#46 WHAT IS YOUR GENRE? CHASING STORMS!
We first heard from the photography YouTuber Nick Page last week and today he returns as I ask; "Do you choose your genre, or does it choose you? Do you even need to choose one?”
And for those who feel they need to; “When do you know you’ve found it?"
Also Nick talks about chasing storms in America.
I know myself that my genre chose me, not the other way around. Sure there was a helping hand from a close friend who wouldn’t take no for an answer when he asked me to shoot his brother’s big day, but really? Honestly, did I see myself as a wedding shooter? No, not for one moment. I think I was in ego meltdown the first time someone introduced me as a wedding photographer.
Surely the bright lights of fashion were more my thing, or shooting news stories, travel, top flight sport. Yes, that had to be more my thing?
Weddings me?
Actually I remember being at a reunion with former broadcaster colleagues when one of them leaned across, bottle of Mexican beer in his hand and sneered; “How did you become a wedding photographer?”
I think that probably said more about him, than anything about my life choice.
And actually my genre suited me. It suited me well. Another day, another episode I want to come back to the question how we feel about what we shoot, rather than the why we chose to shoot it.
Of course there is a whole debate about being a generalist versus being selective and a specialist – that’s probably several episodes, so again you and I have much to consider in the coming weeks and months.
