How to Stand Out as a Photographer and Build Your Own Style

By Richard P Walton

There has never been more choice for photographers.

There are more cameras, lenses, editing tools, presets, courses and online tutorials than ever before. Inspiration is everywhere, and a photographer can see thousands of other people’s images with just a few minutes of scrolling.

That can be useful, but it can also make it surprisingly difficult to work out where your own photography fits.

If you are constantly comparing your work with everyone else, buying the latest equipment or following whatever style happens to be popular, it is easy to lose sight of something much more important: what do you actually want your photography to be?

Your camera isn’t your style

Technology can certainly help you produce better images. A modern camera may have better autofocus, higher resolution or perform better in difficult light.

But owning better equipment doesn’t automatically make you a better photographer.

The same applies to editing software, presets and the latest accessories. They are tools. What matters is what you do with them.

A photographer with relatively simple equipment and a clear idea of what they want to create can produce much more distinctive work than somebody with a bag full of expensive equipment who is still trying to work out what their photography should look like.

Before buying something new, ask yourself whether it will genuinely solve a problem you have.

If it will, it may be a worthwhile investment. If you’re buying it because you hope it will somehow make your photography more interesting, it may be worth spending some time looking at the photography itself instead.

Learn to see differently

One of the great things about photography is that it can change the way you see the world.

Once you start looking at light, shape, colour, texture and composition, ordinary things can become interesting.

A wall, a doorway, a reflection or the way light falls across a room can suddenly catch your attention.

That way of seeing is far more valuable to your development as a photographer than simply learning which camera setting to use.

Take time to look.

Look at what other people ignore. Notice patterns. Watch how light changes during the day. Pay attention to backgrounds and small details.

The more deliberately you observe, the more opportunities you will begin to see.

Stop trying to look like everyone else

It is perfectly natural to be influenced by other photographers.

In fact, it is one of the best ways to learn.

The problem comes when inspiration becomes imitation.

You see a photographer whose work is successful, so you start using the same editing style. You see a particular type of portrait becoming popular, so you start creating similar images. You notice another photographer attracting the sort of clients you want, so you try to reproduce their entire approach.

Before long, you can end up building a business around somebody else’s ideas.

Instead, look at the work you admire and ask yourself why you like it.

Is it the lighting?

The composition?

The way the photographer interacts with people?

The colour?

The storytelling?

The simplicity?

Once you understand what attracts you to an image, you can take that lesson and develop your own interpretation.

You don’t have to invent something completely new

Being original doesn’t mean creating something that nobody in the history of photography has ever done before.

That would be an impossible standard.

Your originality can come from the combination of your influences, experience, personality, technique and the way you work with your clients.

Two photographers can photograph the same subject in the same location and produce completely different images.

That is where your individual style begins to emerge.

So don’t worry too much about whether somebody somewhere has already tried an idea you have had.

If it feels right for your photography, explore it.

Your clients aren’t necessarily comparing your work with every photograph ever made. They are deciding whether they like what you create.

Ask yourself: how can I be different?

It is worth making this a regular question in your photography business.

How can I be different?

Not different for the sake of being different, but different in a way that is meaningful to you and useful to your clients.

Perhaps you approach portraits in a particular way.

Perhaps you create relaxed wedding photographs rather than highly posed images.

Perhaps you have a distinctive approach to lighting.

Perhaps you specialise in a particular type of subject or client.

Or perhaps the difference is in the experience you provide rather than the photographs themselves.

There are many ways to stand out.

You don’t necessarily need a completely unique photographic technique. You need a clear reason for someone to choose your particular approach.

Your personality is part of your business

Photography is a people business for many photographers.

Clients aren’t simply buying files or prints. They are trusting you with important moments, personal memories and, often, a considerable amount of money.

That means the experience you provide matters.

How do you communicate?

How do you make people feel during a shoot?

How do you deal with questions and problems?

Do you make the process straightforward?

Do clients understand what they are getting?

Do they feel comfortable recommending you afterwards?

You could be an exceptionally talented photographer, but technical ability alone doesn’t guarantee a successful business.

Your personality, communication and customer service all contribute to the experience.

Don’t chase every trend

Photography trends come and go.

A particular editing style becomes fashionable. A certain colour treatment appears everywhere. A new type of portrait becomes popular on social media.

It can be tempting to follow the trend because you can see other photographers getting attention from it.

But ask yourself whether it actually fits your work.

If you constantly change direction every time something becomes fashionable, it becomes difficult to establish a recognisable identity.

Trends can be useful sources of inspiration, but they don’t have to dictate your business.

A style that genuinely reflects your photography is more likely to have staying power than something you adopted simply because it was popular that year.

Build a business around the work you want

Developing your own style isn’t only a creative exercise.

It can also influence the type of clients you attract.

If your website and portfolio clearly show a particular approach, people who like that approach are more likely to get in touch.

That can be much more useful than trying to appeal to absolutely everyone.

You don’t need every potential client to love your photography.

You need the right clients to recognise that your work is what they are looking for.

This can also make the business more enjoyable to run. If you continually accept work that doesn’t suit your interests simply because it is available, you can eventually find yourself spending most of your time photographing things you don’t particularly enjoy.

A more defined style can help you move towards the type of work you actually want.

Don’t confuse more work with a better business

There is another important question worth asking.

Would you rather spend your year taking as many jobs as possible, or build a business around a smaller amount of work that you genuinely enjoy?

There isn’t a universal answer.

For some photographers, volume is exactly what they want. For others, a smaller number of carefully chosen clients is a better fit.

The important thing is to make that decision deliberately.

Your photography business should support the life you want to have, rather than simply filling every available day.

That means thinking about your pricing, workload, working hours and the type of clients you want to attract alongside the creative side of photography.

Give yourself room to experiment

Your style won’t appear overnight.

Give yourself permission to try things.

Photograph subjects you wouldn’t normally photograph. Change your lighting. Try a different location. Work in a different way. Shoot for yourself rather than for a client.

Some experiments will fail.

That’s fine.

Not every photograph needs to be portfolio material. Some of the most useful experiments are the ones that show you what you don’t want to do.

Over time, you will start to notice patterns in the work you enjoy making and the images you are most proud of.

Those patterns are worth paying attention to.

Let your photography become recognisable

The ultimate aim isn’t necessarily for somebody to look at one of your photographs and immediately know your name.

It is simpler than that.

You want your work to have a point of view.

When somebody looks through your portfolio, they should be able to see what you value, how you approach your subjects and what makes your photographs yours.

That takes time.

It comes from photographing regularly, looking critically at your own work, learning from others without simply copying them and being prepared to move away from approaches that don’t feel right.

Your mind is more important than your camera

Photography will always involve technology.

There will always be a newer camera, a better lens, a faster computer or another piece of software promising to improve your results.

Some of those things will genuinely be useful.

But none of them can replace your ability to see.

Your vision, curiosity, observation and ability to connect with people are what ultimately shape your photography.

So before asking what piece of equipment you should buy next, ask yourself a different question:

What can I see that I haven’t photographed yet?

And perhaps even more importantly:

What can I do differently?

Those questions can take your photography and your business much further than another upgrade ever will.