How to Find Your Style in Street Photography

What’s popping people, it’s Dante! Walking around Philadelphia today, I’ve been reflecting on style in street photography. Finding your unique style is a journey, and I believe it’s more about your approach than post-processing or technical tweaks.

Style as a Way of Seeing

Many people think style is about:

High contrast black and white vs. color.
Editing choices in Lightroom or Photoshop.

But that’s not the essence of it. Style is your way of seeing the world. It’s about how you approach the streets, your subjects, and the way you interact with your environment.

Key Questions to Ask Yourself:

How do you approach your subjects?

Do you get close, or are you more standoffish?
Are you confrontational, or do you blend into the background?

What do you focus on?

People, objects, shadows, or maybe textures?

What stories do you want to tell?

Are you drawn to bustling cityscapes or quiet, introspective moments?

“Your style emerges naturally from your curiosity and how you choose to frame the world around you.”

The Process of Discovery

1. Shoot More

Take thousands of photos. As you shoot, patterns will begin to emerge in what you capture and choose to keep.

2. Curate Ruthlessly

Over time, the photos you decide to keep and cherish will define your style. Ditch what doesn’t resonate with you.

“Make 10,000 pictures and put in the 10,000 hours. Your style will reveal itself in the process.”

3. Embrace the Stream

View your photos as part of a timeline, a sequence of becoming. Don’t overthink which images go together. Let the flow of your work guide you.

My Personal Approach

For me, style is about speed, curiosity, and minimalism:

I shoot small JPEGs with high contrast black and white baked into the camera.
My workflow is streamlined, allowing me to focus on the moment rather than post-processing.

While I care about aesthetics, my style is a natural byproduct of my process. Every shot is part of my evolving photographic journey.

Final Thoughts

Style isn’t something you force; it’s something you discover. It emerges from your approach, your practice, and your perspective. So get out there, shoot relentlessly, and let your unique way of seeing the world shape your photographic voice.

“Style is not about mimicking others; it’s about finding your own rhythm in the chaos of the streets.”

Let’s find that style, one photo at a time.