Style

On January 15, 2024 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography8 Comments

In the earlier years of my photography, my friend Nikhil and I once discussed the various “styles” of some of the international photographers we looked up to and were also comparing with well known, lesser known and likely some unknown local photographers. At the time I didn’t think I had a “style”, but he insisted that I did even though I couldn’t see it, of course, most of his work I could easily identify.

Fast forward a decade or so, I was chatting with two other friends, Fidal and Taij, and the subject again came up. Taij was listing off names of local photographers and the types of photographs she immediately associated with them, and she was wondering why it was that she did not have an identifiable “style”. All the names and associated photographs she mentioned I understood and could make the same connections, Fidal then listed a few other names, some I could easily associate a “style”, others I could not.

It was in my response to this that spurred me to pen this blog post. I think many of us start off not understanding what it is that makes this “style” we see in the work of others.

In Guyana, all the way up to High School (aged 14-15) we were not taught much about art except for the basics in terms of composition etc., although it is likely more is taught for those taking it as an O-Level subject. We left school knowing nothing about Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo or DaVinci (unless you count the last two as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). So, we knew pretty much nothing about the styles of art. Today I can probably tell a Van Gogh from a Picasso, but only those made in the later years of their lives.

One of the things that was pointed out in the conversation with Fidal and Taij was that one aspect of identifying Photographers through the “style” of their work had to do with familiarity. Because she was familiar with the works of those photographers she mentioned, she could easily identify them; the same could be said for myself and Nikhil a decade ago, although he would probably insist otherwise. Some of the names Fidal mentioned as well as many other local photographers likely have a style but I don’t associate a style with them because I am not as familiar with their work because I have not seen enough of their work, either because I haven’t seen them in the networks I peruse or because they have not shared as many photographs.

I prefer not to call any names, although I am sure that those I’m referring to can easily be listed by members of the photographic community here. For over a decade there has been a movement of sorts, pushing photography among the new generations, this came with easier access to digital photography. The Guyana Photographers Facebook Group has been around almost 14 years now, and in that time, we’ve seen many photographer rise and many have very recognisable “styles”. Some skyrocketed to fame, carving out niches in the social networks of society and had their images spread through existing social media networks, their style of photographs becoming instantly recognisable by many, some becoming household names. I can probably identify three of these myself, there may be others, I respect them, and although most of their work was more portraiture, I also know their work outside of that and admire many of those works.

Other photographers worked at their photography over time, slowly becoming known in various circles. Many of their works are also deserving of praise and admiration. Because of their steady presence, their style of work became just as well known. I consider my work to be among the latter.

At the start of my photographic journey, I started a project called the Deck Project, the title was chosen because of the number of photographs. I couldn’t be like other photographers and call it “A Photo a Week” – I had to call it something different, so since it was 52 weeks in a year, and 52 cards in a Deck of Playing Cards, I called mine The Deck. This type of project is akin to forced photography, you HAVE to keep taking photos to have at least one good one every week, and if you set yourself themes it further forces you to take photos in ways you normally may not. During those years, I learned a lot, it was about exploring, exploring different subjects, different techniques, even different lenses, etc., and in that exploration there are no identifiable styles that I can think of, after doing that project for a while, I found where my interests lay in terms of subject matter, and its only then that I was seen to have a style.

When Grace Aneiza Ali was curating for the Un | Fixed Homeland, she came to Guyana looking for a few photographers to include, I was unprepared, and it showed. Nikhil had always said that photographers should have Projects with themes, groupings of photographs that we spent time on, curating them into small collections; I had never done this specifically. When Grace came looking, I realized that the haphazard hodge-podge sets of images I was showing her were not gong to work, it was at this point that upon careful consideration of my work I started to eke out those that spoke to me on a deeper level, and my Oniabo Collection was born, a set of Black and White photos taken along the seawalls and seashores. (All the images in this post are counted among my extended Oniabo collection.)

All the photos in this collection had a similar style and it was what I had then become known for. These days I take less of those images, for varying reasons. I do a lot more Street Photography, which was something I never saw myself doing, I’ve never been comfortable with a camera around people, nor interacting with people. This is probably why I liked the seascapes and landscapes so much. I think my own style of Street Photography is still evolving but I can already see a particular slant and style to it.

Now for the crux of the matter. What exactly makes the style? I certainly didn’t go looking for a style, and I would probably have failed if I did. Style is not just in the initial taking of the photograph, that’s just part of it. Yes, your composition, your choice of subject, your decisions of perspectives and your use and preference in lighting will contribute to your style, but so will your choice of lenses, maybe even your choice in camera. The last part I think that really has a big impact on your style is your processing. From your choice of processing (editing) software, to how you use it, or them. There’s a certain young lady, Savita, I’m naming you here, although she tried her hand at DSLRs, her use of a cellphone and Snapseed, and her own particular approach to her subjects and how she processes them in Snapseed have given her work a particular style.

Some people develop their particular style through a demand for a certain aspect of their photography, this happens particularly to those doing it commercially, others find their styles eventually, or their style finds them, depends on your perspective I suppose.

Don’t give up, just keep shooting, and pay particular attention to they type of subjects you love and how you wish to showcase them, for many that’s where their style finally emerges.

Click on the images to see them in the collection along with many other images.

Wadokozinao wizii

On November 3, 2017 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography2 Comments

I am not an art oficionado or connoisseur, but I do have some art appreciation; in the course of my day job, I happened to come across works by Ms Myrna Bernard, she came in to our offices to print images onto Canvas, the files tended to be digital illustrations and composites of her own photos and her own making, to the finished print she would then use paints to complete her works of art. I have had the honour of seeing some of her work on Exhibit at the National Art Gallery on two occasions, and I distinctly remember having to return several times to one piece to stare and be engulfed in it. Another person’s work whom I’ve seen with a similar angle is that of the ever-travelling Ian Brierley, an Englishman who has visited Guyana many times over the last two decades and has done many prints and paint on canvas among other types of artistic work.

I am no painter, but I had an idea and on chatting with a friend and painter, Ms. Nicky Williams (Nicole Bissoo-Williams), a plan was put into motion. I had taken many photographs on a trip into the Pakaraima Mountains in 2016; I went through this set in search of a particular type of image, one that was good but did not feel complete in my eyes, and which I thought lent some room for further artistic expression by Nicky.

In the end, I chose five images, after some minor post-processing in Lightroom, I printed them onto Artist Canvas, and had them stretched onto some pinewood frames. These I then gave over to Nicky with the barest minimum of instructions, basically to do as she wished, use any technique, any materials, cover as much as, or as little as desired, add or remove content, so that when finished, the pieces would be a collaborative work. It was a bit nerve-racking having someone else make alterations to something you created, without you actually approving of each and every change, but I firmly believed that if I gave the creative process free reign, that the results would be great; and I was not disappointed.

Sometime before Nicky had finished her work, I had approached a good friend, and spiritual sister Ermelinda, who is from one of the southern Amerindian villages to ask her to suggest or to ask around for a word or phrase with and of the words “Land”, “Parents”, “Ancestors”, in any of the dialects or languages of the peoples in that area; this was done only because I had no contacts at the time to anyone specific in the areas the actual images were taken. After some discussion; the phrase “Wadokozinao wizii” was chosen, it was from the Wapishana dialect and means “Our Ancestors’ Land”. This was the title I had chosen for the collection of five pieces.

I was approached by Mrs. Denise Dias MS, about some photographs to be auctioned off at a fund-raising Italian dinner for Help & Shelter (tonight, November 3rd, 2017), and it occurred to me that if she liked these pieces, maybe they could be auctioned to raise funds for the shelter. These pieces have never been seen by anyone else, but I figured that if Mrs. Dias liked them then they stood a chance at helping them raise some funds 🙂

I decided to write this post as a way of sharing photos of those pieces, taken before handing them over. So, here they are:

Wadokozinao wizii – Yakarinta – 16-1175

Wadokozinao wizii – Rukumoto – 16-1315

Wadokozinao wizii – On Monkey Mountain – 16-1526

Wadokozinao wizii – Karasabai Fenced – 16-1253

Wadokozinao wizii – Karasabai Wide Open – 16-1263

These are meant as single time creations, and no other versions of them are intended to be created.

Click on the images to see them in the Gallery.

The Deck – Week 25

On June 25, 2010August 28, 2010 By themichaellamcollectionIn 2010 Deck, Photography1 Comment

This past week I actually took 157 images, I only took these on three days during the time span. I know this stuff only because I had to pick a favourite of the week for a challenge on DP Review, so of those images, one jumped out for me, it may not have been the best image or the most spectacular, certainly not the most colourful, but it had some meaning, and it tells a story.

Now this is the thing about photography, I am just there to record the image, the image usually tells its own story, and like many other types of art, the story can be different for each viewer. A scene will evoke different memories, different reactions, different emotions in people; none are right nor wrong, simply different.

This is my photo for the Deck, the twenty-fifth week of the year 2010, you may like it, you may not, but you will have some reaction to it, let’s just hope it’s a good reaction.