Mood Boards vs Personal Style

Personal Work / Collaborations

Remember, that creating personal work is all about you. It is to be able to create something that is free from the pressures of other agencies or individuals, that normally dictates one's commercial work.

Of-course the true masters do manage to push their individual style in all commercial work too. That is

the sign of a true master.

Coming back to personal collaborations, I have heard many photographers complaining of how

they are being pushed to create something that hey don't feel strongly about. For eg, they are provided

with references, or mood boards, which are not of their interest or forte. But then I think, the fault lies with the photographer for accepting such suggestions. As collaborators, the artists on the other side

be it muses, stylists, makeup artists have equal right to push for something that they want. But as a

photographer, you need to convey to them, how you would do it in your style. If they do not agree, then obviously one must walk out of it. An artist who says YES to everything is no artist, is only a performer or an actor being directed.

So you must decide which role do you want to play, that of the director or that of the directed. And this must be done well before the first shot is taken, so that every one involved in the collaboration

has a chance to know how this will turn out, or even decide whether to stay or walk out.