Presence, sizzle, it's hard to come by, it takes hard work and professionalism. A TV programme about two comedians illustrated the point. A retrospective of their work showed live gigs where people were creased with laughter, but the interesting part was when the gag writers were interviewed. They would meet with the comedians and reel off maybe 20 gags or sketches. Honestly they never laughed at anything they related. The comedians would pick some of the bits for the show and work them over and over until they were somehow funnier and everyone in the rehearsal room was creased. Thats giving a sausage sizzle. Strangely, its alleged that McCartney had the same problem with Get Back. "Is that it?" Lennon quipped, "lets work on it to make it half decent."
This is professionalism. You dont have to be in love with your pictures to make them look better, or have a set of re-touching ethics or morals. Not every shot has to be an homage to one of the great and the good. Once you've got what you think you want, work it over, get 'thereness' and 'nowness' into it. Seek the modern equivalent of that great and famous style that you love so much.
Reference and revisit the past, just remember there's a present and a future. That's where the presence of sizzle is.
You can read more from George Otigbah at fashionfotonotes.blogspot.com