Identity is an idea I've been struggling with since I decided to take photography seriously. The first thing I really wrestled with is what name to use professionally -- Ogalthorpe or Jeremy Center. Every bit of sensible advice I received when I asked the question publicly said to use my real name. I decided to do something different. I used the name I was more known for hoping it catches on in the real world.The second biggest concept I've been trying to wrap my head around is the answer to the question "what do you shoot?" And that's where the idea of the elevator speech came into play. From my perspective the most useful result of refining the elevator speech isn't that I'll be able to make the quick pitch -- it's that I will be able to know myself and know what I do in such a way that I can explain it to other people. Left on the chalkboard of Richard Feynman, one of my personal cultural heroes, after he died is the following phrase "what I cannot create, I do not understand." And I think that's a powerful notion.
Understanding can come on many levels. Right now I've come to understand that I have a rather unique outlook regarding the creation of photographs. It's more than having an eye. It's like having a theme and that theme is common to the images I create even if the subject matter is not. Whether it's a location shot of a fashion model, a portrait of a family member, a photo of some food on a plate, or a goldfish in a martini glass, there's a certain energy that's a part of all the images. Is it the lighting? Is it the composition? Is it the execution? I don't know exactly. But there's something there I can't quite put my finger on and that makes it difficult to put into words.
So here I am still working on the elevator speech -- but that's ok. What it means is that part of my processor is constantly churning over what it is I do. It's crunching all the various aspects of I do looking for an essence to distill. And all the while I'm getting closer to knowing who I am and what I do. I'm getting closer to understanding. And when I understand what it is I do, I can create the few sentences that really capture the essence of what I do and it will allow me to communicate that to other people. For now I guess I just have to let the images speak for themselves.
5 comments:
is it 'theme' or is it 'style'? maybe no difference, but it seems like theme embodies some conscious direction.
do you sense an 'arc' (as in a "story arc") happening implicitly?
Does anybody ever find a final answer regarding their identity? If people know you by your pictures then your identity as a photographer must be distinct. I look at pictures created by photographers like Annie Liebovitz, Richard Avedon, etc., and often I think I can see what they are up to. The photographer gains transparency through the subject. It's probably some sort of neurosis, really, but it's also the photographer's palette.
Feynman also had an ability to link disparate ideas intuitively, without immediately needing to be able to establish concrete expressions that definitively related them. Dude had creative juju and he could figure out some deep stuff.
Bit of unsolicited advice: people can tell when the photos aren't real. In your portfolio this is embarrassingly obvious. Try to be more like this guy.
Dear Anonymous:
I'm not sure what you mean by saying that my photos are not real. Except for composite work i've done, they're all real in the sense that they are photographs of actual subjects on location or in the studio.
Feel free to leave me a comment back explaining what you mean. I would certainly like to hear it. I can certainly use any suggestions that would help me improve my work.
Jeremy--Ignore anonymous. Your photos are very distinctive and you don't need to try to be someone you're not (I'm sure I'm not telling you something you don't already know). I've been enjoying your images for a long time on flickr and I hope that your new path takes you far.
cheers,
Elessar
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