Every artist, no matter what the specific type of art is, should have a defined point of view. I have found that this is not as easy to define as one would think. But in times of creative block, it is the best guide to finding your creative spark. Just what is a point of view? It is your work described in an Occam’s Razor. A point of view is not a paragraph and should not be more than a sentence if even that. What drives your artistic view of the world? As a photographer mine is simple, “Perception of Place” for no matter what the subject is I’m shooting.

If I do a photo shoot, and I look at my images as a collection then I always get a perception of place. A place can be an idea, a location, or a feeling. Happiness is a place. Concern is a place. Freedom is a place. Home, camp, nature, or the ocean is a location. All of these places form specific perceptions of place. For me, perception of place involves all four dimensions which means for me that time is a part of perception.

Do this activity to help you find your point of view. Take sets of images that you imaged at the same time and define your perception of the group. Do this for many groups and then say what is the key thing that connects these works. Then in the fewest words possible describe the key element of all the groups, this then defines your point of view.