We talk alot about photographic technique here at Your Photo Tips amongst other things, but we haven’t really delved into photographic style much.

What is Photographic Style?

Your photographic style is what makes your photographs unique to you. It’s not necessarily what you shoot, but rather the look that becomes consistent throughout all of your images.

Perhaps it’s the way you light your subjects in a similar fashion. Or the post processing techniques you use to give your pictures that look you happen to like.

Style Sets You Apart

Style is what sets you apart from your competitors if you run a photography business. It’s also one of the important factors in helping clients decide if they hire you or not.

Your own style is often, but not always, a factor in deciding which equipment you use and how you use it.

Your Style Evolves

Your photographic style will evolve over time. This is due to many different factors including; equipment changes, new post production techniques, inspiration, boredom, etc.

This is good. It means that you are passionate about your craft and that you want to get better.

A technical hobby/craft/profession like photography is funny because we get very excited in the beginning. We see something new that some great photographer has just done and we want to try it. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. So we read, look, and listen to many different sources on technique and creativity to learn all that we can.

Then something happens along the way. We start to carve away all of the little things we don’t necessarily care for or need. Like a sculptor that carves away all the excess to reveal the best of what’s underneath.

This is a natural evolution of almost every photographer and you should embrace it.

Maybe one day you decide to try some HDR or cross-processing your film. Then after several months you decide that’s not what you want or maybe you just want to dial it back a bit. It’s natural to experiment in photography to see how you evolve as an artist/craftsman.

Hone Your Style

There are a myriad of exercises and questions to ask yourself to help you hone your style. Here are a few:

• Try something new – A new technique either in-camera, with lighting, or post processing can all add a little extra arsenal for you to draw on as you refine your style.
• Look at what you love – Take a deeper look into the images that draw you in. What is it about them that sets them apart?
• Who am I? – Ask yourself who you are as an artist, as a photographer, and as a person then try to see how all of those things fit into the work you’re producing. Does it all fit together?
• Where do I want to be? – This one is probably the toughest question to ask yourself. Do you want to do this for a living and in what field? Are you trying to convey something to the world? Do you have a story to tell and what techniques would help drive that vision home?

You don’t have to define your style right now. I’d be silly to ask that of you. It would be a good idea, however, to look at where you are, take note of where you’ve been, and see if you can’t help yourself find or refine your photographic style.

This takes time and that’s a good thing.