One of the things I struggled with the most when I first started out in my career was finding my “style.” It’s something that the harder I tried to define it, the most lost I became. The thing about photography is that, while there are lots of rules, they’re all meant to be broken. There is no one way to compose. No right way to pose. It just really all comes down to personal style and what your style is as a photographer.
If you’re a new photographer, or even someone who has been photographing for a while and feel like you’re struggling a bit to define your style, boy do I have something for you! Warning: You will get sucked in and before you know it you’ll have spent a few hours in front of your computer. It’s worse than Pinterest or Facebook. It’s my absolute FAVORITE photo contest… the Shoot & Share Photo Contest! Here’s why it’s my favorite photo contest:
#1. It’s Free. This is the biggest reason why I (and I assume other photographers) don’t enter the majority of photo contests. I’d usually always be rather saving up for a lens or a workshop than shelling out to enter a photo contest. This contest is free! You can enter 40 images in the Shoot & Share contest FO. FREE.
#2. YOU are the judge! Like I was talking about with styles before, if you’re being judged by a small panel of judges who all have their own personal styles & preferences, you’re more concerned about fulfilling what they think will be best versus what you love the most. With the Shoot & Share contest, everyone votes! With lots of people voting, you’re going to get lots of different opinions & preferences, so I feel like truly the best photos are the ones that rise to the top.
#3. It’s not a popularity contest. This is probably why I LOVEEE this contest the most. There are no names or any info at all attached to the photos and the photos pop up at random, so you can’t recruit voters. It’s not about getting people to like your photo or having people know your name, it’s all about the photos. Pure & simple.
Voting for this contest helps me to refocus and reevaluate my style and my work. As I look at these images, I think about what I’m looking for in an image… What am I drawn to? I find myself drawn to images that make me feel something. A breathtaking landscape. A romantic exchange. A genuine giggle. Seeing other photographer’s beautiful images help me to refocus myself on what I love in images and gets me inspired for the coming wedding season!
This contest isn’t only great for photographers, but anyone interested in photography! If you’re thinking of hiring a photographer soon, it would be worth your time to find out what style you’re drawn to… Dark & moody or light & airy? Stylized or natural? Natural light or artificial light? In studio or on location? It’s worth your time to find out what kind of photo you’re drawn to before hiring a photographer. You should always hire a photographer whose work you’re drawn to and whose pictures you could see yourself in.
Voting is happening all month for the photo contest so head over & check it out if you’re snowed in and have some extra time. Who knows… you might just come across a KDP photo :) Happy Friday!
