When you first set out on a photographic journey as some people like to call it, you often hear people saying ‘so and so has such a style’ or ‘someone’s work is instantly recognisable’. This can be daunting at times when you think how on earth do I develop a style. Well, the good news is we all have a style within us we just need to find out how to unlock it.
One of the biggest issues in the early part of a photographic journey is following trends and copying other people’s work. Whilst this can be a good way to learn techniques and understand someone’s approach as to how they created an image you do not want to be a clone of someone else. Using the influence of other people’s work to help you develop a style is ok but you need to take it to another level. Analyse what it is within the work that appeals to you and then use this as a way of moving your own work forward.
The one biggest thing you have to learn is to be yourself, stop worrying if people don’t like your work as this can be all-consuming in the modern world of Facebook likes and Instagram hits, etc. Be true to yourself and create images from inside your mind and soul. The main point of an image is to create an emotion within your viewer, whether this is a feel-good emotion or one that turns their head away, both are great results and can be classed as a success.
One way to look at your own style and find the subconscious style within you is to start to analyse your own images. Lay several images out together and start to strip them down into their basic parts. Do they have a common subject matter, do you favour a particular viewpoint or shooting position? Do you use one lens more than another, is there a colour similarity? etc… When you start to analyse all these points in your work it will make you start to think about them in future images you capture. This will then start to develop into a style and it will be yours.