Three Ways to Separate Yourself From Other Photographers

Social media consumption is at an all-time high and is on pace to increase at an exponential pace for the foreseeable future. We all seem to have capable technology on us always, whether it be a cell phone or dedicated interchangeable lens camera. With this rapid rate of consumption and the accessibility of technology we are living in a world saturated with quality content everywhere we look. Standing out among other photographers is getting more challenging daily and that’s why I put together these three ways to help separate yourself from other photographers.

Style

Developing a personal style that is unique to ourselves is a culmination of everything we’ve learned about the art of photography. This isn’t a one size fits all application of a preset, it’s the way in which we conceptualize each picture from the angle, the lens, the environment, and post processing of our work. This is what causes people to be able to recognize your work out of the crowd.

In many ways developing our own unique style is a never-ending journey that we began when we first picked up the camera but it’s what going to cause people to buy into what you’re selling as an artist. It also helps create a cohesive feed on your social media platforms and through your portfolio. Once you’ve truly pinpointed the look and feel you’re trying to portray you’ll have a solid foundation of your personal style and you’ll be able to evolve as an individual and artist from it.

Being Resourceful

Sometimes the difference between a failed photoshoot and a successful one is being able to utilize the resources to our advantage. There are many factors that control how a shoot is going to go whether it be lighting, location, model, or equipment available, but being able to get a quality product out of a not so ideal situation is paramount to separating yourself from others. Now being able to adapt with changing factors isn’t the only thing you need to be good at.

You need to always use the tools at your disposal to be prepared. Nowadays, we can look up 360 degree views of practically any location with Google Maps to plan a shoot. If you are an astrophotographer, there are multiple apps that are going to show you an AR view of where in the sky the milky way is going to be. PhotoPills will show you the exact lighting for any time of the day anywhere in the world.

With all this information at our fingertips there is no excuse to not be fully prepared for any given scenario. Putting together preparation and the ability to adapt will make you a dependable and resourceful photographer that will be remembered when it comes time for a client’s next job. When a client knows that at the end of the day you’ll be delivering quality work regardless of circumstance they are likely to be keeping your information on hand for any photo work in the future.

Time

We are all limited to the same amount of time in a day but do we all make the most out of this limited schedule we have? Time is our worst enemy but it can be used to be our greatest asset and given that we all have the same amount of it the utilization of time is a valuable thing to be in control of. When being efficient you can fit in a 4-hour job into a 2-hour time block, you can spend more time developing your style, and you can spend more time learning how to use the given tools to be resourceful. It truly opens a world of possibility when you can get more done in less time and allocate more time to developing as an artist further separating yourself from others in the industry.

Conclusion

Now these three things are not foolproof methods; developing yourself as a photographer is a journey and not a destination. Even though it's as cliché as it sounds, it still rings true that we will never be perfect in the subjective world that we live in but, can all strive to be recognized as a true individual in our craft. It could take years of hard work and dedication to get to the point where people know who you are and what you stand for. In the end, the process is an adventure and that’s why we all picked up the camera in the first place right?