“Good artists borrow. Great artists Steal”
- Pablo Picasso
I recently had a participant tell me that during a review of his work with a well known landscape photographer, he was informed his images looked a lot like mine. It reminded me of a story of a famous landscape photographer who, whilst reviewing a participant’s images, noticed that some of the images looked like several well known landscape photographer’s work. He said ‘these are all very nice. But where is your work?’
This has stayed with me over the years. Perhaps for it being rather brutally honest, and probably a very hard pill to swallow for the participant. But mostly because I think that aiming for some kind of originality in one’s work, too soon in our own development - can be extremely damaging. Let me explain.
“You begin by walking in the footsteps of your heroes,
but hopefully at some point your paths should diverge”
- Michael Kenna
I include the quote above (paraphrased), by Michael Kenna for a reason. Michael has occasionally gone to places where his ‘heroes’ have been, to make his own version of one of their classics. I include two images below:
Left: original Bill Brandt photograph.
Right: Michael Kenna’s homage to Brandt’s Snicket.
Michael Kenna has often name checked the inspiration for his own images and in this case, his photograph is called ‘Bill Brandt’s Snicket’.
That aside, the main reason for showing you this, is that I think it is perfectly natural for everyone to follow in the footsteps of the work that inspires them the most. In fact, I think it’s a rite of passage for all of us, and no one escapes this period in their photography.
Put it this way: if you’re learning to play guitar, it’s often best to start of by learning some classic riffs. By going along to photograph either an iconic composition, or to simply go to landscapes that are stylistically similar to the imagery you admire - can be a great learning tool.
As I say: this is a rite of passage for all of us.
So I think that when we start making images, being drawn to similar places, or looking for things that are stylistically similar to images we like is only natural. We have to learn to walk before we can run, and one of the best ways to learn to walk, is to at the very least emulate, or at best, be drawn to similar landscapes that we have enjoyed in the work that inspires us.
In my view, being told that your work looks like [insert photography of photographer you like], is no bad thing. Just being able to attain compositions that utilise stylistic aspects of the work you enjoy means you’ve learned quite a lot. It is almost impossible to avoid influences, but if you can pull of imagery that comes over as well executed, and to a similar level of the imagery you have been influenced by - then you’ve attained quite a bit of skill. And you are following your natural path by connecting with the stylistic signatures that you enjoy.
So in my view, rather than trying to avoid your imagery looking like someone else’s, we should embrace our influences. Sure, be aware of them - know where they are in your work. But don’t chastise your influences or ban them from your imagery. Influences are not only a contributing factor to where you’ve gotten to so far, but they will continue to teach, and help you flourish in your work going forward.
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At the beginning of this post I mentioned two photographers who in essence had hoped that their participants would be more original. Or at least show work that was ‘their own’. I would like to say that although I think it is an admirable thing to encourage individuality, and to help promote that participants should look for their own voice in their work, It is in my view often extremely hard for anyone to execute. For the most part, if someone is to develop a sense of individual style or voice, it will tend to come in its own time. And it tends to come whether someone is looking for it or not. Because finding a unique style or voice is an incredibly elusive thing to find. If it wasn’t so elusive, we’d all have achieved it.
So, in my view, until you find your ‘style’ or ‘voice, you are best to just follow what inspires you. Irrespective of where it’s sourced from. This is all I have ever done, and I can only suggest you do the same.