Establishing style I've never done an actual "shoot" before. All of my portraits have been constrained by my working environment...and the fact that I'm both the subject and the photographer. Tough. I think that maybe it's because of this that I haven't exactly figured out what my "style" is. I have, however, figured out what I do and don't like to some extent.

I don't like texture overlays that are overlaid over an entire photo (that was a lot of "over"s). I feel like they flatten and take away from a photo. I think it can be used well sometimes, but most the time it looks kind of cheap. BUT...I do like grain. Not in everything, but I think it can really add a certain mood/interest to some photos.

I don't really like sepia. I think maybe I just don't get it. I do like black and white, though! I also love desaturation to almost every degree.

I generally don't like selective saturation. It's fun for snapshots and it can look great if used correctly but most of the time it looks kind of cheesy in pro photos. Probably not something I'll be using any time soon.

I love overexposed but contrasty shots. I also love super contrasty photos in general. Maybe that's why I like black and white so much...it's all about shadow, light, and contrast!

I do kind of like overexposure in general, though I suspect it's because it makes my undereye bags disappear.

So I have a list of some personal preferences. I have a "shoot" on Saturday (excited and freaked out!) so I guess I'll finally have a chance to see how my list will apply in real life!

Labels: personal

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