One of the things that photographers crave is for their images to be recognisable. That is to say, for their name to be so indelibly linked to a photographic style that it’s immediately obvious who shot the picture.
It’s the same with any creative; singers, writers, designers, painters; they all work towards a definable style.
Today though, with the sheer number of amateurs, enthusiasts and pro photographers sharing their work online, it’s more difficult than ever to stand out, or even claim a particular photographic style that’s your own. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reach for it though; after all, having a style is a fundamental part of being an artist.
Here are some thoughts on formulating and refining your own photographic style, then.
What is a style?
In photography, your style could be subject based, or it could be technical; it could be a lighting approach, or a particular manner of processing; it could come from the way you expose the frame, or what sort of focal lengths you stick to. Likely, it will be a combination of all of these things and more.
The great thing is, you’re probably doing most of these things in a certain way already; that is to say, you already have a style, you just need to define it and your work will grow from there.
Where does a style come from?
Your style can come from any of the different areas mentioned above, or something completely different; to find it you simply need to identify what elements of your own images you enjoy. Notice that I say focus on what ‘you enjoy’ rather than what anyone else thinks, because if there’s one thing that’s sure to hamstring your creativity, it’s trying to please other people.
When it comes to defining whether this style is really your own, don’t worry too much. You will naturally be influenced by what you’ve seen in other photographers’ work, and that’s okay; very little in today’s world is original and digesting the work of others is fine, so long as you’re not too slavish to it. Actually, a great way to avoid this is to look outside of photography, for inspiration; if all you consume is a 500px feed, it’s no wonder your images will start looking like everything else.
How to find your own style
Projects are a great way to identify and work on your style. In a project you’re limited, restricted, and therefore more focused. You can work in a series and stick to it, keeping themes and aesthetics consistent. See you what you like, keep it and throw out the other stuff.
For example, sticking to certain subjects can help you develop. Some years ago, I interviewed renowned portrait photographer, Gregory Heisler, and asked him how he thought photographers could be best grow their style. His advice was simple: “shoot what you can’t help but shoot; shoot what you love. Those will be your best pictures, and they’ll be the ones that people respond to. ” I realised that one of the things I loved most was dogs; then they became my specialism, something I could start building on.
It’s definitely better to look within yourself for a specialism, than reach out for things that you’d simply like to shoot. If you have a love of landscapes, think about which types of location fill your heart; if it’s sports and action, what really thrills you?
Creating a consistent look
Sticking to a coherent subject is a good start, and certainly better than having a hodgepodge of ‘me too’ shots in your portfolio, which can be highly dysfunctional. That’s not to say you have to steer completely clear of other subjects or styles, but clear weighting is desirable.
Consistency should also apply to your shooting technique and your processing. After all, there’s no point sticking to the same type of subject, and then creating a portfolio of inconsistent images as you boomerang from one technique to the next. For the lion’s share of my dog portraits I stick to the long end of a 70-200mm lens and shoot outdoors, usually with a shallow depth-of-field, and the sun backlighting the subject or flash doing the same job. I don’t vary from this much, and when I do, I try to display those images separately if possible.
Stick with your processing
Your processing technique is another place you can put a personal stamp on images. Perhaps you prefer a certain colouration to the images, a filter effect, or a particular strength of contrast; maybe you prefer to work in a square or 5:4 format, so your shots are more distinctive than the usual 3:2. It could be panoramas, or multiple exposures; what’s important is that you find something that works for you and that you stick to it.
Why not start today?
2017-9-28 03:00
