Outdoor Photography How To

All good photographers strive to make images that stand out from the crowd, whether they shoot landscapes, sports, wildlife, or another genre. And the best way to do that is by developing a unique (and hopefully recognizable) style you can call your own.

If you’re struggling to find your own visual “voice,” the quick tutorial below will help you do just that, and start producing photos that you find inspiring. Instructor Scott French is a professional fine-art photographer specializing in the urban landscape and architectural imagery. The straightforward tips he provides in just 11 minutes will help you imbue your photos with a personal look.

As French insists, “Developing our own style is one of the ultimate goals we have as photographers, yet it can be one of the most difficult things to achieve.” He says the term “style” goes deeper than a just a specific look, but also involves the way you view the world. In other words, “try to think of it in terms of your personality and character reflected in your photographs.”

That explanation, by itself, may sound rather amorphous, but French follows it up with three practical tips he used himself when first starting out and defining how he wished to pursue our craft.

The first step is what French refers to as “finding your inspiration.” He suggests that one way to do this is by doing a bit of research to discover imagery from other photographers that you really admire. In other words, photographs with which you “connect on an emotional level.”

The idea, of course, is not to rip someone off by copying his or her approach, but rather to use whatever intrigues you as a jumping-off point for creating your own look. French shares how this simple process was immensely helpful to him as he evolved his work. His other two methods also make lot of sense, and will prove helpful to you during your journey.

If you do enough shooting, it’s possible that sooner or later you may stumble upon a personal style on your own. But French’s advice will greatly accelerate this creative process.

There’s much more to learn on French’s instructional YouTube channel, and we’re sure that you’ll find his calm teaching style reassuring and effective. So pay a visit as soon as you can.

And don’t miss the tutorial we posted recently from another accomplished pro recently, explaining how to create dramatic b&w photos by using two hidden Photoshop filters.