Style

I don’t like Celene Dion’s style of music.

There, I said it.

It’s not that I don’t think she has a great voice. Because I do think she has a great voice. But, yet, I cannot stand to listen to her sing. As in I get a leave-the-room, cover-my-ears, turn-off-the-radio-immediately kind of feeling.

How does that relate to photography, you might ask?

Think about it. There is no singer that everyone enjoys. Not Celene Dion and not even Adele (hard to imagine, I know).

And there is not a photographer that everyone will want to hire.

When I was first starting out, my feelings were hurt a lot. I’d think things like, “Why didn’t they hire ME to do their family portraits?”. (And then I’d sulk for the rest of the day.)

Choosing a photographer is even harder than choosing music because, yes, style is important, but cost and personality factor in, as well.

But let’s stick to style for now. The thing is that you don’t want to appeal to all people.

Really, I swear! Because if you did, you would have zero consistency in your portfolio, which would be very confusing to potential clients. They wouldn’t have a clue about what to expect from you if they hired you. Would you do the edgy stuff? Would you do the classic portraiture? Would you do a lifestyle shoot?

I’m not saying all your images should look the same, but one of the highest compliments you can get is when someone sees your image fly by on their Facebook feed and, without seeing who did it, they just KNOW it’s yours.

I want to lift you up today.

Nobody else sees the world quite like you do. Nobody else has your personality, either.

Today, I’d like you to breathe for a few minutes and then try to look at your website portfolio as if you were a potential client. Ask yourself some questions:

• What images truly represent my style?
• What images show a style that I do not want to do anymore?
• What images could I add that would reinforce my style?

Then devote a chunk of time this week to updating your portfolio. Post a comment below and let us know how it went.

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