Unteachable Photography Lessons
Part Two: Finding your Style
Some lessons you can Google, others you can learn in a course. The rest, the unteachable ones, have to be lived.
Let’s get this out of the way right away: you’re not “finding” your style in six months. Probably not in a year either.
I tried. Hard.
I binged photo books. Copied the photographers I idolised. Declared I’d “found my look,” then three weeks later quietly changed it all again.
You don’t find your style. You grow into it.
Arrival Is a Myth
We love the idea that style is a destination, somewhere you land when things finally lock in. A signature colour grade. A focal length you swear by. A vibe.
Style isn’t a look. It’s a voice.
And voices take time. Lots of it.
You try things, then drop them.
You make work that feels close, but not quite.
You imitate, fail, repeat, cringe at your old stuff, and keep going anyway.
There’s no “final boss.” No peak photography. Tomorrow’s photo should still be your favourite because the process never ends.
Stop Chasing Validation
If you’re asking the internet to choose between colour and black and white, you’re outsourcing your voice. The echo chamber loves averages, work designed to please everyone and therefore no one.
If you need feedback, ask people whose taste you respect. Not the faceless herd. Create for you, not for likes.
Copy, But Like an Artist
Copying isn’t mimicry; it’s compost. Notice what resonates, compositions, light, mood and fold it into your own mix. Let books, films, places, and your past seed ideas. Keep adding to the inspiration bank, then let those seeds grow in your work.
You’ll Want to Rush It. Don’t.
The neat, cohesive grid you envy is a highlight reel after years in the oven. Your “awkward phase” is where the repetitions, bad ideas, experiments, and near-misses cook into something real. Stay there.
Do something every day that scares you. Break a rule after you understand it. Use constraints to get honest.
Style Isn’t a Decision You Make
It’s what shows up when you stop forcing it.
It’s the choices you make on repeat without noticing.
It’s what remains when you strip out trends and shoot how you actually see.
If you want a “how” anyway, here’s mine: pick a constraint (one lens, one kind of light) and live there for a while. Let the limits do the editing. Your voice gets louder when you give it fewer places to hide.
Have I found my style yet? I’m not sure and i’m cool with that…
Keep shooting. Keep tweaking. Keep cringing. That’s the work.
