creating photo style

Creating a photographic style is probably one of the most difficult things to define and create photographically. For many years I knew I wanted to create a unique photographic style like many of the big name photographers I would read about in books and magazines. Names like Ansel Adams, Bert Stern, Avedon, Robert Farber, Diane Arbus, Jeanloup Sieff, Art Kane, Helmut Newton, and the many dozens of other equally great photographers that have developed unique photographic styles. How did they do it? It took a long time for me to figure out how to develop a style, but after many years of photographing people, I have finally figured out my style.

Through all the many years I have been in photography, I have discovered a style emerges after creating hundreds or possibly thousands of images. You begin to do many of the same things over and over and apply your personality into your photography. Deborah Turbeville has created a style that is unique to her, using elaborate room settings with high fashion models and exotic lighting. Helmut Newton style is to use high fashion models in bizarre poses and usually adding an erotic element to his images. Each of the names I have mentioned above have also created their own unique style.

Most styles are created by seeing other peoples photography and emulating the images you see. I know in my case I have always been fascinated by poster art and poster photography. I want the image I create to be strong enough to be considered for a cover shot or poster. Creating an image intense enough requires some planning, the right model or subject, a pose that is dramatic and dynamic, lighting that is well balanced and designed to create a separation from the subject and background, giving a three dimensional feeling to your image. The image you create may also require staging or set design to build the dynamics of your image.

One piece of advice I give to photographers that attend my Seminars and Workshops that I have given all over the country is to start building an idea file. You can not remember hundreds of different poses, unique lighting situations and great idea photos you will see. When I see a great photo that I may want to build on, or an image that some very creative photographer has produced. I save the image in my idea file, if I feel it has merit in my future photography. When I am shooting with a model or subject that I believe may be able to work with me on one of these ideas, I brainstorm with my model and try to create a poster type image. The image may never be produced into a poster, but I want people to see my photography and recognize it as an Art Ketchum Photo. The image may hang on someone’s wall, be in a models portfolio or composite and eventually may be produced into a cover shot, or an article like the one you are reading.

When I show my portfolio to potential new clients they realize I do the type of photography that fits their catalog cover requirements and my ideas are powerful enough to make into possible posters they may wish to create. The image of the Dancer with the intentional blurring is my latest creation for the cover of one of my clients catalogs. When I was asked to create these ethereal dance images, my assistant and I did over 500 images in less than 4 hours and the net result was that I was given an award by the New York Art Directors Guild for one of the top 100 photo designs in the country over the many thousands of entries.

The images in this article were produced for various reasons, sometimes the model needed an image for her portfolio and in many cases I decided to create an image for myself or a client I was working with. While most of my photography is done in color for my clients, I personally like to work in Black & White because of it’s timeless beauty. Through the many years that I have been involved in commercial photography I have produced hundreds of catalogs, have many magazine covers to my credit and produced calendars and posters for my clients and myself. If there is one common thread in all my photography, it is my desire to create three dimensional lighting.

The Studio Images were in many cases produced for Backdrop Outlet for their catalog and you can see hundreds of my images and get a FREE catalog by calling 1 (800) 466-1755.

While photography is basically a two dimensional medium, it is not difficult to create three dimensional lighting by using background lights, hair lights and rim lighting. In order to style my images I look for symmetry in posing using diagonals rather than verticals or horizontals, I look for the S-curves and try to use the triangle method of posing with groups. In most cases I suggest a make-up artist for my model as it will add a professionalism to my finished images and create a more professional look for my model or client. My lighting style outdoors is the same as in the studio. Create more light behind the subject that the light that falls on the subjects face, that will give you three dimensional lighting. Simple, but not used by many photographers, all it takes is a small Vivitar, Sunpack, Nissin or one of the many on camera flashes that allows you to choose an F:Stop on the flash that is one stop more open than the background light. Almost all the outdoor images illustrated were created with my Sunpak 383 or my larger Nissin Professional handle mount flash on my Hasselblad, Pentax or Contax to create the images illustrated with one stop less light than the sun created as backlight, and this simple technique gave me the separation I wanted in my finished image.

The most important tool for doing any type of flash or creative photography is a good incident daylight and flash meter. By attending one of my seminars or workshops you will come away with a new outlook on creative lighting whether it is in studio or outdoors. But the important thing is to realize how film sees your subject not how you see. Film has very limited ability to see slightly more than 2 F:Stops while it has been reported the human eye has the capability to see about 11 F:Stops.

Applying the same basic rules to outdoor photography or Studio photography will give you the same spectacular results. Three dimensional lighting and images that appear to jump off the page with hair that does not look like you applied it with a felt tip marker.

When I experiment with a new idea or concept, I show my clients what I am working on and in many cases I am asked to do images with my new style for my clients catalogs and other projects they are planning. By always experimenting with new posing and lighting ideas, it keeps me on the cutting edge with my clients and allows me to keep when other photographers are losing clients.

Almost all of the images reproduced in this article were produced with Hasselblad 2000 FCW cameras, Pentax PZ-1 or Contax G-2 cameras and various lenses, all images are tested with Polaroid Pro 100 film. All the studio photos were created with White Lighting Ultras. To create the dynamic lighting I want in almost all of my photography, whenever possible, I use a hairlight and/or background light to give my images the three dimensional quality I want in my images to create my signature style of lighting.

Creating your own photographic style will come from emulating other photographers work and experimenting with different techniques in lighting and shooting. But most important is to keep shooting and trying new ideas on your subjects. And start your own idea file.

Don't Miss Arts Great New Book " Portfolio" Click Here!