SALLY

FINDING YOUR STYLE + COMPARISON

This shoot is a very memorable shoot for me because I felt like I was getting close to my true style! When I finished editing it I was so happy about how it turned out and was really proud to send these photos to my client.

Finding a style is something I'm insecure about, and it can really ruin my experiences with clients because I get so worried about what they'll think and other people. It's hard not to compare yourself to other photographers who have established a style that they're known for.

I look to a wide variety of photographers with very different styles. And I know that they have most likely been through what I'm going through right now, but it's hard finding a style that represents you and that's genuine.

What I've been doing so far to find my style is mimicking other photographers styles. I know, I know, I just talked about not comparing yourself to others, but I have a reason behind this madness. By mimicking other photographers I learn more about editing and what I can do with my photos. I also experiment more and it forces me to go out of my comfort zone. This has really helped me figure out what I love and what I don't like. There are a lot of styles I love, but sometimes when I try to mimic them it doesn't feel right for me.

Another reason why it is important for me to find a style is because I want to represent myself in a genuine way that I'm proud of. I don't want to be consciously thinking, "Do this like so and so, and always do this, never use that color," rather than following my own intuition of what I like and what I think looks good. I think this is how other photographers with distinct styles discovered theirs, and it was probably just as hard and they might even still feel insecure about it.

So, basically that's why I'm so happy with this shoot. The subject was so much fun, she looked great, and I had FUN! (Even thought it was also the coldest shoot of my life.) If we always are comparing ourselves to others it's easy to forget how much fun photography is and why we are doing it in the first place. During this shoot I stopped trying to mimic other photographers—which resulted in a lot of fun backlighting that I loved— and I just followed my instincts.

"Have fun, and be yourself." - Me (And another bajillion people...)

"Comparison is the thief of joy."

- Theodore Roosevelt

Don't try to be someone else. Be inspired, learn, and always go outside of your comfort zone. Which is sometimes posting a picture you know other people won't like, but you love it.

Feel free to check out the rest of the shoot below! I was a little trigger happy with this shoot, so there are a lot...