Today I share with you another BTS video. YAY! *holds for applause*
This one is from fellow photographer Christopher Kilkus. I’ve been a fan of his work for a while and I’ve always been impressed with the quality of his work. He definitely knows his way around a camera and how to make an image pop! So, it’s no surprise that his BTS videos follow the same pattern. Check it out:
Whew, talk about production value! Did you see how smooth the camera work was? No jittery shots here. Just smooth, almost stedicam, shots that give it an almost music video feel. Great work!
Every morning I wake up, the first thing I do is fire up my computer and see what’s new on my favorite websites. It’s good to stay updated on different subjects as much as possible. While I could list a hundred, these are my five favorite websites:
1. Engadget – this site is great for getting updates on new electronics, cameras, and gadgets. The headlines are often hilarious and the writing style is great. If something new is on the horizon, Engadget will probably mention it first. (Also consider: Gizmodo.com)
2. Lifehacker – a great website for learning new tricks to make your life easier. For instance, one popular article teaches you how to screw phone companies by using Google Voice (screw you AT&T!)! No more high cell phone bills!
3. FilmDrunk – like movies? Well me too! The author of FilmDrunk makes me laugh everyday with his no-nonsense take on movies and Hollywood. Seriously, this guy is HILARIOUS!
4. A Photo Editor – if you’re a photographer wanting to get better direction for working in the industry, take some time and read the daily updates at A Photo Editor. You are guaranteed to learn SOMETHING!
5. JamiyaWilson.com – yep, my OWN website made the list! Whaaaaaat? How is this possible? Unfair? Sometimes YOU have to be YOUR biggest fan! Visit your own website everyday, check your progress, and see where you can improve! Thank me later!
If you have great websites you’d recommend, list them in the comments section. I always love finding new sites to add to my list.
Style – a manner of doing something. A way of painting, writing, composing, building, etc.
Style is a common topic amongst photographers and many other types of creatives. Either it’s something you readily embrace or something you don’t pay much attention to. When I first picked up a camera, I thought about style a lot. I wanted to shoot fashion like Steven Miesel. I wanted to shoot scenics like Ansel Adams or celebrities like Jerry Avenaim.
I would spend countless hours at B&N looking through magazines and photo books with the styles I wanted to emulate. Once I FINALLY figured out what I was doing with a camera, I started thinking more about my own individual style. This is when things became interesting.
I would ask the question, “What does a Jamiya Wilson photo look like?”. So I made of list of things I pulled inspiration from. Funny thing was, I had a long list of inspiration, but my work hardly reflected where I got this inspiration from.
There was no hint of renaissance art, cinema, or any of the other many things I’d put on my list. After realizing this, I decided to forget about style, I’ll just shoot what I think looks good. “What looks good to me?”, I thought. After ignoring style altogether for a few years,I ironically stumbled upon having a style.
Below is an interesting video featuring, the great philosopher, Bruce Lee. Around the 1:08 mark he talks about not believing in styles. A very good interview.
“Be formless, shapeless, like water…”
-Bruce Lee
Many people would say my work is simple and clean, which I agree with. I’m very conscious of what I like to put in the frame. I like clutter-free images. I don’t think of my work as art, but I do think that there should be a process behind creating it. A method to my madness if you will. I guess the lesson here is that once you figure out how to use the tool you work with, style creates itself.
So the proper definition of style (in this context) would be:
Style – an honest and truthful expression of one’s self through a creative medium.
Find yourself, then express it.
UPDATE: Photographer Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai recently said, “Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward.” Well said!
I was browsing the internet today and looked through my bookmark folder of photographers. I have so many links to different photographers, I thought I’d share some of their work with you! If you’re interested in seeing more, just click on their names!
To become a better photographer/artist/creative, I think it’s important to pull inspiration from as many sources as possible. Before I do a shoot I browse photography websites looking for something inspiring. There’s always something small in an image that gives me an idea (like the construction worker’s googles in the photo above) like the color of a piece of jewelry, the use of depth-of-field, or even a hairband. All of which can lead to a larger idea.
Look for the subtleties in an image or look at the big picture (I think that picture from Dave Hill is AWESOME!), either way you’ll grow from the exposure to more work.
Wondering how to improve on your last shoot? Here’s a quote I thought would help:
“Try to make every assignment better than the last one. When you finish a project, look at it, hard. Nitpick. Be critical. Do more. Don’t become complacent. Ever. Complacency is death.”
Every morning I wake up, the first thing I do is fire up my computer and see what’s new on my favorite websites. It’s good to stay updated on different subjects as much as possible. While I could list a hundred, these are my five favorite websites:
Style – a manner of doing something. A way of painting, writing, composing, building, etc.
Wondering how to improve on your last shoot? Here’s a quote I thought would help: