A QUESTION OF PHOTO STYLE

“A question of photo style:  “What’s your photo style?”

“La Mode passe, le Style reste.. (Fashion fades away, Style remains)” (Yves Saint-Laurent)

-“..So what is your photo style?” Kasia asked.

I was busy setting up the light for our first shooting (a simple clam shell with a couple of beauty dishes, for those who like technical details).  My sister – Kasia’s mother – was moderately enthusiastic about this shooting, but Kasia was quite excited about it, and at the end, she got her consent.  As always.

-“..I don’t know..!” did I reply, slightly distracted.  Getting the lights well balanced in a clam shell requires some attention.

-“..Are you finished with your make-up..?”  Of course she was.  A bit too much of it, as teen-agers tend to do.  But that was alright, the idea was exactly about shooting a teen-ager.

-“..I’ve read that great photographers each have a style and that they can make ugly dogs look terrific and people say “wow”!” and wizzz!  In a sec, you get 10000 likes on your Instagram!”

I continued the setup and mumbled something I don’t even remember.  She kept insisting:

-“..because if you don’t have any style, I may as well do selfies with filters..”

Holy shit!  that was pure teen-age crappy provocation.  I like it.  And stayed cool.

– “..You know..  Style, that’s an elusive thing..  For some photographers, their trademark is the black and white or the colour palette, the framing, the texture, the composition.. and the light of course..”

-“..Yeeesss..  But..  what about yours?  Do you have a message..?”

Hell!  Who told her to ask these sort of questions..?  Not my sister, she totally ignores my work.  Not her boy-friend;  at least not the one of this week.  He’s totally illiterate and couldn’t even spell his own name properly:  “Boriszyewicz”.  Ok, that’s not so easy.

But every question deserves an answer.

-“..  Well, basically, I like to shoot, I like the interaction with the models, I like to push the limits and explore new grounds, I like to invent and suggest stories..  It’s a bit compulsive..”

She was looking at me with her big mesmerising eyes and, for once, she seemed interested by what I was saying.  And expecting more.

-“..I’m a biiiig vampire!..  (gesture)  I try to steal bits of people’s soul, re-assemble them in my universe according to my aesthetics, and ultimately release a story which people will, hopefully,  find cool to look at..  And now, let’s go to work babe!”

On the sound system, the singer was singing “..The words have all been writ by one before me, we’re taking turns in trying to pass them on..”

I couldn’t agree more.