Liam Arthur

Some thoughts on consistency

Being as I haven't uploaded a blog entry for about 3 weeks I thought I might share some thoughts on the issue of consistency within our field. The thoughts are mostly in relation to consistency relative to the world of commissioned work.
Consistency is probably one of the most important areas for a professional photographer to nail down. There are so many of us now that the mitigating factor in most commissions (after knowing the commissioner) is consistency of style. 99% of the time a buyer or client is hiring you to produce something for them that they want complete control over, it is rare that you get any creative input beyond applying your style of photography to their concept. If your images have a wide aesthetic range or varied subject matter a potential buyer would be gambling on the final look that would be achieved for their concept (in their eyes anyway) Even if you consider yourself to have multiple talents spanning a range of genres you somehow need to focus these in to a consistent body of work that leaves anyone looking to commission you in no doubt as to what they will receive at the business end.
I by no means condone this, the process creates monosyllabic narratives that are based on a commercially adherent model of success. But hey, we all need to make a living.
This is not universal, but if I was being negative and cynical (which I am) I would say that there is very little room for creative expression outside of personal work. Yet it tends to be the personal work that wins us the commissions.
Rock and a hard place.
I believe I could identify a shot upon sight taken by many of the top photographers that interest me, it is no coincidence that their style is easy to recognize and they are also successful. I guess it depends on how you measure success, whether it be the number of commissions you receive or the personal gratification of doing the best job you can, possibly even the exposure you receive, or the difference you make. Whether you agree or not, your portfolio needs to show a consistency of style that will make your work tangible to a buyer or client. If it is success in commissions that you want then it is simply a case of taking the choice away from them, give them no option but to hire you when they need a black and white shot of a grumpy looking teenager holding an umbrella on a cliff in Devon. Fill your book with teenagers, umbrellas and cliffs. Sure you may not get the flarey shot of the girl with an Afro sitting in a cafe drinking a coffee commission, but shit loads of peeps have got that one covered anyway.
A photographer will look at their work emotionally, and in some genres this is fine. In advertising you need to be more pragmatic and look at it coldly. Ask yourself if you would know what you were getting as a buyer? But at the same time be creative and cover the niches that no one else does, it is all a bit of a dichotomy, but what is photography if not consistently inconsistent.

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