How To Find Your Photography Style
A common question I hear especially from those starting out is how they can find their style. Usually this comes from looking at bigger photographers especially on Instagram and seeing how their work has a similar look and feel. Many people assume that your style is mostly editing. However I disagree and would argue that there is a lot more that goes into a style. In this blog I will share with you some examples of what goes into finding your style and hopefully help you in the process.
Subject
Your choice of subject has a huge impact on your overall style. Perhaps you only shoot silhouettes. Or maybe you like to photograph small manmade objects within a grand natural landscape. If you look at your favourite photographers, chances are at least 50% of their photos have a similar subject matter.
Location
Where you shoot can dictate your style. If you mostly photograph quiet seaside towns in the UK, you will get a very different aesthetic compared to major cities in the US. Different colours, subjects and light will have a huge impact.
Time of day (light)
This is a big one. Some people are known for night and low light photography. Others are known for golden hour. Some for midday harsh light.
Weather conditions
Some photographers love moody weather. Others including myself love clear sunny days. It doesn’t matter how much you edit but a photo on a cloudy day will always be different to a sunny one.
Lens choice
Some photographers are known for their lens choices. Many street photographers shoot at 28mm. You get a wide detailed and at times chaotic scene. You feel like you’re right in the action. Others shoot at 135mm. The photos are cleaner, more aesthetic and you feel like an observer from a distance. Lens choice is the biggest gear related influence on your style.
Aperture value
Once you’ve selected your lens, what aperture you chose to shoot at can have an impact, although not as much. Some photographers never shoot below f8 thus almost everything in their photos is in focus. Others always shoot wide open thus having more out of focus elements.
Shutter speed
This one is a little niche however there are photographers out there that use slow shutter speeds as part of their style. I personally don’t do it and throw in one of these shots now and again.
Editing style
Although editing is not entirely your style, it is one of the biggest levers. How you edit your photos can have a huge impact on your style. However I would leave this one to last because editing can be a complete rabbit hole.
Presentation
Finally how you present your work can also play a part. For example some people post one hero shot. Others share a collage consisting of more average photos that together tell a story. This isn’t a big one but something to consider nonetheless.
If all this seems overwhelming, I suggest focus on the biggest levers.
Subject
Time of day (light)
Lens choice
Editing
I think for most people figuring out what they like using just these four categories can take them 80% of the way in terms of finding their style. The rest is just small details. As for exactly how do you find this out? Trial and error is the only way. Just try different things, keep what you like and remove what doesn’t work. Repeat till you arrive at a somewhat consistent style. This can take years so be patient.
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If you're planning to visit London or you’re a local and want to know some of the best locations for photography, this guide is for you.
What you need to know:
- 170 Page PDF document (94mb)
- 50+ Locations
- 100+ Photo spots
- Only covers locations that consistently deliver good photo opportunities
- Clickable maps
- GPS Coordinates
- What 3 Words Coordinates
- Addresses
How will this guide help you:
- Save you time and give you a clear checklist of where to go
- Show you real world photos I took from the suggested locations
- Show you coordinates for those photos if you want to take the same
- Give you feedback on any pitfalls with specific places and attitudes to photographers
- Food / Drink / Restroom suggestions
- Lens choice suggestions
- General visiting advice
- Inspire you to head out and shoot by removing the “where shall I go” barrier
This guide is a result of years spent living and photographing London in all conditions and seasons. I have only recommended locations that have consistently delivered good photos that I have been happy with. This guide does not cover every spot, that would be impossible and a lifetimes work. This guide is there to put luck in your favour when visiting the capital.
Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.
Finally I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work thus allowing me to make more videos / photos / tutorials for you.
Thank you for your support!
What on earth is this and why is this so expensive?!?!
A zine is a self-published body of work and serves the following purposes:
It showcases all photos from a given trip or period of time. Think of this as a digital contact sheet. I only share about 50% of the final photos online. This has them all.
It can act as a source of inspiration.
It can act as a visual planning tool for your travels. It will show you the types of photos one can get at said location.
Allows you to support my work, especially if the other products in my store are not suitable for your needs.
So what is a lifetime zine?
One payment gives you access to all current and future zines. You can download to store them offline, and even print them if you fancy.
As it stands, there are 39 zines published, and my first milestone is 100.
The price you pay today gives you full access for life, even if the price increases in the future.
One payment. No subscriptions. Lifetime of zines.
Ewww, digital… really?!
I can’t even imagine the logistical nightmare to print these and ship them to every corner of the globe.
Saves wasting resources.
Works out MUCH cheaper for you. Imagine buying 100 zines…
Formatted for tablets, phones, and laptops.
Makes this accessible to more people.
What’s inside each zine?
Between 100 and 350 photos.
Only the images, no writing.
Each zine focuses on a specific trip, location, or period of time.
When purchased, you will get a PDF document. In the document is a link where you can access all the zines. Each zine can be up to 200mb although I try to keep them closer to 100mb. This allows you to zoom in and see the images up close. However, due to this higher resolution, some older devices might take longer to load the images. For the best viewing experience, I suggest viewing on a device with a big screen, and if you have a choice between scrolling or swiping to change pages, I suggest scrolling for the best experience.
Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.
Finally, I want to say another massive thank you for supporting me. This is the most direct way you can support my work.
Thank you for your support!
This Fujifilm XT5 set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.
This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of personal experience.
This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.
This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 25mb.
Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.
Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.
Thank you for your support!
This Fujifilm XT4 set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.
This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of personal experience.
This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.
This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 21mb.
Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.
Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.
Thank you for your support!
This Fujifilm X100V set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.
This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of personal experience.
This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.
This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 16mb.
Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.
Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.
Thank you for your support!