Define Me

Scoleafosis
by John Clare Stokes

Today Clyde Butcher, the Florida photographer who is famous for his black and white work in large format, with equally large hand made prints, posted a color photograph taken on his Iphone of his wife while on their trip out West this past year. Though Clyde said, it would be his only color photograph, Clyde was defining himself, or, in our fascination with Clyde and his use of a product of the masses, the Iphone, to create a beautiful image, we had defined Clyde.
A new Facebook friend, Tad Barney, recently posted the intriguing speculative question, that if he gathered thirty of his photographs from his body of work, but they all looked as if they were taken by thirty different photographers, did it mean he hadn't found out what he wanted to say with his work? Or did it mean he just wanted to say a lot of different things?
Of this forty-eight and counting responses Tad received,(of which I am greatly envious,HA) the most interesting outcome was the photographer David Carol, who Tad admires for his work having a continuity, a trademark, a Clyde Butcher if you will, on his Facebook page posting his next book from Cafe Royal Books, to be released this October, would be titled, "All my pictures look the Same!" as a result of Tad's words.
I could offer my suggestion to Tad, but I too after 43 years delving in photography,  am still looking for that signature look, that "Its a John Stokes". Recently I was admiring several Florida landscape photographers works, John Spohrer, Clyde of course, David Moynahan, Paul Marcellini and Carlton Ward. I got into the mode of thinking, "I need to go out and get me either a  Nikon D800 or a Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the 20mm or wider L lenses. Then perhaps I could start creating landscapes like theirs.
Then I went to David Carols page and equally admired his street photographs, an area I equally like to delve in. So what then, do I need a Leica type rangefinder camera? One of Tad's friends had the appropriate response for this thought: A photographer was invited over for dinner. The host carried on to the photographer, if only I had the same equipment of the photographer, I too would be like him. Upon leaving, the photographer remarked, my the meal was good, you must have a really good oven.
Thom Hogan often said it takes over 100,000 images annually to even consider yourself having mastery over a camera or saying you have mastered the craft. I do not know if that is valid, but I do know that as in any craft, or art, one does not become proficient by reading reviews and studying others works ad nauseous. At some point, you have to pick up the brush and begin painting.
It comes much easier for some than others, those gifted with the eye. But, that too, with work, can be sharpened, defined. There are a plethora of young photographers out there who have only been working with the camera for less than ten years yet are already in National Geographic, if you will.
There are times I think changing my name would be of some help. We all have been defined and placed in some category by those we know. Even Jesus was without honor by his own hometown Nazareth friends.
Say today I chose to publish a photograph in the vein of a Robert Mapplethorpe Crucifix in Urine? Those who KNOW me would gasp, would call, would question my faith, my sanity. I have been defined. They are comfortable as long as I am up on the Suwannee River trying to make "Beautiful" photographs, even if they are overly saturated and hotly post processed. And then there are those who for whatever reason I have offended or something at some point in time, I would hear from them? I never hear anything when all things are beautiful and inspirational. Is that what it would take? But then, they would not respond, for they would not know it was I behind the pen name.
I will simply get on with this rambling and finish with UCLA coach John Wooden. Wooden was an extraordinary player in his day at Purdue and an equally extraordinary coach at UCLA. No man on Wooden's first UCLA National Championship team was over 6-5. Wooden's life philosophy though was
things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. While they did not have height, they would be the best at what they did have, and that was speed, conditioning, team work.
Wooden, also said, talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
Finally, Wooden said, Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books-especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.
While it may not have much to do with finding a defining signature on your photography, it will much more importantly, go a long ways in determining a defining signature for your life.