Fashion photographer Szilveszter Makó has defended his creative vision after some online users and publications accused his increasingly recognisable portraits of looking too similar. Despite a year of high-profile celebrity shoots and numerous magazine covers, the photographer has faced growing criticism from viewers who say they are becoming tired of his signature aesthetic.
According to an Instagram post by Diet Prada, Makó has completed no fewer than a dozen cover shoots this year, with major fashion magazines and international publications featuring his work. While his distinctive visual language has earned praise and helped put fashion editorial photography back in the spotlight, some of the same viewers who previously celebrated his images have begun questioning whether his work has become repetitive.
The discussion has also raised a wider question about the pressure on creative professionals to constantly produce something new in an online environment where audiences move quickly from one trend to the next.
Szilveszter Makó Responds to Criticism
They also highlighted some of the negative reactions, including one commenter who complained about seeing the 'sad, dim box again'. Another suggested that Makó might as well be 'Photoshopping heads onto the same outfits'.
However, the photographer has not dismissed the criticism. Speaking about his work and his sudden rise in prominence, he said he welcomes feedback, even when it is not entirely positive.
'I have not read the headlines. What reaches me are the comments, and I welcome them,' Makó said.
He acknowledged that viewers might see similarities between his portraits but argued that having a recognisable style does not mean every image is the same.
'Criticism is part of making anything worth looking at, and I understand that, to an untrained eye, my pictures may seem to echo one another. But there is a difference between a vision, a style, and a direction.'
Makó also explained that each shoot involves creating an environment tailored to the person in front of his camera.
'My box is built anew for each person. It is painted, dressed, and colored to belong to them alone,' he added.
The photographer also addressed the expectation that artists should constantly reinvent themselves, comparing the time required to develop a creative vision with the speed of modern technology.
'I am a photographer, not Harry Potter. I cannot conjure an entirely new world every three months. I am one mind, moving at a human pace, and in a time when technology can produce something mesmerising in seconds.'
Balenciaga Dress Raises Questions About Repetition
One example that attracted attention involved a Balenciaga Couture dress worn by Jenna Ortega in Vogue and Gigi Hadid in The Wall Street Journal during the same month. The appearance of the same garment in two high-profile editorials prompted online comparisons and added to the discussion surrounding Makó's work.
The photographer, however, argued that the women brought different qualities to the images and that repeating a garment did not make the resulting photographs interchangeable.
'I think it struck a nerve because we have been taught to see repetition as something lesser, as though a beautiful thing loses its worth the second time we see it. I feel the opposite,' he said.
'Both of these women look extraordinary in it. Yet they are very different, each with her own shape, her own presence, and her own purpose in the frame.'
He continued: 'To me, those were never the same picture. The dress listened to each of them differently, and so the image and the feeling it carries are entirely their own.'
They also noted that Makó reportedly avoids digital processing, AI and CGI when creating his images. The post raised the question of whether audiences are confusing an artist's recognisable authorship with their own appetite for constantly changing content.
'I Am Evolving, Simply Not as Quickly as You Scroll'
Makó acknowledged that there is pressure to evolve but suggested that some viewers are judging his entire career based on the work they have seen during his recent rise to prominence.
'I am evolving, simply not as quickly as you scroll,' he said.
'Many people are meeting only one era of mine, 2026. If you trace the work back, you will see each year has carried its own direction.'
He also revealed that he has already found his creative direction for 2027, which he plans to develop through patience and practice.
As the year draws to a close, Makó intends to take a moment to appreciate what he has achieved. He also hinted that one of his most cherished stories is being saved for December, describing it as an exciting chapter.
For now, his response makes one thing clear: he has no intention of changing his creative pace simply to satisfy the demand for constant novelty. Whether audiences continue to embrace his signature style remains to be seen, but Makó appears comfortable allowing his work to evolve on its own terms.
