winter season. What a magical view right? You would probably take a photo of it.

The problem here is just like the problem introduced by Mr. Alain Briot when I read his article Why Personal Style is Important.

Basically, he explained the benefits of having a personal style in taking photographs. Based on what I read, typically we cannot create a unique photograph in famous places with majestic views and sceneries unless we have our personal style. Without it, our photograph would just look the same as the other photos taken by the photographers who have also been there. There is nothing unusual about it and the only difference maybe is the angle of view, cameras used in taking photos or the season and time of the day we took the picture.

And then Mr. Briot answered the question why should we acquire a personal style by this:

“…Because personal style is based on art, not on technique. Art is the only thing a machine (cameras) or software cannot do. This is because art is the outcome of your emotional response to the subject, not the result of a technical process.”

For me, it means that no technology or software could manipulate a photograph and turn it into your personal styled photograph. He also stated in his article that the difference between our work and other photographer’s work is the artistic choices we make or the artistic content of our work.

In the final analysis, it is not only important that we are good in taking photographs or having the latest and most accessible camera. We have to be artistic in our own way. We have to build a wide and wild imagination and then apply it when taking photographs. Think of the unusual thing that the viewer should see only in your photo and different to others even though it has so many replicas already. In that way, you create your personal style. Moreover, you will be acknowledged and known through your unique photographs. And this may be the start of your growing career in photography! :)

As part of my research, here are my follow-up questions:

1. What could be the effect of having similar photographs in the situation of the photographer and with others in the society?

2. Why do people love taking photographs when they are in beautiful places?

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of photography in the society?

And with these questions, I may find the answers through more research and articles or surveys regarding these issues.