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It was my first family photo shoot...
My extended family met at a beautiful, shaded park. The cousins were all lined up, posed and ready to go. The photos came out clear. The placement was going great. The kids were all mostly cooperating. My confidence as a photographer was beaming. I was having so much fun!
Until I went home to edit.
I pulled the photos up in my editing software, began the process of going through each photo one by one. When I was finished, I was so excited to be done. However, after reviewing each photo, I noticed the photos side by side looked a little different. Some were light and airy; some were dark and moody. Some were just blue... (yes, I needed more practice!)
I spent hour after hour trying to get the photos to match. I had to retouch the warmth over and over again to get the right "mood" I was looking for. But when you don't know what your favorite style is, it's hard to know when to stop editing. I finished that job frustrated and spent. I didn't find any excitement in my work.
I knew that if I wanted to become a photographer that booked clients, and the clients ended up happy, I had to be consistent. They needed to know exactly the type of photos I capture, and I needed to be able to capture the caliber of photos I advertised with every single shoot.
And so began a long arduous process to find my style.
Now, editing can be a beast of its own making. There are dark and moody styles, artistic dramatic styles, light and airy, lifestyle, abstract-the list goes on. There are thousands of filters online to purchase that promise "that look" you've been needing. Along with that parade of choices, each client you meet may have a different taste. Choosing my style felt a little bit like a never-ending story. How was I going to make a solid choice? I could see the draw to each style. Dark and Moody seemed so fun and artistic. Light and airy seemed like a beach vacation every shoot. Artistically dramatic was so practiced and free. What was the right choice?
Here's how my process started.
At the beginning, I tried to cater to each client.
URRRRRRR (Big buzzer sound effect :)
Wrong. Don't do that. Please!!!
If you are catering to every personal style, your clients will think booking with you is a gamble. To be honest, it is a gamble! You are the professional. You call the shots. Clients, for the most part, don't want to go to a professional that doesn't have set guidelines and procedures. Make the process as simple as possible.
Next, I thought about doing light and airy for summer, and darker tones for winter.
URRRRRR.
Wrong again.
If you change your style with the seasons, you have to update your website every time the weather changes. NO THANK YOU. That is needless work, and confusing for someone who is booking a session. It is better to find the joyful style you are looking for and stick with it, than to flip back and forth.
Then I thought about using moody filters for more processing ease.
URRRRR.
Not for me.
My best self stays away from most filters. My goal as a photographer is to make my photos stand the test of time through changing styles. Some filters are ok. However, the best "tool" for me to use is correct shooting from the get-go, not a filter.
Finally, shoot after shoot, and tutorial after tutorial, I found ME. You know what me was? Classic lifestyle. I lifestyle that is a little more shadowed with contrasting backgrounds. I chose my style, partially because it was what sparked joy in the editing room. It made the client stand out, brought the background into play, and fit my mission statement: to capture YOU naturally and beautifully.
So how do you ACTUALLY choose your style as photographer?
1. PAY FOR EDITING SOFTWARE
Editing software is worth the money. It just is. There are great options to choose from that won't break the bank. If you have $10 a month, you need to invest in software to allow consistent work. After investing in the right software, I was able to edit faster, more consistently, and even figure some shortcuts to keep my images beautiful and coherent.
2. WHAT PHOTO IS JOYFUL?
Take the last photo shoot that you finished. Pick your favorite photo. Why is it your favorite? Is it the lighting? Is it the composition? What exactly makes this photo "joyful'?? Can you duplicate that style? If you can't, figure out how! Look at the settings you used, the lens, the time of day, and the background. Go try to do it again!
3. CONSISTENT LIGHTING
As a paid photographer, make sure you know you can give your client excellence. If you aren't great at sunset "golden hour" photos yet, don't take a client up to the mountains and expect to get a home run. Be 100% prepared. Go a few days ahead of time, take friends to practice with. Or better yet, take your customers to tried and true places that end with consistent results. I am very picky about lighting situations as a photographer, because I know the product I want to deliver.
4. HAVE FUN!
The biggest learning experiences I have encountered have been while I was relaxed, and just creating art. Being calm lets those creative juices flow and allows you to access the knowledge you already have in that big, beautiful brain of yours. Also, the more joyful you are, the more relaxed your subjects will be.
I hope this post will save you hours of work. I wish would have read it years ago!
Happy Shooting!
Erin
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