Finding Your Creative Style
Practice Makes Better
The more you shoot, the more you’ll discover what styles you like. Be patient with yourself – take ninety-nine bad photos until you get one that you’re proud of. Don’t take the fast track and copy every move to fit the same style as another photographer. There’s no fast track to success – it takes time, patience, and shooting.
Understand & Break the Rules
You first need to understand lighting, symmetry, composition, etc. (the things that make a solid photo), but then feel free to break those rules when tempted. It doesn’t hurt to step outside the box when figuring out your personal style.
Repeat Your Locations
Different seasons, times of day, and even the particular day you choose to shoot at a certain location will produce a variety of results.
“I like going to a place and feeling something and then reacting to that feeling and capturing it.”
Let Go of Expectations
Have you ever shown up to a location, and the weather wasn’t as you’d expected or hoped? We’ve all been there. Unfortunately, no two sunsets are the same, BUT if you choose to let go of your expectations and grab ahold of the circumstances you’ve been given, you’ll be surprised at what you can come up with. A slight shift of perspective will dramatically change the trajectory of your shoot.
Try New Things
Be willing to try new tools and techniques whether that be using a monopod instead of a drone or a disposable camera instead of a DSLR. It’s intriguing to shoot differently here and there to keep your creativity fueled.
Don’t Settle
It’s easy to get the shot everyone else has gotten before, but make it a priority to get something more while on location. There is always another perspective away from the viewpoint.
Tommy Lundberg
Photographer / Illustrator
Tommy is a 29 year old freelance photographer and content creator based in Los Angeles. He graduated from Hillsdale College with a degree in fine arts in 2013 and moved to LA for a job with Whole Foods doing graphic design. He continued with that job and grew as an artist and employee earning high honors of team member of the year and southern pacific honors for outstanding work in the marketing department.
“As I continued at Whole Foods I noticed I had no strong feelings about this city, so I decided to explore as much as I could to gain more perspective on LA and see what it’s all about. This decision coincided with a newfound love for capturing moments with my iPhone. As I traveled around the city in between commuting and working I started collecting fun frames from my adventures and would post those to my Instagram. People started to take notice of my work, and I started to embrace the role of photographer.”
In 2017, Tommy was offered some big breaks earning the opportunities to work with brands such as Coachella and W Hotels. Through these experiences, he was able to really push himself and develop a sense of style and build his confidence. Later that year, Tommy decided that he needed to fully pursue this photography thing full time and left his job with Whole Foods.
“Since then I’ve been able to devote myself fully to this career as a content creator. I’ve come across and learned from some of the most driven, genuine and talented people in the world. I’ve continued amazing partnerships with world class brands and have made incredible friends along the way! As a creator there are a few things I look for in my work. Motion, color and symmetry are key components of my style. I always try to find a unique perspective on familiar scenes. It’s an attitude that helps keep things fresh and pushes me to keep searching.”
AOV: To The Point
We created this micro series for quick tips, tutorials, and inspiration to fuel you on your creative journey. Less time watching, more time creating.