How to find your photography style quickly
What is the most important factor for a person to form a personal photography style? The quick answer is “repeat”. What you keep shooting will define your style, and what you naturally shoot will eventually become your style. Your default settings as a person, such as your self-awareness and your perspective on the world, will ultimately determine your photography style.
In the past, a person’s photography style was determined by only three factors: the film they often used (for film lovers), the camera and lens they owned, and the theme they shot, such as street, portrait, scenery, news, animals, business, fashion, etc. Most people’s works in their life revolve around these three factors.
Today, we have many choices. With so many choices, new cameras that are constantly introduced will always perform better, and it is easy to get lost. So, when we live in a rapidly changing photography world, how do we keep the consistency and repeatability of our works?
For myself, the first thing I want to do is to bring all the things that inspired mePhotographerPut it in front of me and ask a question: What do I like about their works? For me, the first is visual beauty, and then I like black and white photos and only use natural light to shoot. Therefore, I chose a camera body, the lens I used most often, and my favorite film (Kodak Tri-X 400), and then shot in the same way.
After several months of review, I found that the way I chose was consistent to some extent and began to further improve. The only thing I still insist on is my theme: scenery, street photography, still life. Once I have determined the theme to focus on, I will have a more consistent style and work system.
It is daunting to commit to one thing. When we live in a world of endless choices and abundance, we are afraid or even stupid to be strict with ourselves. Why give up so many choices? The answer can be summed up in one word: concentration. Once you limit your choices, you will have more time and energy to spend on creativity than to waste on choices. The less time it takes to make choices in terms of equipment, lighting and post production, the more time it takes to create and take photos.
Persist, and then start to create works with the same style, and then repeat, because repetition is the key. When you enter the cycle of repetition, your photography creativity will follow. By doing this, you will find your photography aesthetics and your own photography style.
