Ever want to figure out your photography style? In this blog post I’m going to walk you through the five facets of style so you get a better idea of where you want to go!

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Every photographer has their own way of taking photos and sharing them with the world. The best photographers have such a distinct photography style that you could recognize their photos without their without their names being in sight. They have a memorable style that sticks out from every other photographer in the market. Take a moment to think about who comes up in your mind when you think about other photographers, and see who you think of!

Before we walk through the steps to identifying your photography style and getting it towards where you want it to be, I want to say two things:

1. Your style is WAY more than any presets you buy or how you edit

2. Your style will change over time.

Today we’ll come up with a photography style plan for you, but your answers might change in a few months or a few years, and that’s great because that means you’re growing and getting closer to your true passion.

I’m going to walk us through 5 different facets of style. You might want to grab a pen and paper so you can answer these questions yourself, or you can grab my free Finding Your Style Guide that will walk you through this whole process.

Photography Style Question #1: What or who do you want to photograph?

As we grow in our businesses, we need to niche down so that we attract our dream clients. I bet your favorite photographers specialize in one or two types of clients, and I bet you enjoy photographing some types more than others.

What gets you excited? Families, newborns, seniors, weddings, couples, landscapes, or something else? Why?

For example, I specialize in weddings, elopements, and seniors. I love weddings because they are the manifestations of dreams, excitement, love, and detailed planning. I love elopements because they celebrate the raw freedom and love of a marriage without the stress of other people. Finally, I love seniors because the excitement of accomplishing school is equally as thrilling as the realization that there’s something new approaching, and I love celebrating this with my graduates.

Style Question #2: Where?

Now that you know what you like to photograph, the second style question is where? We will naturally have variation in locations over time, but everyone has preferences.

What do you find yourself dying to shoot in? All white studios, beach fronts, downtown streets, open fields, historical venues? What makes you pause and wish you were there? Why?

For example, I love the mountains because every step is an adventure and the landscapes change with every day.

Photography Style Question #3: Gear

The next part of your style is how you photograph your subjects. What gear do you use? What are your settings? Do you like the wideness of the 35 mm or do you like the compression of a longer lens? Do you like the look of flash or reflectors? There is no right or wrong answer, it’s entirely down to preference.

Personally, my go-to setup is just my camera and an 85 mm, and I’ll bring along my 35 mm for when I want a wider angle. Wedding days include a lot more and I have a whole blog post talking about my equipment. I shoot pretty wide open between f1.8 and 2.8 because I love to put the focus on my subject and have the background accent them.

Style Question #4: Posing and Prompting

Here’s the other half of how you photograph your subjects: what are you going to have them do? Are you more drawn to the perfectly posed photos or the ones where there are a lot of movement?

There are two things you can do: pose and prompt. Posing is helping direct every part of their bodies, both in moments of movement and stillness. Prompting is giving directions and letting them follow through and interact without immediate further instruction.

Some photographers create their client experiences based entirely off one or the other, while others use both. I read my clients and see which one they react to better and which better fits their personalities.

Photography Style Question #5: Editing

This is probably the first one you thought of when you read “style.” One of the best ways to distinguish yourself as a photographer is to find your own style of editing. In today’s world it has never been easier to find a style you like because there are a million presets out there that you can find and buy. It’s great because you can find some that are perfectly you, but it’s not great because dozens of other people will also buy that same preset.

My advice is to find some you like then tweak them so they’re entirely your style and a little different to everyone else. Or even better, create your own!

So what do you like? Darker images with rich tones? Lighter images with cooler colors? Or do you find yourself somewhere in the middle like me?

If you want action steps for you to start achieving your dream style, be sure to get my free guide for finding your style!

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