I really tried. Honestly. There were those phases where I firmly told myself: "From today on, you’re going to be a grown-up. From today on, you’ll stick to a consistent look." I crafted presets, imposed rules on myself, and tried to force a sleek "common thread" into my projects. Spoiler: It didn’t work. I’m simply too restless for that.
I’ve barely finished editing two great mountain shots when my head starts screaming: "Hey, what about wildlife? Or street? Or maybe something completely abstract in 3D?" If I were to commit to one niche, I’d be bored to death within two weeks.
The Battle of Editing (or: The 10th time's the charm)
This is also reflected in my workflow. I’m not the "one-click and done" type. I re-edit some images five to ten times. Sometimes it’s frustrating when you feel the image could be stronger, but you haven’t found the right lever yet. That’s the moment I set the project aside in annoyance.
But then, suddenly, inspiration strikes – often on the tenth attempt – and bam, it fits. I go through this creative circus not just in Lightroom, but in design as well. Right now, for fun, I’m working on a layout for a fictional photography magazine, and I’ve scrapped and redesigned it so many times that I don’t even remember what the original plan was.
Creativity Without Guardrails
Sometimes this urge to try something new leads me away from the lens entirely. Back when I was regularly creating photo manipulations, I often faced the problem that the right element for my scene was missing. Instead of giving up, I started rendering the missing objects or entire backgrounds myself in 3D. It’s this combination of different worlds that excites me – when the photo is just the beginning of a larger creative journey.
When I compare my work to the perfectly curated portfolios of others, I mostly see one thing: chaos. There is no master plan. You never know what’s coming next with me – but to be honest, I often don't know myself. I don’t do all of this to win an award for "most consistent branding." I do it to live out my curiosity.
Style is when you can laugh about it anyway
A fixed style is like a uniform – it fits well, but you wear the same thing every day. I’d rather put on something different every day. For me, "not finding" a style isn't a failure; it’s the pure luxury of my hobby. Whether I’m shooting analog today, rendering 3D scenes tomorrow, or layouting a booklet – this exact freedom is the reason I pick up a camera or a mouse in the first place.
In the end, maybe my style is exactly that: the fact that you never know what’s coming next.
From digital worlds to real-life moments.
