One of the articles we shared with our social media followers last week concerned the topic of having your own style of photography. The Australian-based photographer who penned the article made the point that one should pay closer attention to the content they are shooting, as opposed to the visual they’re aiming for. If not, they may lose focus on becoming a great photographer.
While there is enough merit to suggest that a unique style is neither correlated with nor a prerequisite to do well as a photographer, there are certainly beneficial aspects.
For starters, when one enters the photography industry, the difficulties of making a name for yourself and finding regular work become apparent. You’re often forced to compete on price because your experience does not allow you to dictate the degree of control over your business that you would like. One proposition however, is to offer clients additional value.
Normally we associate value with tangible elements – discounts, additional photos, RAW files, etc. But something intangible, such as a photographic style, can also be used to create value. This is because it serves as a source of differentiation, and every client’s project is unique in its own regard. There’s also no shortage of customers who want their photos to stand out from the crowd. A unique photographic style is one way of accommodating this.
Even once you’ve progressed beyond beginner status, differentiating yourself can allow you to compete against the abundance of photographers out there in competitive sectors like portrait photography and wedding photography. And once you’ve ‘really’ made it, and have significant experience on your side, a distinctive visual style provides means to (further) justify the price premiums you command over other photographers within the industry.
It should also not be forgotten that when one has their own style, they are able to generate additional ‘buzz’ for their work. Most of the time, when we see photos circulate across the various photographic news and blog websites on the internet, they are chosen because of a particular talking point. On occasion, it is because of controversy. However, in as many instances, it’s because the work is deemed to offer something ‘unique’.
Therefore, what better way is there to generate marketing and publicity for your business than crafting your own style? With time, this will also help synthesise an association with your personal or business name, which goes further towards creating a brand as opposed to just a business.
Last but not least, business savvy photographers will realise that it is commercially advantageous to target a specific group of clientele. That is, a segment of customers who share similar expectations and are also easy to work with. When you possess your own style, you are going some way to fulfilling this by ‘pitching’ your work towards a segment of customers who share an appreciation for your ‘eye’. All in all, this will help make your business easier to manage.
The importance of an individual style certainly isn’t a defining factor, however, if a photographer disregards it, they may just let slip an angle which could help them build their business.
