Do you think you create original work?
Lightingman said, 1733145697
This far into the history of photography ( including digital capture) the chances of doing anything truly original are vanishingly low.
Anyway nothing comes from nothing everything in a pursuit which might be called creative, at any level is a baton passing process with reference(s) to work that has gone before.
INFINITY Model said, 1733146657
To create something unique using the same studios/locations and working with the same models would require exceptional talent and vision. There's nothing wrong with being inspired by other people's work, especially as we are all on different levels of our creative journey. I'm inspired by others, but I'm certain I also inspire others, that's what art is all about.
Sometimes a bigger budget grants you an opportunity to work at some amazing locations, and this helps to create those 'original' works, but at the end of the day there isn't a limitless number of poses a model can do, so we are bound to repeat. Even 'original' modern works get their inspiration from elsewhere, and majority of the times it's from old master paintings because their use of light was and still is extraordinary.
I think the main thing is to express yourself in the way that makes you proud and to enjoy the process, the resulting work should hopefully speak for itself.
Unfocussed Mike said, 1733147832
OriginalSin said
Yes. A selfie of me with a pair of boxing gloves on my feet, balancing a coconut on my head, wearing a Victorian ruff, holding a teddy bear in my left hand, Penny, my rubber chicken in my right hand. Lit by gel lights and edited in the painterly style of Rembrandt! 💁🏼♂️ Beat that! 😂😂
May I compartmentalise? I hate to, but may I, may I?
"Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly milk will countermand my trousers."
“One sentence, common words, but never before placed in that order… You see?”
Edited by Unfocussed Mike
between_beyond (Dan) said, 1733158916
This feels like it fits in the same bucket as the "inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" quote. I like to think that sometimes I have something to say with my pictures. But a majority of them are best categorized as practice, or refining an idea, or trying something I've seen somewhere else. Doing the work.
Of course they don't exist in a vacuum away from other visual art, nor am I working a photocopier. But that's just taking the definition to a pointless limit.
ClickMore 📷 said, 1733159448
My work is original, god forbid anyone would want to copy my work or copy how I shoot.
tigDJB said, 1733160267
"In the style of..." for me means anything/anyone I can pinch a good idea from.
RobertP said, 1733160572
Orson Carter said
Buddygb said
No, this is a hobby and I produce work that interests me.
Originality is not my key driver.
B.
Same for me.My key driver is enjoyment.
+1
I sometimes shoot things that are new to me but these are usually inspired by work I'ver seen elsewhere.
RobertP said, 1733160680
OriginalSin said
Yes. A selfie of me with a pair of boxing gloves on my feet, balancing a coconut on my head, wearing a Victorian ruff, holding a teddy bear in my left hand, Penny, my rubber chicken in my right hand. Lit by gel lights and edited in the painterly style of Rembrandt! 💁🏼♂️ Beat that! 😂😂
Looks like an idea for an NFT to me.
Mike103 said, 1733161361
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Thelema said, 1733161586
Yes and no, some pieces I feel are unique, and I’ve then seen others try to replicate it… some work I’m inspired by but I try to not replicate. Some say there are no original ideas, it’s all been done
Huw said, 1733164218
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Richard Maxim said, 1733164303
Thelema said
Yes and no, some pieces I feel are unique, and I’ve then seen others try to replicate it… some work I’m inspired by but I try to not replicate. Some say there are no original ideas, it’s all been done
Much my own feeling especially with studio work. I suppose one has to define ‘original’ ie a totally original idea or an original expression of a known idea and it is obviously impossible to have knowledge of every image ever produced so one will never know if one’s idea is truly original!
Perception said, 1733164886
I think I've two directions to talk on this,
In PP world, you usually have an idea for a photoshoot and then you execute it. So its one idea, a pose, some lighting etc. I dont think you can ever be that original here and even if you could its a bad strategy for being original. Rankin springs to mind as somebody who can pull off various creative briefs with originality. I used to work like this and im trying not to anymore, and yes most of my ideas are not original but inspired by similar but different images.
How im "trying" or failing to work now is very much based on a book I read called art and fear, which is a little boring but its kind of taught me what an artist is, as in their working methods rather than anything more pretentious. Photographers esp in an art context are rarely judged on a singular image, in fact many of the famous images we know are part of a long-running series. ie Edward westerns pepper #35, so there was at least 35 images here. In this strategy it is easier to be original. Your refining and reinventing the same message over and over again until you've exhausted it. I think this is a better strategy to create more original work and you start to build up a depth of layered ideas ontop of each other .Pushing concepts a lot further along until you finally break free of your original influences. Saying that though critics are harsh, if your body of work is fairly similar to another person's you could be lumped together anyway.
