Being a chameleon

OK, so you're probably wondering (as am I right now) what I must have taken to make me put a title like 'being a chameleon'. I'll level with you, I have a seed of an idea, which I'm hoping will grow just by typing, stream of consciousness style.

For quite a while now - pretty much since I started my photography business - I've been constantly asking myself who I am as a photographer, and consequently, what is my brand? What is my place in the market? What is my natural style? This is something I've been having some major headaches over. It's true, when you hear a guitar riff, you can take a guess at who could be playing it. I don't know much about painting but I could probably recognise a Picasso if I saw one.

Here is the problem: I like Picasso, but I also like Rembrandt. I like Indian food, but I also like Italian. Sadly, the two are not particularly reconcilable. It's the same with my photographic influences. I love the fresh, carefree, lifestyle approach of photographers such as Mike Larson, Jose Villa and Jonas Peterson. But ... I also love the fine-art, restrained, high taste feel of Damien Lovegrove, Jerry Ghionis, etc.

I'm beginning to get to the point of this post I think. Creating a successful brand is largely about being true to who you are, and - to a point at least - modelling your business and your art into an avatar of yourself. One of the most annoying things about me (from my point of view) is my tendency to change depending on who I'm with, or, in artistic terms, to let my influences sway me too much. For example, after looking at a fine-art portrait by Damien Lovegrove, all I want to do is create high art that people can look at whilst sipping port and smoking a Cuban (cigar, not citizen). Then, ten minutes later I check out Mike Larson's blog and I just want to drive to the nearest beach at sunset and have a fun shoot with a great couple.

I'm not sure there is an answer to this conundrum, other than to return to the title of this blog.
A chameleon can change its colour, but it's always a chameleon, it can't morph into a completely different species. So maybe I should just relax, whatever I do, so long as I stay true to my vision, it will still be .. me.

The end, for now