It seems like everyone around is just saying about style in photography. Watch master classes famous photographers, everyone talks about how important it is to find and develop your own style in photography. What is meant by the word “style”? This phrase " your unique style in photography» for a long time it was perplexing, because these were some kind of lofty matters that my brain refused to understand. More precisely, I intuitively understood what was meant. But how to develop this very style and what is it made of?!
I think that many of you have encountered a similar problem more than once. And it’s even more difficult for novice photographers to understand where to find your style in photography, when your head is filled with thoughts about how not to miss the focus and not go wrong with the exposure settings. Therefore, I decided to make the task a little easier for those who are struggling in search of their “I” in photography.
Over time, I gradually begin to understand what is included in the concept of “style” in photography. But first I’ll say very important thing, which has been said more than once before:
Style in photography is not formed overnight. It comes with years of filming and your self-development in photography. The more you shoot, the more you get to know yourself, your abilities and interests. You gradually gain a better understanding of what you like to do and what you are best at. This is the starting point in finding your own style.
What does style in photography consist of?
Personally, it seems to me that in modern photography, style is a combination of the following parameters:
The genre in photography that predominates in the author’s works.
Typically, photographers become famous for their photographs of a certain genre. There are famous reporters, portrait photographers, landscape and sports photographers, photographers who create fantastic photo collages in Photoshop, wedding photographers, professionals in the field of product and advertising photography, and so on.
Style is not about shooting everything, but about finding your own direction. Technically, you can shoot everything from pets to aerial photography, but how you position yourself in the field of photography needs to be more specific. And those photographers who shoot in different genres usually divide their portfolio and create several different sites to attract target audience for each genre separately.
Shooting technique , which can include a lot
- photographer’s lighting preferences (natural or artificial, selected light patterns or time of day/night for shooting),
- features of exposure settings (for example, someone shoots landscapes at long shutter speeds, someone shoots portraits at open apertures, someone shoots splashes of water at super-short shutter speeds, etc.),
- what mode are you shooting in (manual, shutter priority, aperture priority),
- do you use any special complex technique(HDR photography, time-lapse, multi-exposure, etc.),
- preferences for choosing focal lengths - some people tend to shoot with long focal length lenses, while others like comical ultra-wide shots, etc.
Processing technique
This is what the final image looks like, ranging from color (saturation, warm or cool colors), tones, contrast, amount and intensity of shadows and highlights in the photo, and ending with any special effects (if appropriate). In many cases, it is the treatment that distinguishes the author's style and unites photographs of the same author. One way or another, everyone develops their own “taste” for how photographs should look - bright and rich, or pale and aristocratic, or maybe you even want to go into black and white photography.
This is that elusive highlight, your uniqueness, which should appear through photographs. Ideally, this is your vision and attitude towards the world. After all, the idea of photography as a visual medium is to convey what a person sees, and everyone sees the world in their own way, starting from the perception of colors and ending with the complex processes of forming a personal opinion and attitude to what is happening around them.
Now, in order to get one step closer to your goal in finding your style in photography, try answering the following 4 questions:
1. What (who) do you like to photograph?
Finding your genre of photography and WHAT you enjoy photographing most can take a lot of time, and that's okay. First you need to try everything to choose your favorite “dish”. Experiment with different techniques and genres, and sooner or later you will find “your” genre before you know it.
It is WHAT you photograph that will directly influence HOW you photograph, i.e. to suit your style. It is quite difficult to photograph a newborn baby and a sunset over the ocean in the same style. Although one can argue with this, I will not touch on high matters now.
2. Where do you like to take photographs?
At first glance this question is not so obviously related with style in photography. But if you think about it, this is another component of your unique style. Where do you like to shoot - in a beautiful green park or in the ruins of abandoned buildings, in a studio or outdoors, in chic interiors or on busy streets?
Agree, the shooting location leaves an imprint on your photographs and sets the mood for the photographs. Some people prefer more lively, natural photographs of nature, while others are interested in interior photography. I know a rather interesting photographer who travels the world and photographs abandoned places, his photographs look dark, mysterious and cold. And, for example, some children's photographer takes portraits of laughing kids on the green grass. Of course, the mood and style of the photographs will be completely different.
3. How do you like to take photographs?
This is a question that contains several sub-questions. What do you shoot with (film or digital camera)? What are your favorite lenses? What kind of light do you shoot with (natural, flash, video light, studio light, with or without a reflector...)? If you shoot portraits, how do you ask your subjects to pose - more naturally and relaxed, or do you use complex posing techniques? All this determines your technique, which is an integral part of your style.
4. What inspires you and makes you take up photography?
Surely you look at the work of other photographers and admire the photographs of your favorite authors. Try to determine what it is that “catches” you when you look at a photo that makes you admire. What is it - plot, composition, color, idea, moment, technique or something else? Find what it is that attracts you to the work of your photography idols and build from there. Perhaps you like stunning colorful landscapes of vast expanses, or maybe close-up portrait shots where the main focus is the person’s eyes.
Whatever you choose, it will surely become the basis of your photography style. Learn to photograph it, accept this idea and reveal it in your own way through your work.
Good luck in finding your style in photography!
Currently, photography is perhaps one of the most dynamically developing areas of contemporary art. It’s hard to imagine that just recently there were ongoing debates regarding whether photography can even be considered a full-fledged art. Now photography has taken a confident place on the same level next to classical art, such as painting, graphics and sculpture.
A camera is now not just a piece of equipment, it is a special tool that helps a person look at the surrounding reality differently, and photographs are not just paper with an image, but a reflection of thoughts and inner world the author himself. A new wave of interest in photography swept across society with the advent of inexpensive digital photographic equipment, which, moreover, was able to provide a decent level of photography. The size of the audience interested in amateur photography has now reached impressive proportions.
Photo exhibitions are regularly held in all corners of the world, presenting the work of different photographers, usually made in the same style. Although, it must be said that the concept of style in photography has become very subjective, not every photo can be adjusted to any of the standard styles. At the same time, it is not difficult to recognize the style - just look at the photo.
What are the characteristics of styles in photography?
In general, styles modern photo can be characterized using concepts such as:
- composition;
- interpretation of the topic;
- use of colors and tones;
- shooting technique;
- the mood of the author that he is trying to convey, and so on.
The combination of these concepts forms the style of photography. At the same time, modern photographers work both in classic styles, such as glamor or retro, and create their own original styles, each of them in one way or another is characterized by its own handwriting, which makes any photo unique. Style in photography is formed under the influence of a variety of factors: processes occurring in society in this moment, trends and tendencies inherent in different segments of the population, new ideas arising as a result of human activity.
Pop art erases all boundaries
The pop art style, which became a kind of avant-garde in the 50s and 60s of the last millennium, was incredibly popular in America and could not help but leave its mark on modern art. This style is based on signs and symbols characteristic of that period of time. It was then, thanks to artists working in the field of this style, that the lines between mass-produced objects and unique objects of art were blurred. One of the most prominent representatives of that period is the American photographer - artist Andy Warhol. It is he who owns the glamorous collages depicting Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.
The characteristic features of the pop art style in photography are the following:
- bright colors;
- increased level contrast;
- abstractness of images;
- streamlined forms.
Any of the above techniques helps a photographer working in this style to attract the viewer’s attention, however, the most unexpected methods are suitable for this. Since pop art has always encouraged the photographer to approach the photography process as creatively and with imagination as possible, in our time this style still remains very relevant and popular among artistic photographers.
Retro photographs that preserve memories of a time long past
Historical affiliation is what will always distinguish retro photographs from others, in addition, they have a certain sophistication and sophistication. Such photographs, as a rule, capture the most striking events of past days, memories of people and places. It is for this reason that retro photographs often become objects of interior decoration, bringing into the atmosphere a certain spirit of the past. If we talk about modern times, it turns out that taking a retro photo in our time is by no means easy, because now technology is able to capture components that were previously impossible for a camera to see. To achieve the desired result, masters use photographic materials. black and white, sometimes adding a little color to them, but sometimes they are distinguished by a minimum of halftones and dullness. In addition, in order for retro photographs to be the most realistic, you will have to try to recreate the atmosphere of antiquity in clothes, furnishings and furniture that would correspond to one or another historical era. Of course, such manipulations take a lot of time, effort and money, but final result As a rule, it meets all stated expectations. Photos taken in retro style carry notes of sadness and longing for bygone days, which is what enchants and at the same time evokes vivid emotions.
Vintage chic - the best of the past
An ignorant person can easily confuse a vintage photo with a retro photograph, however, this style has its own original features that are unique to it. The word "vintage" came to us from French and translates as wine the best grade, quality. This is also inherent in photographs taken in this style; as a rule, they are exclusive and unique in their kind. It’s not for nothing that the title of this section says that vintage photographs are the best that has come down to us from the past. Despite the many new trends and trends in modern photography, vintage photos never become outdated or lose their relevance. However, in order for a photograph to stand the test of time and not cease to be original, the photographer-artist must make a lot of effort. And here the masters come to the rescue modern technologies. For example, using various editing programs, you can give a photo a vintage effect, make the colors fade, or create a worn-out effect with splashes.
Popular glamor photo
Hardly anyone will deny that glamor photography is the most common photography style at the moment. Photos of this style filled literally everything around: billboards, pages of glossy magazines, movie posters, restaurants and nightclubs. The origins of glamor photography lie in cinema, which became widespread in the 20-30s of the last century. The languid looks of women dressed in dresses with a deep neckline, open high-heeled shoes, all this served as the source of the emergence of the glamor style. Of course, bright pictures depicting the sex symbol of that time, Marilyn Monroe, also left their mark, which significantly contributed to the development of glamor. The characteristic features of this style are chic, charm, brilliance and sexuality. Photographs in this style, as a rule, depict movie stars, models and other public figures, on whose images entire teams of stylists, hairdressers and makeup artists work every day.
Of course, on modern stage development of glamor photography, the scope of this style has significantly expanded. Now photos can reflect both light romanticism and tenderness, and tough sexuality mixed with arrogance, challenging the entire society. However, a certain attachment to chic and luxury, impeccable images and brightness have not disappeared. It is in these features that lies the success of glamor and the inexhaustible interest in such photos, well intensive development advertising, fashion and the interest of glossy magazines in this style only contribute to its development.
If many years ago, when the first photographs appeared, debates flared up among people about whether photography could be considered an art, now all this talk seems like a joke.
Photography is an art, and it stands on a par with painting and architecture, because with the help of photographs a person can also express his emotions and thoughts. Like any art, photography has its own styles that photographers use. There are many of them, especially since every creator who is interested in photo art can become the founder of his own direction, but there are several styles that are considered the most popular today.
Glamor
The most popular style in photography today is, of course, glamor. Photos – pictures made in this style can be found on the pages of glossy magazines, on billboards, as well as on websites offering dating photos for free. Glamor is almost always associated with chic, sparkle and sexuality.
Pop Art
Another style of photography is pop art. It was especially popular in the United States of America in the 50s and 60s of the twentieth century. The most famous photographer One who worked with the pop art style is Andy Warhol. It was he who created interesting collages with the king of rock and roll, Elvis, and the queen of cinema, Monroe.
Retro
Retro style in photography allows you to convey the charm and beauty of a past era, which people are gradually beginning to forget. It should be noted that working in this direction is not easy - black and white materials with low sensitivity are needed. If the photo is color, then there should be few halftones, and the brightness should also be minimal.
But in order to get a real retro photo, you need to create a special environment for this - that is, place antique furniture in the room, decorative elements that were used at the beginning of the last century, etc. It always takes a lot of time and effort, but real art, as you know, requires sacrifice.
Vintage photo
Vintage photography is a style that is somewhat similar to retro, but still has its own characteristics. By the way, “vintage” is translated from French as “wine of the highest quality.” This means that photographs made in vintage style should only be of the highest standard. But unlike retro, these pictures are processed with special computer programs, which give them the desired effect - for example, abrasions are added, colors become more faded, etc.
Grunge
The grunge style appeared in the early nineties of the 20th century, and this is connected with the popular music of the same style at that time, which was characterized by a “dirty” sound and depressiveness.
Grunge photographs are a “dirty” view of the world, with muted colors and torn pictures. This is what makes these photographs unique.
A few days ago, I was surprised to learn about a very talented photographer. His style is the so-called street photography (Street Photography), i.e. he walks the streets with a camera and asks various passers-by to pose for him. The photographs turn out simply fantastic, filled with the atmosphere and emotions of people. His name is Benoit Payet(yes, that’s how his last name is read in French).
At the moment, he has already achieved enormous success among photographers, his master classes around the world at a cost of several thousand dollars. But besides being an amazing photographer, he is also a genius processes photos. Processing is really on top level, which causes thousands of people around the world to try to replicate his technique. But no one has yet managed to do this, and he himself Benoit reveals the secrets of photo processing only to his students from master classes.
In this article I invite you to familiarize yourself with the works of the amazing Benoit Paille, and also consider it in more detail photo processing technique.
I present to your attention a small selection of photographs Benoit Payet, so that you can visually imagine what processing style we are talking ( click below to play slideshow)
For a detailed look at his portfolio, you can visit his page on deviantart or flickr.
I spent a long time looking through his works, studying the colors and style in general. I looked through many forums, blogs and sites where they tried to post action (actions) with the technique of processing it, questions were brought up for discussion, but nothing really useful was learned. Someone said “twist the sliders,” and someone even said that “he just has a cool camera,” and this was said by people who couldn’t even spell his last name correctly. I came across these options: Benoit Poll, Benoit Palle, Benoit Pell and so on. Of course, all this is a laugh and nothing more :)
I found the only sensible topic on the club.foto.ru forum, where there are already more 30+ pages discussing his technique processing And photos generally. From it I learned that Benoit uses the link Adobe Lightroom + Adobe Photoshop , i.e. converts from format RAW and the main processing of the photo is carried out in Photoshop. By the way, you can read about this technique in the article. Even to my great surprise was that he uses only two tools for photo processing, namely Levels And Color Balance. Time to process one photo - approx. 2 hours. In principle, it was not possible to find out anything more, except that the title photograph of this article was taken on Canon 5D Mark II with fixed lens Sigma 35mm f/1.4. Now let's move on to the main thing, to analyzing it photo processing style.
The Internet is full of photographs of his performance, but, unfortunately, all of them are post-processed, and Benoit Paille does not post his originals, thereby trying with all his might to keep the secret your photo processing. The only ones original photographs without processing, you can find it in his announcements for master classes, but they are all in terrible quality and you can’t make out much of them. Examples original photographs you can find it in any search engine by request BenoitPaillWorkshop.pdf.
Below I post those same photos ( with processing that are in his pdf files) only in normal quality, so that you can better see the results post-processing Images. Based on them we will draw conclusions about him. color correction techniques And .
Now we have the opportunity to compare the originals of his photographs (albeit small) with already processed photographs in excellent quality. After analyzing the photographs, we can draw the following conclusions:
1. Muted tones, i.e. No bright colors , everything is in optimal proportion
2. High microcontrast. Required parts in sharpness, V in the right places increased image contrast
3. The background is less contrasting than the subject, so Benoit puts the emphasis on the “model”
4. Fantastic light-shadow processing. Correct underlining shadows/lights
5. Photos in style surrealism, i.e. he achieves color grading that borders on the same level as “unrealistic”, but the line is so thin that it’s not noticeable
6. The effect is created “ film", i.e. the colors are a bit reminiscent of a movie screen from the 90s
7. The image doesn’t look like a photograph at all, it seems like it somehow resembles "picture", i.e. very high quality and unique.
This, one might say, was “washed by ear.” After all, no one can say exactly how and what should be processed in these photographs. The only way out is to try to repeat this treatment yourself, although Benoit Payet strongly recommends not to spend time on this, because... everyone has their own unique style and it's better to work on improving it than to copy someone else's. And in principle, I completely agree with him, but I still decided to try. All on the same forum club.photo.ru I found a photo ideal for processing in the style Benoit Paille and after about 30-40 minutes of fiddling around in Photoshop I got the following
This is just a trial treatment, but I’m sure that if we move further in this direction, we can quickly achieve something similar style(precisely similar, not identical, because this is simply impossible) Benoit Payet. I managed to achieve a similar result using four plugins, the chronology was as follows:
1. The initial processing that laid the “foundation” was using a plugin Alien Skin Exposure Color Film. The filter is called Slide film 100%.
3. To do beautiful blurry side yeah, I used the plugin Alien Skin Bokeh 2.
4. After that I used it again Color Efex Pro with filters Brilliance/Warmth And Photo Stylizer.
5. To achieve a slight surrealism and “picture” effect, I used a filter Glamor Glow And White Neutralizer in the same Color Efex Pro.
7. And finally, for more pronounced bokeh, I brightened it using a plugin Red Giant Software Knoll Light Factory.
Unfortunately, I didn't document which settings for which filter I exhibited it because I didn't even intend to do this detailed analysis creativity Benoit Paille:) But keep in mind that I used local processing, i.e. imposed filters on individual parts of the image, rather than on the entire photo. The only thing I can offer you is a video clip, recorded by me personally in HD quality, where I gradually turn on Photoshop layers one after another so that you can see which plugin affected the image.
You can download the plugins that I listed above by name from any torrent, for example rutracker.org. I hope you found this article useful and informative.
if you need a more detailed lesson or file PSD with layers in style Benoit Paille processing You can download it below:
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P.S. Unsubscribe in the comments below for any processing questions, I'll be glad to help! :)
What style should you use for a photo shoot?
Every girl asks herself this question...
There are a lot of styles of photo shoots, so you are sure to find something suitable for yourself. Don’t forget that the most important thing is to have a more or less clear idea of what you want to get in the end. If you set a clear task for the photographer, then the result will please you.
Today I will tell you about some styles of photo shoots. Get inspired, get ideas, form your own picture of what to choose, what style of photography to decide on.
Portrait photography
This kind of photo shoot is your credo. This is who you are in life, only a little better. A portrait photo session can be carried out in a studio, on the street, in a cafe or at home. This could be a business portrait of a business person.
Photo shoot in LIFESTYLE style
“Lifestyle” translated from English means lifestyle.
To put it very simply, the photographer spends some long time with you (half a day, a day, several days) to capture the brightest moments of your life.
Photo shoot LOVE STORY
This is a photo shoot, the red thread through which is love, passion, romance, tenderness, respect. Most often, two people take part in such a shooting: HE and SHE. This is your personal, intimate love story that the photographer will have to recreate. The main thing here is not to be shy so that the photos turn out sincere and real.
Photo shoot in FASHION style
“Fashion” translated from English means “fashion”.
Shooting in fashion style- this is photography for fashion glossy magazines, photos from world catwalks, photographs of famous models in stylish and branded clothing and expensive accessories, as well as other objects (perfumes, cars, real estate, etc.). In other words, these are photographs about fashion and for the fashion world. And the fashion photographers themselves are no less famous than their models.
