Style: You Shoot Like Avedon

Been thinking lately about style in photographs and following in the footsteps of photographers you admire.

I have been criticized in the past for the white background 8x10 work because it is very similar in style to Richard Avedon's work. There are differences in the photographs, lens used, lighting etc, the main difference thou is subject matter.

The people I photograph are completely unrelated to Avedon's subjects. I agree that the white background and film format are the same but the fact that the subjects are entirely different negates that argument that the work is a copy cat version of his. It would be a little like saying photographers could not shoot zone system large format in Yosemite National Park because Ansel Adams had done that already. Each photographer can find an independent vision even if the technique they use is similar. Different subject matter creates different work.