So I usually reserve this blog for short bursts of inspiration, irreverent postings, and off-topic ramblings, but I think today I’d like to talk a little about consistency in photography. It’s something I’ve been thinking about, since I’m in the middle of a pretty big update to my website, and so I’m looking through my photographs, trying to tie things together and pace things properly and just generally create a mood and vibe that is steady across the entire portfolio. Thus I’ve come to this idea of consistency. Though hopefully not a foolish one.
I didn’t grow up in the heyday of photography, if there ever was one. The only way that I’ve ever known to be a photographer is by fighting, sometimes tooth and nail, to make a name for myself. And in time this has led to some great jobs with great clients under several different disciplines. I’ve shot for six-star resorts on small islands off the coast of Southeast Asia, I’ve traveled through Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, India, and China on magazine and newspaper assignments, I’ve done fashion shoots with designers from the UK and France, and I’ve worked on ad campaigns for some very big name clients across Vietnam. All in addition to the documentary and portraiture work I do on my own time.
The most difficult thing is having my style of photography come across these different disciplines while keeping my clients happy. I want people to see my fashion work and my travel work and my ad work and know that they’ve all been shot by the same photographer. I want that slight edge to show in my lifestyle photos, I want to keep some of my ad shoots a bit gritty and exotic, and I want my fashion photographs to have an air of mystery to them and to invoke that same sense of discovery that you should see in great travel images. I want everything to tie back together, even if the thread is sometimes a bit more difficult to find. I guess I want to show consistency in variety. If that makes sense.
Anyway, the photographs in this post don’t follow any kind of storyline. They’re from across Asia, from different projects and assignments, and they’re just images that I’ve been sifting through recently. If you have a spare minute, you can see my updated website here: Aaron Joel Santos Photography.
from swerve of shore 
Captured some great thoughts!
-Jen
https://thelilyandthemarrow.wordpress.com/
I think one of the reasons I admire your photos so much is that I can always see a “story” in your images. I’m not sure if that makes any sense, but for me, “story” is critical to any artwork: it’s the core, the emotion… it’s what draws a viewer or a reader in… it’s what tells us why we’re human and what we should do about it (or at least the best “stories” do) – and, for what it’s worth, and though I’m not sure it’ll help you with your web design!, I see those “stories” you tell with your photography… *consistently*.
Great images! Even if this time you don’t have a story that binds them together, there still is a story in every one of them. 🙂
I nominated you for Shine On Award. Please visit this link: http://moazzamshaikh.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/shine-on-award-nomination/
Impressive ideas!
Cheers
amazing photographs! full of peoples souls!
I really like reading an article that can make men and women think.
Also, thank you for permitting me to comment!
You can really see your own style in the pictures : ) don’t worry. Beautiful, again..
so good to see all you what you have seen, Keep clicking and sharing. And yes I’m following you on WP now.
Cheers!
[…] via Some Words | Consistency in Photography — From Swerve of Shore […]