It can be one of the toughest challenges for an artist, especially a new one. It effects your branding, your marketing, your income, and your satisfaction in your work.
It’s not something you can force, but it takes work to develop. It’s the heart and soul of your business, and yet we forget to pay attention to it. We forget to give it the time and effort it needs to bring everything else to life.
It’s your artistic style. Your vision as an individual artist.
It seems surprising that something so critical to the livelihood of artists gets so little attention sometimes. In reality though, its no surprise at all– we are all so busy with our lives and our businesses that we forget to take time to think about the core of who we are as artists. Plus, discovering and developing our style can be downright difficult.
But it’s necessary. Our clients appreciate consistency and I think everyone agrees that in order to be successful at what we do, we need to know what our style is. It’s not fair to our clients to have one style for one wedding, and then change it up completely for the next – we need to produce work that is consistently similar. That’s not to say we shouldn’t keep it fresh and exciting and different, but the core style shouldn’t change.
So, how exactly do you find your style?
Short answer: it’s a journey. It’s not going to happen overnight, and it will be a process. However, it’s a process that’s well worth it. This is a deep question that I know a lot of photographers have and as such there’s no simple 10-step program to finding your style, but I can point you in the right direction to get started.
Step One: Break a Shutter.
The first thing you really need to do is get out and shoot, shoot, shoot (and then shoot some more). Photograph everything – friends, sunsets, trees, buildings – everything. Most of today’s DSLR’s are rated at 100,000 actuations, which means you can take 100,000 images before you break the shutter in your camera. We always like to say that if you haven’t broken a shutter in your camera, you haven’t found your style yet.
As you start out doing this, don’t worry too much about what you’re photographing, just get out there and do it for the sake of doing it. Connect with other photographers in your area and organize impromptu shootouts. Grab friends and photograph them just for the fun of it. Use a teddy bear or an orange to practice different lighting situations in your house. The point here is to start building a catalog of images as well as refine your technical skills in all kinds of different situations, so have fun and just keep shooting!
As you shoot your 100,000 photos, begin looking for commonalities between the images. What images do you love? Why do you love them? What kinds of subjects do you connect with most (babies, kids, couples, etc)? What subjects do you NOT connect with? As you begin to find those commonalities, they will form a picture of who you are as an artist and as a person.
Step Two: Be inspired (uniquely)
As an artist, inspiration is key to the creative process, but you have to do your best to inspire yourself in a unique way. For example, we’re wedding photographers and we definitely have keep tabs on the industry and where it’s going, but we shouldn’t inspire ourselves JUST by looking at wedding photography. Instead, we need to gravitate towards other types of photography and let that inspire us. For me, it’s commercial work that inspires me, even though I don’t shoot commercial work. For Erin, she really enjoys being inspired by magazines and catalog photography such as Martha Stewart Living, Pottery Barn, and Anthropologie catalogs.
Step Three: Get Away
Throughout this process, take time to just get away. Spend time reflecting on life and what you love to capture. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with all the things we have to do in our lives that we don’t take time to just step back, take a break, and reflect on what we’re doing.
So get away, grab a pen and paper, and reflect on who you are as a photographer (which is different for everyone – remember that). Your style is very much about who you are as a person, so take time away to dig deep into yourself as an artist. Even though this is the “Third Step,” I’d say that it’s probably the most important step and should be woven throughout your entire journey.
My challenge: spend 10 minutes TODAY with a pen & paper and just write about what’s going on internally with regard to your photographic journey. Think about what inspires you and what you can do to further inspire yourself. Write about any emotional or artistic challenges you’ve been facing and think through ways to overcome them. Do this same exercise a couple of times a week and let us know how your journey is going!
What other methods have you guys found to be effective at defining your style? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments…
Hugs,
Erin
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I love you guys!
Great seeing you guys at Partner Con and getting to hear you speak! We are pumped to come out there in December and hope to hang again! Have a great night and we will talk soon!!
Jeff and Erin, It was awesome to meet you in New Orleans and I sincerely enjoyed your morning workshop as we shot Zack and Jody in the alleys and streets. It’s was refreshing to hear your perspective and super helpful that you enacted the first look. I have lots of work to do and may ping you from time to time for feedback. Thanks for giving back to the community like you did. It was greatly appreciated! Patti
I’m still trying to find my style. I haven’t hit 100,000 actuations, so I’m still searching. I don’t shoot daily, but I’m up and out with my Canon 5D on the weekends. I always enjoy viewing your work and reading your blog post. Just wanted to thank you for your helpful tips and words of encouragement. I hope to one day help and inspire a new photographer as you two have inspired me. Thank you ~Eric
Hi, I just recently started following your blog, i am completing my first full year as photographer and this post came at just the right time! Thank you and I look forward to seeing more of your work and words of wisdom.
[...] FAQ: Finding Your Style [...]
[...] FAQ: Finding Your Style [...]
[...] found this awesome blog post on finding your photographic style. But I think it can be applied to [...]
Getting away is definitely a huge one. I started in 2000 and wasn’t participating in budding web communities. I developed my style (albeit slowly) nearly in a vacuum compared to the image overload that could be consumed by any of us, any given day at our computers now. I don’t think we should have a fear of not looking at enough of other people’s work. Is it inspiring? Yes. Does it give us ideas? Sure. But I think we can run the risk of diluting our connection to what style naturally wants to pour out of us.
Getting away is definitely a huge one. I started in 2000 and wasn’t participating in budding web communities. I developed my style (albeit slowly) nearly in a vacuum compared to the image overload that could be consumed by any of us, any given day at our computers now. I don’t think we should have a fear of not looking at enough of other people’s work. Is it inspiring? Yes. Does it give us ideas? Sure. But I think we can run the risk of diluting our connection to what style naturally wants to pour out of us.
Getting away is definitely a huge one. I started in 2000 and wasn’t participating in budding web communities. I developed my style (albeit slowly) nearly in a vacuum compared to the image overload that could be consumed by any of us, any given day at our computers now. I don’t think we should have a fear of not looking at enough of other people’s work. Is it inspiring? Yes. Does it give us ideas? Sure. But I think we can run the risk of diluting our connection to what style naturally wants to pour out of us.
Getting away is definitely a huge one. I started in 2000 and wasn’t participating in budding web communities. I developed my style (albeit slowly) nearly in a vacuum compared to the image overload that could be consumed by any of us, any given day at our computers now. I don’t think we should have a fear of not looking at enough of other people’s work. Is it inspiring? Yes. Does it give us ideas? Sure. But I think we can run the risk of diluting our connection to what style naturally wants to pour out of us.
Getting away is definitely a huge one. I started in 2000 and wasn’t participating in budding web communities. I developed my style (albeit slowly) nearly in a vacuum compared to the image overload that could be consumed by any of us, any given day at our computers now. I don’t think we should have a fear of not looking at enough of other people’s work. Is it inspiring? Yes. Does it give us ideas? Sure. But I think we can run the risk of diluting our connection to what style naturally wants to pour out of us.
Getting away is definitely a huge one. I started in 2000 and wasn’t participating in budding web communities. I developed my style (albeit slowly) nearly in a vacuum compared to the image overload that could be consumed by any of us, any given day at our computers now. I don’t think we should have a fear of not looking at enough of other people’s work. Is it inspiring? Yes. Does it give us ideas? Sure. But I think we can run the risk of diluting our connection to what style naturally wants to pour out of us.
Getting away is definitely a huge one. I started in 2000 and wasn’t participating in budding web communities. I developed my style (albeit slowly) nearly in a vacuum compared to the image overload that could be consumed by any of us, any given day at our computers now. I don’t think we should have a fear of not looking at enough of other people’s work. Is it inspiring? Yes. Does it give us ideas? Sure. But I think we can run the risk of diluting our connection to what style naturally wants to pour out of us.
I’m so with you (obviously). Erin and I just spent a few weeks in San Francisco and it was so funny when our friends would ask us how our vacation was going and we’d have to go on an explanation about how we just needed to change our physical context so we could think about things.
I feel like when we spend time looking at other people’s work if we stop and ask ourselves what it is about that work that moves / excites / upsets us we’re much more productive at furthering our style rather than just looking at other peoples work and trying to emulate it.
I’m so with you (obviously). Erin and I just spent a few weeks in San Francisco and it was so funny when our friends would ask us how our vacation was going and we’d have to go on an explanation about how we just needed to change our physical context so we could think about things.
I feel like when we spend time looking at other people’s work if we stop and ask ourselves what it is about that work that moves / excites / upsets us we’re much more productive at furthering our style rather than just looking at other peoples work and trying to emulate it.
I’m so with you (obviously). Erin and I just spent a few weeks in San Francisco and it was so funny when our friends would ask us how our vacation was going and we’d have to go on an explanation about how we just needed to change our physical context so we could think about things.
I feel like when we spend time looking at other people’s work if we stop and ask ourselves what it is about that work that moves / excites / upsets us we’re much more productive at furthering our style rather than just looking at other peoples work and trying to emulate it.
I’m so with you (obviously). Erin and I just spent a few weeks in San Francisco and it was so funny when our friends would ask us how our vacation was going and we’d have to go on an explanation about how we just needed to change our physical context so we could think about things.
I feel like when we spend time looking at other people’s work if we stop and ask ourselves what it is about that work that moves / excites / upsets us we’re much more productive at furthering our style rather than just looking at other peoples work and trying to emulate it.
I’m so with you (obviously). Erin and I just spent a few weeks in San Francisco and it was so funny when our friends would ask us how our vacation was going and we’d have to go on an explanation about how we just needed to change our physical context so we could think about things.
I feel like when we spend time looking at other people’s work if we stop and ask ourselves what it is about that work that moves / excites / upsets us we’re much more productive at furthering our style rather than just looking at other peoples work and trying to emulate it.
I’m so with you (obviously). Erin and I just spent a few weeks in San Francisco and it was so funny when our friends would ask us how our vacation was going and we’d have to go on an explanation about how we just needed to change our physical context so we could think about things.
I feel like when we spend time looking at other people’s work if we stop and ask ourselves what it is about that work that moves / excites / upsets us we’re much more productive at furthering our style rather than just looking at other peoples work and trying to emulate it.
I’m so with you (obviously). Erin and I just spent a few weeks in San Francisco and it was so funny when our friends would ask us how our vacation was going and we’d have to go on an explanation about how we just needed to change our physical context so we could think about things.
I feel like when we spend time looking at other people’s work if we stop and ask ourselves what it is about that work that moves / excites / upsets us we’re much more productive at furthering our style rather than just looking at other peoples work and trying to emulate it.
I’m so with you (obviously). Erin and I just spent a few weeks in San Francisco and it was so funny when our friends would ask us how our vacation was going and we’d have to go on an explanation about how we just needed to change our physical context so we could think about things.
I feel like when we spend time looking at other people’s work if we stop and ask ourselves what it is about that work that moves / excites / upsets us we’re much more productive at furthering our style rather than just looking at other peoples work and trying to emulate it.
Getting away is definitely a huge one. I started in 2000 and wasn’t participating in budding web communities. I developed my style (albeit slowly) nearly in a vacuum compared to the image overload that could be consumed by any of us, any given day at our computers now. I don’t think we should have a fear of not looking at enough of other people’s work. Is it inspiring? Yes. Does it give us ideas? Sure. But I think we can run the risk of diluting our connection to what style naturally wants to pour out of us.
I’m so with you (obviously). Erin and I just spent a few weeks in San Francisco and it was so funny when our friends would ask us how our vacation was going and we’d have to go on an explanation about how we just needed to change our physical context so we could think about things.
I feel like when we spend time looking at other people’s work if we stop and ask ourselves what it is about that work that moves / excites / upsets us we’re much more productive at furthering our style rather than just looking at other peoples work and trying to emulate it.