{"id":37901,"date":"2017-02-23T12:00:18","date_gmt":"2017-02-23T20:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=37901"},"modified":"2017-02-27T23:26:45","modified_gmt":"2017-02-28T07:26:45","slug":"how-to-be-original-in-your-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/23\/how-to-be-original-in-your-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be Original"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"eric
#chroma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

A lot of us are trying to find our own unique voice in photography, life, and our creative pursuits.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But what exactly is \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoriginality\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and can it be achieved?<\/p>\n

All art is original<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Cindy and My Mom Putting on Makeup \/ Seoul, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A thought: If you listen to a song, what do you exactly hear? Do you hear the trumpets, the voice of the main singer, the choir in the background, the base-line, or the high notes?<\/p>\n

You probably only hear one thing. But it is a combination of all these things which produces \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcmusic\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 or a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcsong.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n

I think the same is with creative work. You (as a creative person) consume all these different sources of inspiration, and your final product is a combination of all these things you have learned. But your final output is going to be an original piece of art.<\/p>\n

Nobody owns ideas<\/h2>\n

The best thing about antiquity is how there were no \u00e2\u20ac\u02dccopyright\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 laws. Each author and artist liberally borrowed from one another. As Seneca says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153All ideas are common property.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Everyone has learned a concept or an idea from someone else.<\/p>\n

I know for me, none of my ideas are \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoriginal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in the contemporary sense. I have liberally borrowed, remixed, and stole from others. But what I try to do is to suck up as many sources of inspiration as possible, like how a bee gathers pollen from many different flowers, and I try to make my own distinct honey.<\/p>\n

Of course the taste of my honey will taste like a lot of different things. But it is the blend which makes the honey taste good.<\/p>\n

Kind of like a good espresso \u00e2\u20ac\u201d you will blend it together with all different types of coffee, from all these different coffee-growing regions, and make something unique out of it.<\/p>\n

Every photographer is inspired by another photographer (or artist)<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

Even in your photography \u00e2\u20ac\u201d you have certainly seen some photography by other photographers. Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say you are inspired by the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, and you try to copy him as much as you can. No matter how hard you try to make an exact replica\u00e2\u20ac\u201d your photos will always be different, unique, and original.<\/p>\n

Even if you are working on a photo project, no matter how hard you try to make a replica, your final result will always be unique. So if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen a photo project done before, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be discouraged. Do it for yourself. For example, just because Bruce Davidson has worked on a great \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcSubway\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 series, doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. Christopher Agou did a great series on the subway (after Bruce Davidson). And before Bruce Davidson, Walker Evans worked on a great \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcSubway\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 series. And I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure there were many others who photographed the subway before Walker Evans.<\/p>\n

Even going back to Henri Cartier-Bresson, his principal inspirations came from the surrealist artists. He just did it his own way by taking photos.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, all art is just an imitation of nature. So mother nature is the ultimate inspiration for all artists.<\/p>\n

Originality is overrated<\/h2>\n
\"eric
#chroma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So to sum up, any creative project you work on will be original. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be hung up on whether your work is \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoriginal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 or not. Because no matter what, you will always find a critic who will call your work \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcderivative\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and a copy of something that has been done before.<\/p>\n

My suggestion: ignore the critics. Just pursue what brings you happiness and joy.<\/p>\n

Above all, try to remix your ideas and concepts enough to create a nectar that is unique. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be afraid to liberally copy, steal, or be inspired by other sources. All great artists do this. No artist was born on an island.<\/p>\n

\n “Good artists copy, great artists steal.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d – Picasso\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Always,
\nEric<\/p>\n

Learn more: Photography 101 ><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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