I’ve been working on a portfolio development class this past few months. So far I have three hours recorded, and the content is a fly-on-the-wall view of myself working on a set of unedited images to final completion as a portfolio.

In my view, this is the best way I can illustrate the processes and thinking behind my own work. And how my work has a stylistically strong angle to it. I’ve been told many times over the years that my style is strong but I also know myself well enough, and feel I have a good handle on my abilities to know where I am in terms of ability and style.

I have one more video to do, which is really about finding one’s style. Many photographers I meet ask me how they will find their style, and I think the first step is to curate one’s own work. If you spend a bit of time reviewing what you do, and do some exercises such as :

collect all your best work into a folder
try to reduce it down further to the absolute best work

You can gain so much insight into your abilities and also your failings. Style does not come overnight, and in my view it tends to surface slowly. Yet what most do not understand is that if you have a style to your work - it is often present from the very beginning. When I look back at my earlier work I can see it was there, but it was diluted by so many other distractions in the work. Looking back, one can often see the path that we’re on. And this is what you need to do with your photography, if you want to become more aware of where you are as a photographer, and where you may be going.

Creativity is about letting go, and in that way, looking at one’s work, you should try to be as agnostic as you can about it. Let go of personal failure, of feelings of inadequacy or feelings of pride. Just see it for what it is. Be objective. Be honest. It’s an extremely hard thing to do if you are insecure about your work. But I think you must overcome insecurity and just be able to see it for where it is, and be content knowing that you do it for the enjoyment it gives you.

I have always maintained that art is not a competition. It is not for bragging rights. You do it because you love it. And if you are able to tap into who you are and where you are with your work, that awareness alone is hugely beneficial in seeing where you want to go next.