How did you develop your style?

[Forkie]

I think style is an unconscious phenomenon. Style comes from habit. If someone has a habit of processing their shots, posing their subjects or lighting their subjects in a certain way, similarity will tend to run through most of the photographer's shots to the point where you can tell one photographer from another.

It's the same with style in anything else. Whoever thought of wearing their jeans hanging over the bottom of their backside, for example had a style (and may not have even realised they were showing their crack to everyone!). Everyone else who does it is only attempting to emulate the first one that did it.

You can try to emulate a style, but more often than not it'll never be quite the same as the one you try to copy.

 

[Benco]

Individual style is where photography transcends the technical minutea of taking photographs and becomes an art. A visual artist has their own style and it's very recognisable, same works for good photographers. As an artist there's no point trying to imitate others style, just find what suits you, if you're lucky it'll be distinctive enough to make your work stand out on it's own.

 

[ghache]

I didn't realized i had a style beforee a few people actually told me what they liked about my photos. Seems like they where all describing my photos the same way with the same characteristics. i guess that's is what defines my style. you do thing you're way. lighting, post processing, poses and everything else that make your work different than other.. Don`t forget, you might have a good recipe, or a bad one. this is where you need to improve, in this case, change your style a bit because this is what defines it.

 

[DBA]

Create a lineup of some of the images from local photographers in my field and I'm pretty sure I could tell you who took it. One is pretty easy to spot as it looks like the image OD'd on saturation and clarity. lol

Me? In post I try to go for the clean look and while shooting I usually try unique angles, still evolving though.

 

[rexbobcat]

I have to wonder though if style is also kind of limiting.

Like, it seems that some photographers/artists become so engrossed in their own style that they begin practicing willful ignorance.

It seems "wrong" to try and stuff all types of photos into a certain way of doing things every time just because that's your recognized style, or because you want to be recognized by that style. I've tried to establish a style, but I usually end up saying "oh the hell with it" because I'll take several photos that really work within that and style and then I'll encounter a situation that requires a different perspective other than what I did to the previous photos.

I guess if one is established enough within a certain type of photography that having one style works. But I also think that fluidity is just as valuable.

 

[e.rose]

I'm gonna answer this without reading everyone else's responses first...

But in my opinion..................

Just shoot.

Seriously.

Just keep shooting. And editing. And trying things out.

Eventually you'll notice you're sticking with some things more and other things less and your style will define itself as you grow as a photographer. I thought for a while I didn't have a style. I have been told several times by people, "Hey! I really like your style!" to which, I then asked, "Really? Awesome! ...What is it?", just to see what they were defining it as, and most of them used the same types of descriptive words. (And I'm talking photographers here, not my friends, mother, aunt, or next-door neighbor, haha).

But I didn't do anything to accomplish that other than shoot, edit, experiment, throw out what I didn't like, and keep what I did.

 

[invisible]

Pretty much in agreement with what BlairWright, Judobreaker and e.rose said. Shoot, shoot, shoot, and – this is key – do it your way. Don't ever try to mimic what other photographers are doing. Do your own thing. If you're having fun and you like your results, then you're on the right path to developing your style – even if there are people telling you that the way you're doing it is not right.

As cheesy as this will sound, it's a matter of time and of being you.

 

[amolitor]

I'd like to elaborate on what e.rose said and others have echoed. Shoot, but pay attention.

So often people get the advice to just shoot, shoot, shoot. It's the universal answer. e.rose mentioned it, but it bears repeating: the point of shooting isn't the shooting, it's the looking at the results and thinking it over and wondering and figuring out. Shoot, by all means, but review your work. Tag, flag, or just put a copy somewhere else of stuff you think is "pretty good" -- be generous, just kinda heap it up.

At the end of a year, or every month, or whatever, go through your "pretty good" stuff, just skimming it. What do you see? What do you like, what do you hate? Maybe tag/flag/stash another layer of "best of the best" away for later review.

You don't have to go crazy with the sorting and sifting, you can review a pretty big pile of stuff pretty fast. The point is to winnow it down a bit, then look over the good stuff, and winnow some more, and look it over.

It'll help you get better, it'll help you figure out what you're good at, and it'll help you figure out what you like.

 

[texkam]

A client hires you because they like what you do.

Well yes, but really a client hires you because they have confidence you can deliver what they need. Many use "style" as a crutch. "Well, I'm a natural light photographer" = I don't know how to use lights. "I do a lifestyle photography" = I don't know how to pose subjects. IMHO, a good, well rounded photographer should have the basic understanding of the craft of photography to deliver the client's desired results whether it's a soft feminine fashion studio shot or a gritty masculine location shot. Now, just because one knows how to do these doesn't mean that one doesn't develope a preference and knack for a certain aesthetic style and chooses to stay whithin that niche and market that to their clientelle who "like what they do".

I guess there may be some who have never ventured into the different realms of photography who do quite well, but the more one can experience and understand, the better they can ultimately become IMHO. It is creatively healthy to venture out of one's comfort zone. Artists do it all the time. Musicians and actors, for instance. This is what makes one's style evolve.

@ o hey tyler. I bet you have the photographic know how to pull off a variety of "styles" if need be, but ultimately your experienece has lead you to the style that you are most comfortable doing, and that's a good thing for both you and your clients.

 

[SeeingEyeHuman]

i trust my sense of appeal... if i think a photo i took looks good ill keep it.. the next step is learning how to set your camera up and edit so that you can produce pictures that you like more often.