Something I’ve wanted to address in an FAQ for photographers post for a long time now is the subject of artistic vision. What is it? How do you improve it? How does it define you? It’s kind of an elusive subject, as most photographers would rather discuss the technical and business-related stuff. I completely get that, because it’s only natural for us to want a bulleted list of ways we can succeed. Hard and fast rules for becoming awesome at what we do. And sometimes, that’s necessary. In fact, there are hundreds of books and blog posts floating around there that address topics like aperture and taxes and Photoshop. I know this because during my first couple of years of being in business, I devoured every single one I could get my hands on. And I learned a lot. I don’t regret spending that much time trolling Barnes and Noble and the internet, because a lot of this information laid a solid foundation for my growth as a photographer and as an entrepreneur.

BUT.

(Yes, it’s a big but.)

Sometimes I think we lose sight of what photography is all about and what separates each of us from the rest, and that is vision. It’s how we see the world and how we document it accordingly. It’s of paramount importance to our success, because each of us has a completely unique way of seeing and perceiving the beauty around us, and clients are hiring us (hopefully) because our art resonates with them in some way.

I really struggle sometimes with thinking about photography as an art form. It kind of seems absurd to call myself an “artist” when I haven’t picked up a paintbrush in years. And isn’t making money off of your art considered “selling out”? How can I be creative AND business-savvy? It just doesn’t seem possible.

For a long time, I’ve tried to overcompensate for not thinking I’m artistic enough in a traditional sense by slapping some cool vintage actions on my photos and calling them creative. Or by dreaming up fancy logos to distract from my actual work on my website. Or by coming up with a clever catchphrase to spell out exactly what my photos say (or what I want them to say) instead of letting them speak for themselves.

The truth is, I look back on some of those early edits and logos and absolutely cringe. Ugh. What was I thinking? Turning a subject’s skin a sickly shade of yellow-green in hopes of making it look exactly like a 1960′s Polaroid snapshot is, at it turns out, not a great idea. It doesn’t look “artsy”…. it just looks bad. When I see some of those shots, I don’t see a point of view… I see a Photoshop action. And that, my friends, is not vision. It’s an attempt to disguise a lack of vision, direction, and purpose.

Don’t get me wrong– this is a struggle I face even now. Whenever a new set of actions or presets is released, I want to be the first to buy them and start experimenting. I look at photographers who have a clean, classic editing style and tell myself that it’s too plain to be “artistic,” so I have to spice up my images with something or another. And usually that “spice” ends up being the equivalent of dumping an entire bottle of hot sauce on a perfectly delicious bowl of pasta. (Although if you’re my husband, you probably like it better that way.)

So basically, it leaves me wondering where I fit in as an artist. What is my “style”? What makes me stand out? What makes clients want to hire me?

After giving it a lot of thought, I think I’ve come up with a few answers. Am I saying they’re the right answers for everyone? Nope. And I’m hesitant to reduce the whole idea of vision into a bulleted list. But I do feel like sometimes it’s helpful to narrow our focus and pinpoint what’s working and what isn’t, and this is a good way (for me, at least) to do so. So hopefully you find it a teensy bit helpful too!

I feel like four of the major elements that define my style, and that could also be shaping yours, are capturing moments, perspective, equipment, and post-processing.

CAPTURING MOMENTS

• It can sometimes be hard to really see all the small, often overlooked details that tell a greater story if we’re too distracted by the big picture and the expectations and unnecessary pressure we put on ourselves. I still get super nervous before every shoot and every wedding, but I’ve found that just by forcing myself to slow down and shoot with intention and focus, my mind is clear and my eyes are open.
• I’ll be the first to admit that I’m an over shooter. By, like, a LOT. Ask any photographer I’ve shot with. But I’ve found that by always having my camera at the ready and by shooting even the most mundane of activities or the most seemingly insignificant details, when I get home and start sorting through the photos, I see the story emerge in a way that it never would if I had stuck to portraits and the basic shot list. Besides, it’s always good to have multiples of the same shot in case you accidentally miss focus or exposure the first time.
• Sometimes capturing moments means anticipating them and waiting for them to unfold. This means that you really have to watch your subject, think about what he or she will do, and wait for the perfect time to press the shutter button. Sometimes I kind of feel like a hunter stalking his prey. I even find myself muttering under my breath “come on, closer, closer, turn this way…. YES!” And then the shot makes the hunt so worth it. If you ever feel like there’s nothing interesting to shoot, chances are you’re just not looking hard enough.
• It can sometimes be hard to figure out when to direct your subjects by posing them or asking them to do something specific to get a certain shot. I try to be as unobtrusive as possible and make everyone feel 100% comfortable in front of me and my intimidating camera, but sometimes that means offering prompts or encouragement or some other kind of verbal feedback to get a great shot. The truth is that many of my best candid shots are a result of me asking my subject to do something that seems silly or kind of awkward in the moment, but it gets a real reaction… even if they’re just laughing at how dumb I am. :)

I captured this little boy peeking through the rails from a second story porch overlooking an outdoor ceremony. I saw him up there running around and just had a feeling he’d stick his head through at some point and look down. It took him a few seconds, but by training my camera on him and waiting for him to do this, I was ready to capture it in the millisecond that it actually happened. So is it luck or preparedness? I say it’s a little of both. :)

PERSPECTIVE

• One thing I’ve found to be true with my own shooting style is that more often than not, simpler is better. A successful shoot doesn’t have to rely on crazy new locations or complicated poses. Don’t get me wrong, I love scouring Pinterest for posing ideas and I’m always up for new locations, especially ones that are deeply personal to my clients. But I’ve found that when I try too hard to be super edgy and creative or to copy something I’ve seen online frame-for-frame, it ends up never going as planned and I miss the moments I love so much. It usually feels forced, and that’s the last thing I want.
• Instead of moving around my clients too much and overwhelming them with directions, I try to move myself around. It’s amazing how different a shot can be if you just change your perspective. Bring a ladder to climb on if you need to get higher. Lay down on the ground. Circle around your subject. Hide around a corner or in some bushes. Include unexpected elements in the frame. All of these things can lead to a more interesting composition and tell a more compelling story, and it can be incredibly entertaining for the clients (especially if you’re like me and frequently trip and fall).
• Although the smiling-and-looking-at-the-camera shots are timeless and loved by grandmothers everywhere, I like for an image to make the viewer feel like an outsider looking in. By having subjects interact with each other or do something specific while I move around them and figure out ways to incorporate the surroundings, it feels like we’re getting a sneak peek into a private, special moment. Of course this is just a given when you’re documenting an event, because people are always doing something and are often completely unaware of your presence. This is why wedding candids are one of my very favorite types of photos to capture.

Some of my favorite ways to change up my perspective are to shoot into reflections or through objects like leaves, windows, rails, etc., to give a sense of place and make the composition a little more interesting. Here, I went outside and shot this couple through the window, which makes it feel like we’re glimpsing into a private moment. I also love the effect of the colorful leaves reflected in the glass.

EQUIPMENT

• Good equipment does not a good photographer make. But knowing how to use the equipment you have in any given situation helps quite a bit. I used to think that the solution to creative blocks was to buy a new lens (or a new set of actions, but more on that in a minute). “If I just get a 50 mm f/1.2, my life will be SO much better! My work will be SO much prettier! I’ll be the next Jasmine Star, by golly!” WRONG. Good equipment DOES help, but only if you know how to use it and how to make it work within your vision. I’ve heard it said before that you shouldn’t blow a ton of money or a new lens or camera body until you find yourself being limited by the gear you do have. It’s a good rule of thumb to follow.
• Furthermore, I’ve found in my experience that keeping my setup simple makes it easier for me to focus on capturing moments rather than fumbling around in my bag and changing my lens every 5 seconds. I keep my 35mm 1.4 on my camera about 65% of the time because it’s an incredibly versatile focal length for storytelling. It allows be to be up close and personal to my subject and works really well in tight spaces or for more environmental shots. My second most used lens would be my 135 mm 2.o, because it allows me to get the kinds of shots that my 35mm can’t. Longer focal lengths aren’t just for times when you have to stand further away and need reach (i.e., a wedding ceremony). I’ve also found that they work beautifully for portraits because you can get gorgeous tight shots where the background is compressed (brought closer to the subject) and blurred (making the subject pop). (See example below.) I also have a handful of other lenses that I use less frequently, depending on what the circumstances require. I have a 16-35mm 2.8 for wide shots of venues (I used to use it a lot more for other things but haven’t as much since I got the 35mm– the sharpness and color just doesn’t compare!). I also have a 50 mm 1.4 for when I need something in between a 35mm and 135mm, and a 45mm tilt shift lens for fun portraits (but only when used lightly). One of these days I’d love to own a 50mm 1.2, an 85mm 1.4, and a 70-200mm 2.8, but for now, I know exactly how to get what I need out of the equipment I have and I don’t really want to weigh down my bag with lots of stuff that I won’t use frequently, so I can be patient. :)

For both of these photos, I was standing in the exact same place. For the one on the left, I used my 35 mm for a wider shot, to include the environment as part of the shot. Because of the focal length of the lens and the distance between me and the subject, the background is mostly in focus despite my low aperture. For the one on the right, I wanted a more intimate portrait, so I put on my 135. Notice how the background is brought forward quite a bit, but is also significantly more blurred, which now throws all the focus on the couple. This can be a great way to manage busy and distracting backgrounds, but mostly it’s just a great way to get a completely different photograph without moving myself OR the couple.

POST-PROCESSING

• I feel like I’m turning into a broken record, but this is yet another component of my overall vision where I’ve found it’s best to keep it simple. Like I said before, I look back at some of my early editing, and the only photographs that I still really like are the ones that were edited with a light hand, maintaining true, bright colors, a decent amount of contrast, and natural skin tones. This has really helped me realize that no matter how appealing a shiny new set of Photoshop actions can be, that it’s pretty much guaranteed to feel trendy and outdated in just a matter of months. One way I’ve helped myself rein it in when I’m tempted to go nuts is to nail down three words that describe my ideal photograph– one that truly represents my point of view. For me, those words are color, fun, and authenticity. So when I’m editing and I’m not sure if I’m going overboard, I revisit these keywords and ask myself if the image reflects them. If it doesn’t, I start over. :)
• However, keeping it simple doesn’t mean that learning and experimenting are useless. The artist within me is always wanting to improve my technique and play with color. I found that I’m drawn to images with warm, rich, vibrant tones and contrast, but I also love the way a film-like Photoshop action or Lightroom preset brings up mid tones and or ever-so-slightly shifts colors. I don’t use a TON of actions and I try to limit my use to just a handful so that I maintain consistency, but the ones I love are Red Leaf Boutique film shift actions and Florabella actions. I’ve also heard great things about the new VSCO film presets for Lightroom but have yet to try them out.
• I also believe that blogging is an important part of the finishing process. These days, many couples opt not to order a professional album (or they DIY it), so it’s a GREAT way to create a storyboard of sorts and tell the story from start to finish. Because my vision focuses largely on moments and interesting compositions and perspectives, I mainly blog those kinds of images. I don’t usually blog things like family formals, not because I don’t like them or don’t do them, but because I don’t feel like they communicate what sets me apart as an artist and storyteller. I also think that going through blog posts is a fantastic way of identifying your strengths and the common threads that tie your body of work together. Oh, and I also decided to stop watermarking images about a year ago because I feel like watermarks are mostly a distraction from the art itself, and don’t really do all that much to stop image theft. And if you notice, the images that are mostly shared on wedding blogs and Pinterest are not watermarked. If a person really likes your work, they will follow the link through to your site and check you out. But this is just my personal preference– might not be for everyone. :)

Pretty big difference, huh? Granted, a lot of post-processing is a matter of personal taste. Some people might actually prefer the photo on the left, and that’s okay too. But for ME, I’ve discovered that I’m much happier with natural skin tones, vivid colors, and less blown-out highlights. I believe that the photo on the right is more timeless without being any less “creative” or “me.”

* * * * *

WHEW. I feel like this post is SO long, but only covers the very tip of the iceberg. It seems like there are SO many components to discovering and refining your vision, and there’s no way I know it all (Lord knows!) or could write it all down here. So hopefully this has been a somewhat coherent and helpful post for you, and if you have any questions, let me know!

Mostly I just want to encourage you to find your vision and stick to it, no matter what everyone else is doing. It’s so hard not to be discouraged and question everything you’re doing when you look at the work of a photographer you admire, but no matter what stage of the journey you’re in, your point of view is unique and it is VALID. So embrace it!