How do you find your own style?

welly

welly

Messages
1,766
Name
Alastair
Edit My Images
Yes
Hey guys,

I've been looking at the work from various photographers and I find the best photographers, their work is instantly recognisable because they've developed their own style. How do you get this? Is it down to the kind of scene you photograph, or the way you edit your photos or a bit of everything? How can you develop a style of your own? Any thoughts or suggestions?

Welly
 
Unless you're doing it for commercial reasons, I don't think it's a conscious choice. It's just something that happens over time as you make choices over what you like and don't like about your shots. But never compromise and stick to your guns. It's easy to post here and get lots of different opinions on why a shot works or doesn't work and end up trying to please everyone - which is great if you're trying to sell to the masses but perhaps a little soul destroying too. I prefer to stick to what I like and hope that the client likes it too.
 
pxl8 said:
Unless you're doing it for commercial reasons, I don't think it's a conscious choice. It's just something that happens over time as you make choices over what you like and don't like about your shots. But never compromise and stick to your guns. It's easy to post here and get lots of different opinions on why a shot works or doesn't work and end up trying to please everyone - which is great if you're trying to sell to the masses but perhaps a little soul destroying too. I prefer to stick to what I like and hope that the client likes it too.
Click to expand...

:agree:

I had been shooting weddings for a couple of years when I met up with some other local photographers, one of them asked me 'how did you develop your style ?', my response was 'I have a style ???'

As much as possible, shoot to please yourself - even if it's a paid job, the client has bought into your particular vision. My attitude is if I like it, they'll love it.
 
Whilst not being a good photographer, I am a keen photographer, and I think that somehow my photos are quite recognisable from those (say) of my brother. This is due to the wonderful fact that we can both look at the same situation and take two wildly different photos. I like his, he likes mine (sometimes!), but ultimately, the reason I took the shot is 'cos I like my own!

Shoot what you like, and enjoy shooting, and you'll find that your photos are somehow all "in your style".
 
if i'm being honest i think some of the most widely recognised photo styles is in the post production which a lot of the time is heavy which puts me off.

it's not really like a photography style more of a how i can prat around with the colours/contrast etc style :)

i don't generally have a style as i go with whats required or what i like which is varied
 
Everyone's going to answer with the, "You'll get it over time" answer.

But if you want to know how it develops, think of it like this.

You get in photography. You start taking a few pictures. You buy a 50mm because someone suggests it on the forum. You take a few portraits. You start to like doing that, so you take a few more. You learn how to PP them through the forum (or a book, etc). You then get a 100mm (or something close) lens which you then really start to like and use primarily. You dabble in black and white and find out that 90% of your photos eventually get processed that way. Finally someone rings you up asking if you can take a few snaps because they liked your previous photographs. You continue doing so. That person tells someone else, they hire you, then they tell another person. You eventually start a website. Soon enough, your 'style' of photos are recognizable and your obviously doing something that can be repeated.

Tons of other examples. You might like exotic insect macro shots, Wide angle architecture, Desaturated HDR panoramics, long exposure night time shots, heavy processing with high pass filters and gaussian blurs....

That's one way that 'your style' could be developed/found.

Possibilities are endless. Good luck finding your own, but whatever will come, it will most likely do so naturally.
 
That's a good post my Markk, it's not a concious thing really it just progresses over time and eventually somebody will comment about it to you.

Even just things like compositions which you prefer as you think they look nice can become quite well known and you'll subconsciously be adding little bits of your style to all the shots making them all distinctive. A style cannot be downloaded it's not all in the PP it's a combination of everything really, you'll be able to look back through your photographs and see how your style has progressed as you went on too.
 
I think my style is easy to spot, but very hard to copy. It has taken me years to develop the technique where I can cut heads and limbs of everyone I shoot :lol:
 
whiteflyer said:
I think my style is easy to spot, but very hard to copy. It has taken me years to develop the technique where I can cut heads and limbs of everyone I shoot :lol:
Click to expand...

I think my wife has read the same book.She has it off pat now and can do it naturally without even thinking ;)
 
Some good thoughts and ideas here guys. Cheers! Like you say, it's going to be one of those things that develops over time (I hope). I'm still in the early days of my photography "career" and am still yet to find my thing, as it were. I just love it all at the moment!
 
The only style I have is on the dance floor when I'm drunk and the DJ puts some Jamiroqui on.

My photos are styleless and decidedly average at best. I think only a few people have a style of their own, a lot of poeple just take average looking shots that could have been done by anyone.
 
welly said:
Hey guys,

I've been looking at the work from various photographers and I find the best photographers, their work is instantly recognisable because they've developed their own style. How do you get this? Is it down to the kind of scene you photograph, or the way you edit your photos or a bit of everything? How can you develop a style of your own? Any thoughts or suggestions?

Welly
Click to expand...


you develop your own style by taking photographs
 
Styles do develop naturally - organically, if you like - partly your choice of subject matter, partly your equipment, partly your technique. It could involve PP, but people had styles long before digital!

You can be influenced by other people, but don't try to copy what they do.

One interesting thing about one's style is that after a while, for better or worse, it can be difficult to change it. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top