Do you already have a photography style?
This is the first step to developing your photography style. This is a fun journey. I bet you weren’t expecting to hear that, because defining your photographic style is something most photographers want but also something which makes your mind cloud over when you think about pursuing it.
And even though the process of style development is an absolute joy, it’s when you have your own photography method in place that the fun really starts.
Let’s start with a wonderful exercise to decide whether you possibly already have your own defined style, or whether you’re absolutely miles away.
Step One:
Before you start you will need to select your 20 favourite images. Make copies or download to an extra file on your hard drive/desktop.
PLEASE do this BEFORE you continue reading (I know you’ll feel compelled to continue reading - but just don’t ;) )
Step Two:
Select a gallery software, where you can see your images side by side. This is vital, they really need to be side by side.
Here are some recommendations:
At first glance, you will notice that this software was designed to use for client galleries, but you can also use it to present a selection of your images. Many photographers use the platform for this purpose.
Lightroom
If you're already using Lightroom then this is the best possible place to view your images and work on your "style" gallery. All you need to do is create a collection. Call it "My Style".
You would possibly believe that Instagram is an obvious choice, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for this purpose because there are a couple of drawbacks (I will add it to the list because I know that many of my students already have an Instagram account):
adding images to your Insta account takes time and you can only upload one image at a time (carousels don't make sense here).
you will inevitably want to remove some of the images and this will make the algorithm antsy.
The good news is that you can upload your images to a site called Planoly. They have a free plan where you can upload 30 images every month. Planoly is great if you're planning to use Instagram more in the future and are interested in seeing how your next images blend in with the old ones.
Please note: you can really can only “upload” 30 images each month - if you make the wrong choice, then you have to wait until the month is over before you can upload more.
There are other apps which work in a similar way, for example, UNUM.
Try to select one that has a desktop version.
If you're really creative and have a bit of time on your hands you could print your images out and create a real-life mood board.
Alternatively, you could upload them to Canva and create a virtual mood board there. This is a fun pastime and one where you can get really creative.
There are other software apps where you can see your images side by side, for instance, 500px.com or Flickr.com (I haven’t been able to create an account or access my old account and there’s quite often something going wrong with the software, but maybe you are luckier). With these platforms, you can create albums to present your work in categories.
Step 3:
Now ask yourself if they truly, honestly look good together and also if someone else would say they were all from the same photographer (please don’t ask your mother, she will definitely say yes).
If you’re unsure, then ask yourself whether you would present your selection in a portfolio if someone asked to see your work because they want to book you.
If you think your images look good together, then ask yourself which other types of image you could add.
This is a key question because you want to always know what you’re going to take next (or in the future).
Thank you for reading and for using this idea to start your journey in defining your photography style. Let me know if you enjoyed it and whether it was helpful in the comments below. Maybe you have your own favourite gallery platform which you’d like to recommend to use.
The workshop "Defining your Photographic Style" isn’t currently available for sign up, but you can get on the waiting list HERE
The next course will begin in April 2021. Please note that signs are restricted to 50 participants. Live Q&As are part of the course program and you have lifetime access to the course content.