How To Create a Signature Photography Style

How To Create a Signature Photography Style? This is an interesting question because I’m on the fence a bit here. I certainly appreciate how some photographers remain consistent with their style over long periods of time. Joey L’s desaturated color palette jumps to mind. A Joey L photo is often easy to spot. And no doubt - that’s powerful. But I think Joey L might be more the exception than the rule here. Let me try and explain myself. By fixing visual elements of your photography - be that a color grade or a light setup - you are effectively limiting your ability to be creative. I can see a few issues with that: Your next project may not look optimal under those constraints. Say you want your stylistic signature to be this desaturated look, and then all of a sudden you get the opportunity to do a photoshoot for a superhero movie or anything that might benefit from a more saturated look. That might be an issue. The same goes for photographers that have signature light setups, like Joel Grimes. Joel is obviously an amazing photographer and his work is often easy to spot as well. But sometimes I look at that 3 light setup he is known for and thin: "was that really the best choice?" I’m always looking to grow as a photographer. And growth means change. So deciding to actively limit what I can do seems counterproductive. So, let’s say you’re OK with these compromises. How would you go about creating your own signature style? Well, there is a finite number of variables you can control in photography, and in theory, focusing on any of one of these could be the basis for a distinct look. But let me pick out a few examples: Let’s start with the trending one, color grading. This has become very popular because it binds photos together that may otherwise not work as a series. Some IG photographers have just picked an unusual color grade and applied it to all their photos. Which certainly makes your work unique and identifiable. You could choose and stick to a specific visual concept. So choosing to be minimalist, or a maximalist (is that even thing?). I have really talented friends who do nothing but minimalist photography. And I always recognize their work when it pops up on my feed. Lastly, there is the subject matter. Which we have already touched on. You can focus on something broad. Cultural photographers like Jimmy Nelson or Arte Wolfe have done this. But you can also revisit the same theme over and over again like Spencer Tunick does with his nude scenes. While I’m talking about the subject matter, I would say you have to choose something more specific than say, landscape photography as your subject matter. But you could certainly focus on a type of landscape and stick with that. I would imagine doing nothing but the underwater landscape would be a narrow enough focus. There are so many more though, you could consistently use a very narrow depth of field in all your photos. Or shoot only with a wide-angle lens. Or decide to keep your body of work high key or low key. So, am I recommending creating your own signature style? As I said, I’m on the fence, but if I was pushed for an answer I would say that limiting your creativity is a bad idea. Instead focus on creating the best work you can, work that satisfies you on a deeply personal level. That seems like a healthier goal to me anyway. If you want to know more about creating your own photography style, head over to: - https://jpstonesphotography.com/create-signature-photography-style/ To join one of my cultural photography workshops head over to: - https://jpstonesphotography.com/workshops/

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