How to find your vision as a photographer

What is "vision"?

Vision has to do with seeing, and photographers are constantly practicing the art of seeing. Having a vision means knowing why you take pictures. You know what you want to accomplish. You are not controlled by what other photographers tell you to do. You know what you are chasing and why . “ Vision is the art of seeing invisible things ” (Jonathan Swift).

Whose vision are you experiencing?

Without a vision of your own, you may be living another photographer's vision. You see everyone else's photography style and feel you have to conform to that even if you don't want to. but this way…your vision is not yours. But how do you find your own vision as a photographer?

Look back to find your vision

Start from your work as a photographer and rediscover what you have done in the past. You often don't realize the significance of your discoveries until you see a thread that connects them all. Throughout your exploration as a creative person, you will see clues to your vision. Focus on these five points:

• Consider what books you love to read.
• Take note of what you watch.
• What kind of music do you listen?
• If you sketch or paint, what is your subject?

Now, connect photography with your other creative pursuits, for example like this: I tend to read novels that explore human nature, I listen to music with lyrics that talk about the ideal life, I like comedy that makes fun of the daily routine, I write on personal growth topics and I study the human sciences at university. I love photographing people on the street because it allows me to explore people's personalities and the way they behave. Do you see in this way the connection between your creative activities and photography?

Always remember that “ You don't take a picture with just a camera . We bring to the act of photography all the images we have seen, the books we have read, the music we have listened to, the people we have loved . (Ansel Adams)

Collect the photos you love the most

• What kind of photos are you attracted to and what are your favorite photos you have taken?
• What do you see in those photos and how do they relate to your other creative endeavours?
• Look beyond your own photography to that of others. What prints have you bought or what photography books do you own?
• Going forward, beware of what compels you to pick up your camera and snap a picture.

List your quirks as a person

As strange as a question, the point is to find out what is unique and interesting about you as a creative person.

• Do you have a weird hobby?
• Do you have any fun rituals?
• What embarrasses you the most?
• List the quirky things that make you interesting.

What are your favorite 3-5 photo quotes?

Your favorite photography quotes will help you find your vision as a photographer.

• I realize more and more what it takes to be a good photographer. It goes over the head, not just up to the neck. (Dorothea Lange)
• To photograph is to savor life intensely, every hundredth of a second”. – (Marc Riboud)
• For me the camera is a sketchbook, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity. (Henri Cartier-Bresson)
• I tend to think of the act of photography, in general, as an adventure. My favorite thing is to go where I've never been (Diane Arbus)
• Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies (Diane Arbus)
• My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport (Steve McCurry)
• The hardest thing for me is the portrait. You have to try to get the camera between a person's skin and their shirt. (Henri Cartier-Bresson)

Do your favorite quotes have something in common with your creative pursuits, your favorite photos and your personal quirks?

Be careful what you say when you are angry

Sometimes the spontaneous overflow of emotion contains the exact revelation of what your vision is. How do you react when your photos are criticized? If you've never been criticized, find a community to share your work online. Sooner or later, a person will let you know what they think of your photos. They will insult you relentlessly. Hopefully, they get under your skin and whip you. The words you speak are the expression of your vision. I like to go into chaos and make something beautiful out of it. And if there are imperfections in the photo, so much the better. Because where there's flecks and dust and grain – that's where things got real.

Ask yourself: What problem does your vision solve?

By now, you should have an idea of what you're looking for as a photographer. Don't worry, it takes some time to get an accurate picture. A final approach is to ask yourself what problem your vision addresses.

My photography and my daily work are infused with an attempt to understand myself and this is in line with the books I read, the comedy I laugh at and the moments I capture. As I photograph my family, wife, daughter, friends, other people and social events, I come to understand humanity and a little bit about myself. Thus I find myself in places where I could never have been if I didn't take photographs, if I didn't love photography. «The camera is an excuse to stay in a place that otherwise doesn't belong to you» (Susan Meiselas)

Your vision should make you grow

People with vision predict exactly what they're looking for and why. They work for it, overcoming obstacles and their weaknesses. To find your vision as a photographer:

• Explore your creativity.
• Ask yourself: What problem does my vision solve?
• How does it make life deeper and better?
• Who do I have to be to bring this vision to life?
• What do I have to do consistently to bring this vision to life?