In nature photography – where the image is unlikely to be prepared, posed, or lit by the photographer – one’s unique personal style may be less apparent than, say, in a studio portrait. A photographer cannot claim full responsibility for results that heavily depend on natural conditions, right? Well, I disagree.
It’s still possible to have a unique style in nature photography. There are enough decisions you can make in the field and in post-processing to make that clear. In today’s article, I will explain photographic style, its importance, and how to develop your own, even in nature photography.
What Is Photographic Style?
First, let’s try to define photographic style. To me, it concerns the decisions the photographer makes in every scenario and represents the set of distinctive characteristics of the images they create. This includes the use of light, composition, colors, selected subjects, and narrative approach – including simply what they take photographs of!
Steve McCurry is known for his intense and colorful portraits, Sebastiao Salgado is recognized for his black-and-white reports, and Vincent Munier is noted for his ethereal atmospheres. Paul Nicklen has a reputation linked to icy environments. The differences in their styles are evident!
I’ve tried to outline the main aspects of style by dividing them into three functional categories: structure, appearance, and essence.
Structure (subject, moment, and conditions): Structure includes the essential elements – the ingredients – that the photographer seeks to include in the photo. Decisions about where and when to photograph are fundamental creative choices that can shape one’s personal style. For example, I like places and situations where the power of nature is evident, such as very cold environments.
Appearance (composition and processing): The “appearance” of an image is determined by decisions that influence the arrangement of a scene. Composition is fundamental in this category, as are all the photographic techniques (think focal length, aperture, shutter speeds, and camera position). Post-processing (strong contrast? saturated colors?) can also influence the appearance of the image.
Essence (light, mood, and stories): Photographs have the power to convey a mood or suggest a story. Some photos may express joy, while others evoke melancholy. This arises partly because of your choice of light. Do we prefer a sunset or a storm? Bright atmospheres or dense shadows?
Why Is a Personal Style Important?
A personal photographic style is essential for photographers in today’s visually saturated world. It is a signature, making your work identifiable and connecting with the audience. A distinctive style helps photographers maintain consistency and communicate their artistic vision. Even if you don’t share your photos with a wider audience, a personal style is important – it is what makes your photos a window into your personality and into your soul as an artist.
Having a personal style also enhances the narrative power of a set of images. If you wish to communicate messages effectively, especially when shown as a collection (such as in a book or show), a thread of personal style can connect them and make the sum greater than the parts.
In summary, a personal photographic style is more than aesthetic choices; it defines a photographer’s artistic identity, distinguishes their work, and enhances their storytelling ability. All photographers have a personal style of some sort, and it can be improved through careful cultivation.
Developing Your Style
My best photographs are always born when I have a clear focus on a theme or story that represents the “essence” of the image. Other photographers may benefit from starting with “structure” or “appearance.” This is part of your style as well – which aspect of photography you prefer to prioritize.
For example, some photographers prefer to chase after specific geology or weather events, for their visual impact rather than interpretative aspects. And other photographers look to shoot at particular times of day or under certain lighting conditions. Meanwhile, others are more inclined to follow the perspective provided by telephoto or wide angles lenses.
Whatever the approach, developing a style is easier if it follows your own interests. This way, you’ll enjoy photography more, and you will inevitably develop your style further. At some level, developing your style is all about finding what you prefer the most in photography and focusing on it.
Exploring and studying the work of other photographers is also essential because it helps to understand techniques and aesthetic approaches. One should use these influences to find one’s path.
So, let’s try to plan where, what, and when to photograph. Let’s imagine the atmospheres we want and try to be in the field at the same time and places they are found. Spend time going out “to photograph this thing” rather than only going out “to photograph something.”
Experiment, Critique, and Select
Experimentation is crucial to discovering what works best for each of us – and this is not just true at the beginning of your photographic journey. Try different genres, techniques, tools, and environments. Play with light, perspectives, compositional elements, colors, and so forth. This exploration phase will help you understand which elements resonate most with your vision and will allow you to develop a personal visual language. Also, techniques learned from various photographic genres are invaluable. For instance, I acquired the skill to use strobes while taking fashion photos in the studio, and I now apply that technique, with a few modifications of course, in macro photography.
Always remember that it is through mistakes that the best solutions are found, so do not weigh failures heavily, but instead use them as a way to improve. Being self-critical is essential to refine one’s style. I recently wrote about the problem of imposter syndrome in photography, but the opposite problem can be true as well – thinking too highly of all your work and avoiding self-improvement.
So, make sure to review your work – and though you shouldn’t deny its strengths, you should look even harder for areas for improvement. Select the images that best represent your vision, and try to identify the common traits that could form the basis of your style. And on these reflections, build the search for subsequent photographic opportunities and your next outings as a photographer.
Finally, if you’re willing, share your work with other photographers and industry professionals for feedback. Constructive criticism offers new perspectives and suggestions for further improving and refining your style.
Applying Photographic Style in Post-Processing
All this does not stop upon pressing the shutter button. Post-processing is an opportunity to reinforce your style further and should reflect your stylistic principles – your choice of colors, brightness, contrasts, softness, and textures. Your software can be a way to maintain consistency with your original vision and seek ways to emphasize the idea that led you to take a photograph. Again, experimentation is key, as it allows you to discover new techniques and tools to enrich your style.
Conclusion
Developing and refining a personal photographic style is a journey of continuous discovery and growth. It requires time, patience, and dedication but ultimately allows for the creation of a unique and recognizable visual identity. A good photographic style makes your images distinctive and will enable you to communicate your artistic vision more effectively, while providing a clearer window into who you are as an artist and a person. As your style grows, evolves, and changes, it will tell a story about your outlook on the world in a way that few other things could.
I hope this essay about photographic style in nature photography was enjoyable and valuable. If you want to share your thoughts about this topic, I’d be happy to discuss it with you, so don’t hesitate to leave questions or feedback in the comments section below!
Hi Massimo. Very nice article. Personally, I do not like the word “style”, because it reminds me something that sounds artefact, by design and, most often, following the research of a “cool” impact instead of transferring a content. I understand that this is necessary if you do photography for business and you’ve to stand out from the mass, but I’d prefer to use the word “view”, because the most impressive personal styles come from the way the photographer sees the world. Not only in terms of composition but often in terms of the way they present a subject. Things that come from the inside, not really by design. You mentioned Salgado. To me his iconic b/w comes from his inner view, is not a style choice. And it is so great that only after become a style. It’s plenty of b/w, but when you look at his pictures you feel the power of (e.g.) the Amazonia forest. You see it through his eyes. Thanks again for posting other beautiful winter wildlife photos!!
Hi Mauro, thanks for your comment. You raise a very interesting point! My intent was not to refer to artificial styles, which I would call stylizations, but to the original style, which you call “view.” We could also call it “voice,” as it is the photographer’s way of expressing himself through his art.
Winter is my favorite season, by far (and summer the least, at least in terms of photography).
Can I ask you something? If you mean that your large print is from 1 of the 3 photos of the snowy owl in this article, then I have to conclude that it is possible to make large prints with a 20.8mp sensor of the Nikon D5 that you took these photos with?!
Hi Danny, it isn’t one of those, but yes, you can definitely print quite large with a 20 MPix file. Obviously, you get more detail with 45 MPix files, and to achieve such a level of enlargement, it must be an uncropped, pretty sharp file in the first place.
However, only photographers examine such a large print from a few inches away; others simply see the picture and enjoy it hanging over the sofa.
The pic of the snowy owl in snow is amazing. Congrats with a great shot! Gotta get out more in the snow…. I never do!
Thank you for your comment, John. I’m glad you like it. And yes, snowy conditions can incredibly affect one’s mood. I like taking photos during snowfall regardless of the subject, but snowy owls are beautiful birds. I have a print in my living room that is 1.8 m wide, near the real wingspread.