Studying your own work and the work of others can allow you a better stylistic progression

 

 

Photographer Sean Tucker is asked many different questions by aspiring photographers, but one of the most common ones is "how do I define a style for my photography?" While he doesn't have a quick, succinct answer to this question, it is a topic Tucker has thought a lot about.

Tucker makes a point to not delete anything from his Instagram, which allows him to be able to scroll through his selected work over a period of time. He can see his style emerging as he scrolls through his Instagram portfolio. He suggests that it's a worthwhile exercise to go through your own work in a chronological order, focusing on the images you thought were your best at different times, and see if you can't notice a style emerging over time. So that's one way to develop a style: shoot a lot over an extended period of time.

In order to get the most from evaluating your own work, it's important to do the kind of photography you are passionate about. Further, while looking at your own work is important, Tucker also believes in exploring the work of other artists and photographers. Whether they shoot the same type of images you do or not, looking at work you enjoy can help inspire you and give you fresh perspectives. It isn't about copying someone else's work, but rather, gaining a better understanding of why they produced the work that they did.

For more videos like the one above, head to Sean Tucker's YouTube channel. You can see more of his images and view his stylistic progression for yourself by following him on Instagram and checking out his website. 

(Via Sean Tucker)