Why I Needed to Develop My Own Editing Style
…and what you can learn from it. There was a time when I tried everything: presets from other photographers, countless YouTube tutorials, and every editing technique I could find. I wanted my photos to finally look like the work of the big names in the industry. But no matter what I did — something always felt off.
I had the feeling that my photos never looked truly “mine.” They always seemed like a mix of different trends and styles I had seen in other people’s work. And that frustrated me.
But subconsciously, my why was guiding me the entire time: I wanted to create something of my own. I was never fulfilled by simply copying a style. I felt that something was missing — personal expression, growth, development. I never saw myself as just a consumer of techniques, but as someone who develops intentionally and shapes his own path.
How Instagram Shaped My Eye — and Limited My Creativity
In the beginning, photography was a technical challenge for me: the perfect composition, the right light, a harmonious edit. But the deeper I went into photography, the more my eye became shaped by what “worked” on platforms like Instagram. I wanted my photos to perform well. So I shaped my style around what others seemed to expect. I let myself be inspired by big creators, bought presets, and analysed the colour palettes that were trending at the time. My goal? Recognition and visibility. But that eventually became the problem. I had trapped myself in a creative cage. My focus was more on what others wanted to see than on what I truly wanted to create.
The Turning Point: Why I Had to Question My Style
I had taken a break from Instagram — almost five months. I wanted to give myself the time to finally find my own style, because I was so frustrated by not having a signature look. I wanted to create an editing style that felt like me — not like trends or expectations.
During this phase, I suddenly felt inspired to simply desaturate the colours — just to see what would happen. I reduced my images to black and white and then started adding colours back in, one by one. No distractions. No rules. Just my intuition.
And that was my breakthrough.I realised that colours are more than just a stylistic choice — they are a deliberate design element that I can control step by step.
My Method: Why I Start From Black and White
I realised that editing in black and white allowed me to edit based on how I feel and to find the colours that truly resonate with me. Without the distraction of already existing tones, I could fully focus on light, contrast, and structure. Only after perfecting these foundations did I slowly add colours back in — deliberately and with intention.
This approach completely changed the way I edit. I no longer wanted to randomly push sliders around, but follow a conscious sequence that builds and optimises every image in the same way.
I edit my photos in Lightroom because it gives me full control over brightness and colour adjustments. Especially with Sony RAW files, I can work incredibly flexibly and develop my own colour world in a very intentional way. I also use this method for my DJI drone images — this ensures that my aerial shots share the same style as my ground photos.
This method helped me shape light more consciously, create clearer contrast, and build my colour palette with intention.
What You Can Take Away From This
If you’ve ever felt the way I did back then — that your editing somehow feels “foreign” or never quite looks the way you want — then maybe it’s because you’re still searching for a style instead of developing one.
Here are my 3 most important learnings:
Stop searching for the perfect colour palette.
Your style comes from intentional decisions — not from a preset.Edit multiple images in the same way and look for patterns.
What repeats itself in your adjustments? That’s your style.Trust what feels right to you.
Likes or algorithms shouldn’t define your image — you should.
If you want support with this, I’ve put my entire workflow into a guide. There I show you step by step how to develop your own style — far away from trends or external expectations.
What are you waiting for?
👉 Get the free Guide here:
