It’s been said that imitation is the best form of flattery, but when it comes to creative arts, it’s best to develop your own style. Famous artists and sculptors have their signature styles, and it is their innate uniqueness that allows experts and aficionados to recognize their work and differentiate it from that of their peers. If you want to gain a fair amount of fame and success as a professional photographer, you need to develop your own style too, one that says you’re unique and different from the hundreds of thousands of others in the business. While it’s easy to think along these lines, most photographers don’t know how to go about developing their own style. It does not happen overnight, and to get to a point where your work is easily distinguishable, you need to first build a firm foundation:

• If you’re just starting out in this business, you need to initially gain some experience and experiment with different styles and genres before you start to think of a style of your own.
• Developing your own style does not mean that you cannot have a mentor, someone whose work and style you admire. You could even work as an apprentice to gain an insight of how they work, and the more time you spend with them, the more you start to realize what your own style is.
• Learn all you can about photography techniques and methods; the more knowledge you gain and the more current and relevant this knowledge is, the easier it is for you develop a style that keeps up with modern trends and prevents you from getting outdated. Continue to update your knowledge from various sources throughout your career so that you can alter your style accordingly.
• Your photography style should come through irrespective of the subject of your picture – whether a personal portrait or a wildlife shot, both pictures should reflect your style at first glance.
• Don’t try too hard to develop a style of your own; sometimes the harder you try, the more elusive it seems. Instead, just go with the flow, follow your heart and instincts, and let your abilities and skills take over, and you’ll most likely end up with your photography signature.
• It takes time and patience to develop your own style and be consistent to it, so wait and persist until you’re able to achieve success.

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This article is written by Kathy Wilson, who writes on the subject of Photography Colleges . She can be reached at her email id:  kathywilson1983@gmail.com .

Photograph by Andre Gunther