1. What Is Personal Style?
Personal Style is the distinctive signature that viewers can recognize even without seeing the photographer's name. It is the combination of:
- Subject: What do you shoot? (street, portrait, landscape, abstract)
- Light: How you use light (soft, hard, high contrast, low-key)
- Color: Your characteristic palette (warm, cool, muted, vibrant, black-and-white)
- Composition: How you organize the frame (minimal, dense, unconventional)
- Mood: The atmosphere your images convey (joyful, melancholic, mysterious, serene)
Style is not something you choose — it is something that emerges organically after years of shooting, experimenting, and eliminating what is not truly you.
"Your style is not something you decide. It is something you discover — by photographing what genuinely moves you, again and again, until patterns emerge."
2. Finding Your Personal Style
A 5-step process for finding your style (based on the RPS 6-week course):
Step 1 — Collect 100 Favorite Images
Create a folder (a Pinterest board, a folder on your computer) containing 100 images you genuinely love. No restrictions on subject matter, no need to justify your choices. Then categorize them to find common patterns.
Step 2 — Analyze the Patterns
Look back at those 100 images: what do they have in common? Soft or hard light? Warm or cool colors? Minimal or dense composition? This is the DNA of your style.
Step 3 — Deliberate Experimentation
Pick 3 different directions and shoot 50 images in each direction over 2 weeks. For example: low-key portrait, color street photography, black-and-white landscape. Then compare — which direction feels most natural and engaging to you?
Step 4 — Eliminate
Eliminate what is not you. If you shoot fashion because it "sounds professional" but you truly love street photography — follow street photography. Don't try to mimic someone else's style.
Step 5 — Repeat and Refine
Style is not fixed. With every year, every project — it can evolve. What matters is that you stay true to your own way of seeing.
"Style is not about being different. It is about being consistent — consistently yourself."
3. Photo Editing (Curation)
Editing in this context does not mean retouching images in Lightroom — it means selecting and sequencing images. This is the most difficult and most important skill in building a portfolio.
Principles of Editing
- Quality over quantity: 20–30 of your best images are better than 100 average ones. An ideal portfolio contains 15–25 images.
- No weak images: A single weak image can diminish the impact of the entire portfolio. Remove them without mercy.
- Narrative flow: The first image hooks the viewer, the middle images sustain the rhythm, the last image leaves a lasting impression.
- Diverse yet consistent: Vary your framing, distance, and composition, but remain consistent in style and mood.
- Be objective: Ask someone else (not a close friend) to review your portfolio and give feedback.
The Editing Workflow
- Rough cut: From your entire archive, select the 100 best images.
- Second cut: From those 100, narrow it down to 40 stronger images.
- Final cut: From those 40, select the final 20–25 images.
- Sequence: Arrange them by emotional flow, not chronologically.
- Test: Show the sequence to 3–5 people. Record their feedback.
- Adjust: Revise based on feedback — but keep your personal point of view.
4. Building a Portfolio
A portfolio is the body of work that represents your style and capabilities. There are 3 main formats:
4.1. Website Portfolio
The most important format in the digital age. Options include:
- Hosted platforms: Squarespace, Format, Wix — easy to use, beautiful templates, monthly fee.
- Self-hosted WordPress: More flexible, requires technical knowledge, hosting costs apply.
- Custom-coded personal site: 100% control, time-consuming, requires coding skills.
4.2. PDF Portfolio
To send via email to potential clients, employers, or galleries. Requirements:
- PDF file under 10 MB (easy to send by email).
- 150 DPI resolution (sharp enough, not too heavy).
- Include your name, contact details, and website at the end of the file.
- Don't cram in too many images — 15–20 images is enough.
4.3. Print Portfolio
For in-person meetings, exhibitions, and galleries. Requirements:
- Print on high-quality paper (fine-art prints).
- Consistent print size (typically A4 or A3).
- Presented as a set (portfolio box) or book (photobook).
- Captions for each image (if needed).
Recommended Portfolio Structure
5. Online Platforms
Beyond your personal website, there are many platforms for showcasing your work and connecting with others:
| Platform | Purpose | Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Behance | Professional portfolio | Designers, photographers |
| 500px | Photography community | Photographers of all levels |
| Marketing, networking | General audience | |
| Flickr | Archiving, community | Enthusiast photographers |
| B2B networking | Corporate clients |
Networking and Exhibitions
- Photo festivals: Arles (France), Unseen (Netherlands), Photo London.
- Galleries: Submit your portfolio to galleries that match your style.
- Contests: Sony World Photography Awards, World Press Photo, Magnum Photography Awards.
- Publications: Submit your work to magazines, newspapers, and specialist blogs.
- Local community: Join photo clubs, workshops, and photowalks.
6. Demo: Portfolio Builder
Click each layout style to see how the portfolio displays differently. Each layout suits a different type of content and purpose.
Multiple images arranged in an even grid. Ideal for diverse portfolios, product photography, and portrait series. Displays many images on a single screen.
7. Summary
After this lesson, you have learned:
- Personal style: Your distinctive signature — the combination of subject, light, color, composition, and mood.
- Process for finding your style: Collect 100 images → Analyze patterns → Experiment → Eliminate → Repeat.
- Editing (curation): Rigorous selection, keep only the best 20–25 images. Narrative flow matters.
- Portfolio: Website (Squarespace, Format), PDF (for email), Print (for galleries).
- Online platforms: Behance, 500px, Instagram, Flickr, LinkedIn.
- Networking: Photo festivals, galleries, contests, publications, and local communities.
Practical Exercises
- Create a folder of 100 favorite images (from the internet, not your own work). Analyze 5 common patterns.
- Select your 20 best images from the last 6 months. Remove any that are not strong enough.
- Sequence those 20 images by emotional flow — not chronologically. Test the sequence with 3 friends.
- Create a simple PDF portfolio with 15 images. Export it under 10 MB.
- Write a short bio (100–150 words) for your portfolio — focus on style and subject matter, not just a list of achievements.