I've been busy writing an eBook about 'visualisation', to compliment my existing ebooks, which I am pleased to let you all know that I've currently finished the first draft of. It is now in the hands of some reviewers to proof read it and also, to get back to me on what they feel may be missing. Writing about what you're passionate about is an enjoyable endeavour. But like anything creative, it takes time to distill ideas, to put things in the right order, to let it be born correctly.
Over the past few years that I've been doing my workshops, I've found it immensely helpful to myself to 'understand' why I choose certain compositions over others, or why I'm drawn to one subject over another. It's helped me become a stronger photographer. I understand that there is a relationship between vision and your own style (or 'voice' as others like to call it).
Take this contact sheet for instance.
This is a collection of images I made whilst in Bolivia in 2009. One thing I've learned about visualisation is to be able to visualise my imagery in a style that suits what I do. That *is* what I do. We should not be only striving to create good images through visualisation, but we should also be striving to create a body of work that has a cohesive feel to it. Everything must sit together as part of a whole. I like the idea that the final collection is greater than the sum of its parts.
Having a strong sense of your own style helps you form your vision, helps you visualise just what it is you want to do, and where you need to go with your own photography. We only reach that by being able to interrogate ourselves, analyse our previous efforts and find out what our style is.
Often I hear participants on my workshops tell me they don't know what their style is, or if they even have one. I think this is down to looking at your own work and filtering it down to what matters. What you are left with should indicate your style, what you're drawn to, and also, where you are probably heading too. Just don't forget that visualisation and style are interlinked.
I'll let you know when my new eBook is out. I hope to have it out end of this month, depending on any amendments or further things come my way that I'd like to add :-)