The Language of Light: Discovering your Photographic Style
There is a kind of seeing that goes beyond the eyes—one that listens, lingers, and gathers meaning in the smallest details. Photography, at its core, is not about capturing perfection, but about honoring the way we witness the world.
When I hold a camera, I am not just taking a photo. I am responding to something—a glimmer of light on an old wooden table, the way shadows produce the most beautiful movement on a still wall. These moments are quiet, unassuming. But they hold weight.
If you’ve ever felt lost in photography, unsure of your “style,” I invite you to step back. What if your voice isn’t something to chase—but something already present, waiting to be noticed?
Before trying to “find your voice” pause and look at the images you have on your camera roll when - not just the random ones but the ones where you maybe spent more time with or intentionally captured.
Ask yourself:
What do they have in common? Do you see any threads that repeated? Do you find yourself drawn to texture, drastic contrast, subtle contrast? moody light? bright with lots of highlights? Take a deeper look, your intuition will tell you right away what feels aligned with your style.
“Your photographic voice is already speaking - you just have to listen”
Photography began for me as an escape. At the time I wanted to capture moments and hold them in place to avoid disappointment. I was very sad at that time and didn’t know where to turn within myself to heal. I can see now it was my healing and I am forever grateful for it. In my 20 years of learning photography, shooting for books and magazines, and private clients I have come to see my inner interior is a huge inspiration for my work.
It has taken me quite some time but I have come to trust my natural inclinations when it comes to my style. It is no secret I love side light, dark, moody light - yet, always showcasing the subject in “light”. This has always been very important to me because we would not have any feeling or emotion in photography if we didn’t have the balance of light and dark. These two elements of photography have a very symbiotic relationship in my opinion.
The point here is very simple yet a bit complex. We need to trust. Trust the process of where you will be taken we you notice what draws you in. Pay close attention to that - it is very quietly inviting you to what I like to call, the more.
Here is a little practice for you:
Carry your camera or your phone with you for a week. Go on a walk, go to a garden, a forest, a stream, even your own home and capture moments that happen - a shadow, fleeting moments of tenderness, handwritten notes, the way the light hits a bookshelf, the old weathered pages in a book. Capture it.
resist the urge to create a perfect image, this is just an exercise.
Don’t ask yourself if it reflects your style.
Instead, ask: Does this feel like home to me?
The images above are a great example of how I took my love for French Vintage vessels and incorporated my hands. My hands (like yours) have done a lot of work over the past 45 years and this was my way of honoring them. Hands are also a symbol for opening our heart to others. They give, they create. They love.
Meaningful content with a story is very important to me. It is simply part of who I am.
Our photographic voice is not always going to remain the same. Perhaps for now, you might be drawn to soft light, diffused and muted. Or bold, deep contrast and moody. Let it change. Let it evolve. Let it whisper to you, then shout, then whisper again.
Your vision will deepen as you do. The only thing you need to do is to continue seeing.
In the end, finding your photographic voice is not about aesthetics, It’s about presence.
A well-loved teacup, an unmade bed, your child or pet lost in thought - these are the heirlooms of our days, the quiet poetry of life unfolding.
May we see photography as an heirloom on the soul. Our inner style is a treasure when we share it to do good in the world.
Photography is not just about what we capture, but about what we cherish.
Let that be your guide.
Have a beautiful day with strings of inspiring moments.
With love,
Jocelyn xx