This is my 100th post! In the past few years I’ve learned a lot. Now that I feel like I’ve got the technical things down a little better, I want to work more on the artistic side of things. And that leads to today’s post.

Style.

When talking about photography, people often mention the word ‘style’. “What is your style”, “That’s not my style”, “I love your style”. But what is style?
In the world of fashion or home decor it’s much easier to define. ‘Preppy’, ‘punk’…’victorian’, ‘neo-classical’. Even in other art forms there are definable styles like ‘impressionism’ and ‘da-daism’. But what about photography?
I read that style isn’t an editing technique or photoshop action (something which can be bought). And while agree that you can’t buy your style, editing is most certainly a part of style. I’ve seen a photo taken and edited 20 different ways. Each version made it look like a different style. A photographer uses editing to get a photo to look the way they envision it. I think style is that vision. It’s your voice. It’s how you see and make sense of the world.

How do you find your style?
I’d start with things you love. Look around your house. What do you own that you have simply because you love it? Look in your closet. What do you wear that you love? Look at photos and other art (both your own stuff and that of others). What photos make you stop and stare or gasp in awe of it’s beauty? What things really speak to you? What makes you happy? I think this is the beginning of finding your style.
Some people find or know their style right off the bat. Others may never fully be comfortable with a style or find what works. Both of these (and everything in between) are OK. Style also changes over time. During different times in your life you may be drawn to different styles. That’s a good thing. An artistic style should be able to change and grow with you. Don’t get stuck in a rut because you feel like you need to stay with any particular style.

My style
My main reason for writing about this is to sort out my own style a little. I am a low-maintenance, jeans-and-t-shirt girl. Not really into frills and fluff. But I don’t go so far as to being minimalist either. I just like things to be simple and natural. And I love color. This is how I am in life and in my photography. My favorite photos are simple, naturally lit, cleanly processed photos with rich colors.
Now, I do occasionally like to ‘girl it up’ and wear a froo-froo dress, do my hair and even put on make-up (very occasionally…rarely even). and in photography there is a photo every once in a while that I really want to play with and do extra special editing on. But, mostly I stick with what a like best: a no-fuss style.

So there it is. My thoughts on style, and on my own personal style. What do you think? What is style? What is your style like?