How to Really Define your Photographic Voice
All images by Jorge Silva. From his project: Visita Guiada
Let’s start with the obvious: photography isn’t just about gear, technique, or even aesthetics. At its core, it’s about how you see the world.
In Your Photographs Don’t Need to Be Spectacular, Dan reminded us that quiet, everyday moments often say more than grand, attention-grabbing ones. This call inspires us to see our photographic vision as a language, reflecting our unique perspective and expanding photography beyond visual adornment.
Thinking About Photographic Voice
Your vision takes shape through choices. You might reach for harsh sunlight to create bold contrast, or soft light to bring out texture. Maybe you’re drawn to night photography, or you frame with shallow depth for mood or sharp focus for clarity.
These choices, driven by your intention, organize the frame’s planes in depth or across its two-dimensional space, shaping a deliberate visual statement. It grows through sequencing, where images in books, on the walls of a gallery, or on your photography website build a dialogue, each frame connecting with the next to create meaning.
Alfred Stieglitz knew this. In his work during 1920s and '30s, critics accused him of relying on beautiful subjects. So he turned his camera to the sky. Just clouds, formless, ordinary, yet expressive. His Equivalents series showed that emotion, not subject matter, gives a photo its weight. A single cloud became a meditation. Proof that vision doesn’t depend on what’s in front of the lens, but on the intent behind it.
When you go out to make photos, you carry more than your camera. You carry memories, dreams, ideas that you juxtapose with the reality of whatever you choose to put in front of your lens. You’re laying down a trace of your inner world. Especially in urban spaces, your images stitch fleeting, disconnected moments into something personal. A kind of visual diary, shaped by your gaze.
I encourage you to read Stephen Shore’s The Nature of Photographs. Shore explores how photographers see and frame the world, offering insights to hone your perspective. Read it and reflect on how your choices—light, composition, sequence—shape your vision.
So here are some questions to ask yourself:
What draws your attention when others walk by?
How do your photos translate what’s inside you?
Where do your instincts lead the frame?
Your vision is a mission: an obligation to disclose the strange, peculiar, and indescribable through your unique perspective. It is a system you build over time through photography’s language and practice. It’s a quest to unveil meaning through narratives that feel uniquely yours, revealing connections others might miss.
You can read more photography thoughts by Jorge Silva by singing up for his newsletter Galeria Local Newsletter.
More reading: Feeling Nervous Before a Shoot? Read This
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