Personal Style

[Braomius]

Personal Style? Does anyone have a personal style they add to almost every photo?

This could include:
-A signature slight angle you use alot.
-DOF in creative ways, (not just isolating an object)
-Color
-Contrast

I notice people either love or hate personal styles for the most part. There will be pictures that many people think are amazing and many people will hate that style.

I was wondering what kind of style you people use and include a picture, or do you just take pictures as you see them and tweak it to look just how you saw it.

I personally am going for a color scheme that is slightly noticeable but hardly effects what the picture is trying to convey, or accents it.

 

[JerryPH]

There is nothing that I add to "every" photo. Each is unique and accommodates the needs or wants that I desire. Why limit myself to just one style? I consider that a fancy way of saying that you are in the act of painting yourself into a corner and basically limiting yourself.

Just like my martial arts... my style is the style of "no style"... lol

 

[NateWagner]

I am definitely starting to develop a style, or rather, I find that there are certain things I do to various photos that I really like. I think that if people were to look at my last few shoots they could tell the same person did all of the shots. The processing stays relatively similar throughout, though it varies based on the shot.

 

[rmh159]

I never thought I'd use a specific style but after shooting for awhile and looking at enough of my pics I can tell they have a similar style of contrast / vividness.

Though I like that affect I try to look for opportunities to stray from it so I don't become too set on specific style.

 

[third_shift|studios]

I try to shoot down low with a wideangle, OR step like 20 yards back, zoom in and really pin-point the focal area.

 

[MelodySoul]

Not intentionally but I do notice my photos have a certain style.

 

[gsgary]

Every shoot i do i always shoot a few very slow shutter speeds and second curtain sinc

 

[K_Pugh]

my style is very consistant, boring composition lol!.. generally never bad, but nothing groundbreaking either.. apart from that i couldn't say.

 

[rufus5150]

My 'style' (be that what it may) is almost entirely done in post.

I tend to slightly burn the edges of photos to give them a bit of extra depth and focus. I do this with every photo on its own layer and then turn it off if it's not appropriate.

I also tend to do black and white conversions using one specific method and then fade the original colors back through by 3-5%.

 

[SilverGlow]

My comment on this topic is not focus on anyone in particular, and definitely not the OP, but here is my thinking on photography and style.

I think people should think less about developing a style, and use their time to learn the basics, proper camera workflow, and post processing skills. This process can take years.

Then after years of doing this, one will find themselves shooting in certain ways, angles, going for a certain look in post processing, that sort of thing. The evolving into one's style is almost automatic and subconsciencous, but could be deliberate too I suppose.

Too often people try to define their style before they know how the basics work, before they've mastered core skills, and often they characterize their mistakes as "style"... a justification that could stunt growth.

For my own experience, I don't think my style gelled for 8-10 years after I started shooting in earnest. For some it will happen faster, but for others longer.

 

[tsaraleksi]

To many try to develop a style and just wind up making images that look the same.

 

[rufus5150]

There's definitely a risk when attempting to set yourself apart that you end up with a monotone presentation (just think of ZZ Top, as much as I love them ).

 

[third_shift|studios]

There's definitely a risk when attempting to set yourself apart that you end up with a monotone presentation (just think of ZZ Top, as much as I love them ).

I somewhat agree-it's good to be diverse, infact it's necessary to succed. But I recall when seeking a wedding photographer, there was only one out of about 10 we interviewed with who showed me what I wanted to see and how I wanted to remember our day and it was definately a "style" thing.

 

[rufus5150]

There are many photographers who develop one style or a narrow range of styles and succeed. There are probably a great many that don't. There are many photographers who are very diverse and succeed on that diversity. I'd be interested to see some quantification to that and placed on the 'artistic/craftsman/hired gun' continuum (an impossible task, I'm sure, but a neat mental exercise).

 

[Joves]

I have the style of no style. I just shoot that is my style.