How to Find Your Personal Photography Style
- National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Great Photography
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- Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs
photo by CarlosDavid.org via iStock
Your photography style is important. It’s what you use to sell yourself to your clients. It makes you stand out from the rest of the photographers in your area.
Your personal photography style is also really important to who you are and what you value in your photography.
You can tell a lot about someone just by looking at their photography style. But, as someone who is new to the industry, figuring your photography style out can be daunting. I know my photography style took years to curate.
But, with some photography style tips, you may be able to speed the process along.
Stop Comparing
photo by scoutgirl via iStock
We all know comparison is the thief of joy and this is no more true than with your photography style.
I’ve unfollowed dozens (maybe hundreds) of photographers over the years because I would find myself taking up all of my editing time scrolling through their social media sites wishing I could shoot like they did. I recommend you do the same.
I understand wanting to find inspiration for your photography style, but if this “inspiration” turns out to be envy, it may be time to let it go.
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Shoot As Often As Possible
photo by cglade via iStock
This one is pretty straight forward: it’s your personal photography style, so how are you expecting to find it without practice?
When I say “shoot as often as possible,” what I really mean is, shoot daily. I don’t care if it’s a single photograph, but remembering to practice regularly means your photography style will start to develop itself.
365 Project is a really good place to start if you’re learning how to develop your photography style because it encourages you to shoot every single day for a year, and to shoot things you normally wouldn’t.
Make Yourself Happy
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
As soon as I realized that people would like my photography style more if I myself liked it, I think my career really started taking off.
Your likes are your likes for a reason and if you’re more concerned with making yourself happy than making others happy, the others will follow.
Plus, you are your own harshest critic, so if you love your photos then you know they’re excellent.
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Don’t Excuse Bad Editing Techniques
photo by artiemedvedev via iStock
I hate it when I see a beginning photographer excuse their bad editing as their “photography style.” Bad editing isn’t a style.
“I know this set is overexposed, but that’s how I like them.”
Ugh. You need to understand basic editing in order to break editing rules. Run through an Editing 101 course and learn everything there is to know about adjusting white balance, exposure, cropping and other basic edits before you excuse your bad editing as your photography style.
It doesn’t matter if you use Lightroom, Photoshop, On1, or something in between to edit your photos, either. Learn how to use your program of choice and use it well!
Stop Copying Others
photo by 35007 via iStock
When you copy someone else’s photography you’ll never be happy with your photography. Why? Because it will never be as good as the original.
If you truly love someone’s photography style so much that you think you’ll die without making something like it, then figure out what it is that you find so appealing about their work
For example, is it the fact that they use a lot of bokeh? Do you love black and white photography with really harsh shadows? Doing the work of figuring out why you love something aesthetic can be difficult, but it will be worth it in the end when you can incorporate it into your own photography style.
Express Your Style in the Way You Dress
photo by jacoblund via iStock
I’ve always been a big proponent of dressing for the job you want, not the job you have, and if you want to be a professional photographer, then you better dress like it.
When you feel confident in how you look, I feel very firmly that this confidence can translate into the work you are doing. So, in trying to figure out your photography style you should also be trying to figure out your personal style.
One way to do so is to get photography equipment that allows you to express your artistic side, like Holdfast’s Vegan Leather MoneyMaker camera strap.
The Money Maker allows you to shoot with two cameras at once, making you more efficient while making you look more professional.
But, importantly, it also comes in a slew of crazy colors, like mint green, purple, and copper so you can express yourself in the way you dress.
Photography is all about expression, and so is fashion. So dressing the part and expressing your creative vision through your clothing and gear can really help you define what your personal photography style is. Try it...you’ll see!
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