About the author: Ben Lee is editor of DSLR Lens Online.com – a site that reviews various Nikon, Sigma, Tamron and Canon DSLR lenses and tells you what you need to know to make the right buying decision, first time and every time.

Whether you realize it or not, you have a specific photographic style and every photographic that you take is a reflection of that style.

If you wanted it to be explained in a physical and tangible sense, think about any popular landmark around the world that is photographed millions of times.

Next I want you to think about how many ways it has been interpreted by individuals with differing skill sets, approaches and methods?

The net result is style, but how do you define your own and why is it so important to have one?

1 Immerse yourself in photography books and magazines and identify pictures that stand out to you

Write down why they interest you and see if you can find similarities in the images you have chosen.

Go back into the field with your camera and try to emulate what you have seen, and sooner or later you will begin to understand how a particular style comes about and how to add your personal touch to it.

2 Identify the best pictures you took in step 1

Afterwards, pick out 20 of your own photos and again identify any common techniques or elements as in the first method.

3 Start making pictures of your own

Set yourself a simple task or three by taking 10 to 20 shots of certain subjects that take your fancy. Subjects can include such things as the weather and dark alleys for example or you can even focus on specific colors, textures or shapes if that is more your thing.

4 Take notes!

You won’t remember everything you need to. Writing things down is a great way to ensure that those light bulb moments (which can be significant) are not lost forever. The reality is that taking notes is a simple task that many people rarely bother with.

5 Read up about some of your favorite photographers

Ask yourself how they arrived at the style they did. Try to understand how their likes, dislikes or personal background influences their photography today and then apply the same questions to yourself.

For example, ask yourself what drives you to take certain photographs of certain things and conversely – what drives you to not take photos of certain things?

This leads me into number 6.

6 Step out of your comfort zone and experiment!

I never liked shooting into the sun when I first started because I was under the mistaken impression that the images you got back simply weren’t worth it.

However once I gave it a go, I realized that it was one of the many areas of photography that you could experiment with and get good results.

If we never try we never fail, and that means we leave a lot of opportunity on the table by not exploring new avenues. The reality is that that unexplored avenue could lead to the next big development in your photography career.

My advice is to get out there and develop your style! Find out who you are, what you want and why you do it.. and then tell everyone else so they in turn can understand and make a connection with you and your work.

About the author: Ben Lee is editor of DSLR Lens Online.com – a site that reviews various Nikon, Sigma, Tamron and Canon DSLR lenses and tells you what you need to know to make the right buying decision, first time and every time.