Even successful pros need to continually refine and define their style. Scott Mc Kiernan, founder and CEO of ZUMA Press, provides a good insight on how to do so. When I was speaking with Mc Kiernan a couple months back, I asked him what advice he would give to photographers starting out in the biz. I was struck by how his simple advice rang true for photographers at all levels of professional success.
“I would start out by thinking what I really care about in photography,” Mc Kiernan told me. “If it’s travel, I would look at who’s doing the best travel photography.” This makes sense, of course, and can be applied to wedding, portrait, commercial and any other kind of photography. Of course, every pro is familiar with this strategy. But Mc Kiernan’s next suggestions, though simple, seemed particular fresh, and just as valuable pros wanting to clarify their style goals as new photographers.
Phase One:
“Go to the magazine racks in Barnes and Noble,” he said. “Look for images you wish you were making. Not just because they are on the page or because they are in print. But because you REALLY wished you had taken them.”
Mc Kiernan mentioned that he loves to see images he wished he had made. He said that paying careful attention to such images, it helps him to continue to develop his own style.
Phase Two:
“In a class I teach on photojournalism,” Mc Kiernan shared, “I have my students pick nine of photos they really like, that they wished they had taken. It doesn’t matter if they are editorial images or ads. Then I have them tape the images to their wall, and look at them over a couple weeks.”
“Over the next couple weeks,” he advised, “learn to understand what you really like by eliminating, one by one, the photo you like least. This can really help you figure out what you really care about.”
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Why This Matters for Pros:
Sure, this might seem incredibly simple, and if you’re a busy pro you might think it an unnecessary exercise. But according to Judy Herrmann, a highly successful commercial photographer who offers consulting services for other photographers, regularly assessing and redefining one’s style is critical for success. She told me recently that regular “reinvention” is particularly important for busy photographers, who can end up in a rut without even realizing it.
Mc Kiernan’s simply tip – pin up images you wish you had taken, and then, one by one, take down your least favorites – is an easy, low-tech way for photographers to keep their vision fresh, as well as help you strive for new grounds. And as Herrmann suggests, photographers who do not keep an eye on new grounds risk burning out or letting their style get old. Neither one of those is good for business!