There is a saying “steal like an artist” and as catchy as it may be, I believe it is misunderstood. We are all the average of the five people we spend the most time around. if you look at artists that spend a lot of time with the ideas of artists that inspire them, then it is easy to see how these inspire similar works from them.
The Process
Thinking about the process of creating art from this perspective, it is easy to see how everything we create is essentially a derivative of past works. There aren’t many out there pushing art in new directions. It is certainly risky to try different styles, compositions, and techniques.
There is nothing wrong necessarily with copying others or staying within the box of what is comfortable or ‘known’. Stealing like an artist is a necessary part of becoming an artist, and it is part of the reason you learn to draw/paint in other’s styles and characters in art class. Beyond beginning in your art career, it really depends on the type of artist you want to be. If you feel most creatively satisfied mastering those artistic discoveries made by others, go for it! There are those few, though, that want to think outside of the box and develop their brand around something a bit riskier.
Expanding on Past
You can’t create new things without knowing first the boundaries of what has already been done. Don’t be the Christopher Columbus of your “new” style of photography. What I mean here is make sure you are being original before you claim to be. There are plenty of artists that may have been influenced unconsciously by others without thinking about it. Taking a look at a website like https://samethattune.com where you can pull up a set of songs that may be decades apart or different genres that have elements that somehow bridged that gap.
You might be able to say that there is a coincidence, but I would say that it is more likely that the artist was influenced in some way to create something so similar. Whether this is a conscious choice to rip off an element of something else and slap their name on it or they are completely unaware of the similarity it goes to show how difficult it is to separate yourself from past experiences, learnings, and work. The world we live in can start to sound like a broken record on repeat if you pay close enough attention.
Wrapping Up
Taking something away from this, I think it is best to choose what you are most content with. Personally, I am content with living mostly inside of a creative box and mastering the art of photography. I believe that there are so many different styles and approaches to photography that I can learn from and enjoy at least for now. I am still young in my photography journey though only 5 years in at this point I have so much still left to learn and gain from appreciating the last 100 years of landscape photography masters. Beyond that, there are those landscape painters that I could also stand to learn quite a bit from as well!
If you are not happy staying in the realm of those that came before, there is an opportunity to break out on your own. Remember that it is not easy and you are going to have to steal like an artist along the way before you can really begin to add new things to the space. Also, know that things that are new aren’t likely to be all that good right away, and it might take years to build it out. Lastly, don’t get angry when others “steal” your style. Copying is the greatest form of flattery, after all, and it is a sign that you have pioneered your own space.