Do you or can you recognize your own photographs? I’ve taken tens of thousands of pictures and if I go through my Lightroom catalog I occasionally come across a photograph that isn’t mine. Most of the time I don’t even have to check the metadata. I just don’t recognize the image. A bit of it is I, at least, vaguely remember what I have taken photographs of but a bit is a style of my own that I have come to recognize. I probably couldn’t describe my style to anyone I just remember it.
I’ve talked to many photographers. A lot of them, especially newer photographers often say they don’t have a style but it is that they just don’t recognize their style as a style, or are they too busy attempting to copy the style of others? I believe this is the inherent problem with attempting to copy the style of others, you forget to or just don’t add your own twist to it. I guess there is nothing wrong with that it’s just not for me. In fact, when I have mentored others I make a point of telling them my goal isn’t to make them a copy of myself but to help them find their own style.
To me, it is like recognizing your family. Often you don’t even have to see their faces to know who the people are in the photograph. My photographs, in a way, are like family. I know them even if I can’t tell you why.
Even if you don’t think you have a style, you probably really do have one. Look closely at your photos and you will probably start to recognize commonalities in your images.
Photographer Clay 
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