Call & Response

The Call: Roots of Style — Jessica

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I have a definite photographic style. Yet. I’m working on it. But I would attribute what I have to these three books.

Every book Michael Freeman has written as been informative to me. But Perfect Exposure was so chock-full of “a-ha!” moments that it fundamentally changed how I took pictures. Yes, it was that life changing.

Du Chemin has grown on me. The first time I read through Within the Frame, I thought “meh.” But then I began reading his blog, joined his now defunct forum Craft & Vision (as a birthday gift from my mother) and re-read the book. It too, over time, slowly, has changed the way I take photos because it has changed the reason why I’m snapping the shutter release. He, more than any other writer, has slowed me down and made me think about what is in the frame and why it is in there.

Response: Under the Bill — Cheryl

I had planned on writing about Stella’s sense of style (pretty outrageous), but the photo also works for a discussion of my photographic style, which I think can be summed up in two words: rushed documentary. I tend to shoot what I see around me (often focusing on the details most people miss, or the details I tended to miss before I developed a close relationship with my camera). I generally do a minimal amount of post processing, because I think that most of life needs little embellishment, and I strive to compose a good shot in-camera. That explains the documentary part. The fact that I always want to accomplish a great deal more than I’ll realistically be able to tackle explains the the rushed part.