All About Developing Your Photography Style

Photography Tips

Established photographers have a consistent style, but “consistency” has a very broad meaning. It is necessary to understand that their work is consistent not only in terms of looks or editing style but also in terms of subject selection, storytelling and many other factors. In today’s video, we have photographer Pat Kay to share his thoughts about style in photography and how you can achieve your own style:

“It’s not like as if you don’t have a style, then you’re suddenly not a good photographer. Or, if you recognize style in other photographer’s work then they’re suddenly a better photographer than you might be.”

Kay beautifully explains style as an expression of the photographer’s journey. That expression can influence your photography style. This means styles can easily change with time.

At any point during your photography journey, you may realize that you are constantly going back to a certain combination of elements. This means a fixed color palette, similar composition style and matching choice of subjects. And you do that because you feel that this “ingredient” resonates with your vision. When this starts to happen, you know that you’ve found your style.

“The realization of your repetition is the genesis of your style.”

But things are not that simple. Since we’re complex organisms, we’re usually going through a lot of things at the same time. This is why it is not necessary to limit yourself to a single style. You might find yourself working multiple styles simultaneously. And that’s okay!

On the other hand, if you’re a beginner photographer, you’ll find it very difficult to find a style instantly. That’s quite natural and expected and there’s definitely no need to panic. This happens because you’re learning everything and trying out different things almost every day. Be patient with yourself, as it takes a very long time to develop a style.

If you’re looking for more insights on photography styles and ways you can develop your own style, be sure to watch the complete video.