Curiosity vs Consistency: Which is the Best Approach in Photography?
One of the first pieces of advice often given to beginner photographers is to try to develop a consistent style. There is merit in this advice. Having a style helps give direction to your photography. It helps to keep you focused on one area so that you can aim for constant improvement and mastery in a particular genre, rather than being a ‘Jack of all trades.’ It helps your work become recognisable to others. Many professional photographers are known by their style, and that can be a good thing.
But there is another side to the argument for developing a style, and that is the argument for curiosity. If we continually photograph the same type of images, what about all the things we miss?
Do we really need to ‘niche down’, stick to our lane, and become masters of one genre, or is photography about experimentation, discovery, being curious, asking questions such as,
What if…? How…? Why…?
I am not a professional photographer, therefore I don’t know the pressures involved in trying to make a living from photography. Maybe photographers do need to have a recognisable style. But as an amateur, an enthusiast who just takes photographs for myself and who would like to give some inspiration to others who view them, I believe that curiosity is the best approach in photography.
Curiosity has led me to photograph objects that I never dreamed of photographing. It has helped me to see things that I would normally pass by, it has opened my eyes and my mind to endless possibilities, it has put the fun and the success into photography that eluded me when I was trying to develop a personal style for others to recognise.
Most of what I photograph today would never gain any traction on social media. But that is not the point of my photography. I photograph for myself; for enjoyment, for relaxation; as a creative outlet and as an aid to wellbeing. Therefore, I don’t need a style, I need to develop my curiosity and to see where it takes me. So far, it has taken me to places I never dreamed possible, and the journey is never ending.
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On a similar topic, you might be interesting in watching this video from New York based photographer, Faizal Westcott.
Faizal Westcott is a professional photographer who has a typical style of photography, and in this video he describes the sense of liberation he recently felt when he departed from his usual style. He discovers that creativity is not about finding one thing and sticking with it forever, but rather it's about the process, "the compulsion to see what's around the next corner because you have never been there before".
In my opinion, this is at the heart of photography, this urge to experiment and discover more. It has nothing to do with a particular camera or lens or how we edit, and has all to do with vision and curiosity.
Do you agree, or do you believe that developing a consistent photography style is more important?
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