Developing your photography skills is like becoming a master chef in the kitchen of creativity. Each technique you learn—whether it’s mastering natural light, composition, or exploring editing—is like adding a new ingredient to your personal recipe. And a master chef does more than collect random ingredients. Master chefs know how each ingredient and spice blends together to create their signature “sauce.” That’s why I call your style the sauce.
Every technique you’ve learned is another spice or ingredient. Your sauce could be sweet, delicate, and romantic, or bold, spicy, and dramatic. The more spices and ingredients (techniques) you know—and the more you experiment with how they complement one another—the more layers of flavor you can balance. In photography, the flavors translate to feelings: romantic, moody, cinematic, nostalgic, or bright and airy. We cook with emotions.
A master chef's style is how their food tastes. A photographer's sauce is how your photos feel. It’s not just about throwing everything in the pot and hoping for the best—it’s about understanding the delicate balance. Knowing when to use bold lighting, how to pair movement with emotion, and where to add those finishing touches of texture or contrast is what takes your artwork hard to ignore. So, how do you flavor your sauce? And more importantly, how are you adding to it today?
Here's a few techniques drawn from a sparkler send off during a wedding. From using leading lines to create depth, and how to use perspective to create a set of images that come together to create a story. Experiment with the techniques that interest you, leave the ones that don't inspire you.
Use Leading Lines to Focus the Viewer’s Attention
What We See: In the wide composition, the sparklers held by guests create natural leading lines that draw the viewer’s eyes directly to the couple. The guests’ positioning along the pathway amplifies this effect.
How/Why It Works: Leading lines create a sense of depth and guide the viewer to the focal point—the couple. The path and sparklers help frame the moment beautifully while emphasizing the energy and celebration of the scene.
Actionable Tip: Position yourself at the center of a path to make the most of the symmetry created by the sparklers and guests. Encourage the couple to walk slowly so you can capture their movement through the framed lines.
Incorporate Foreground Elements for Depth
What We See: The shallow foreground bokeh from the sparklers in some images adds a cinematic feel, enhancing the visual depth and creating a natural frame around the couple. Natural framing is a wonderful technique to experiment with when you find it in your scene.
How/Why It Works: Foreground elements like out-of-focus sparklers create layers, making the image feel immersive and giving it a movie-like quality. The warm glow adds to the romantic ambiance of the moment. Techniques blending together.
Actionable Tip: Shoot through sparklers, lights, or anything else held by guests in the foreground. Use a wide aperture to blur them while keeping the couple in sharp focus. f/1.4 is what I used. You can easily get this effect at f/2.8 - f/4. This technique adds visual depth the frame.
Find the Emotion and Connection
What We See: Close-up shots of the couple laughing, looking at each other, or holding hands bring out the intimacy and joy of the moment. The sparklers create a glowing, celebratory backdrop.
How/Why It Works: Tight compositions emphasizing the couple’s connection make the image feel personal and emotional. The glowing lights in the background add context without overpowering the main subjects.
Actionable Tip: As the couple walks, use a longer lens (like 70mm-200mm 2.8) to zoom in on their expressions. Capture moments of laughter, eye contact, or gentle touches to highlight their connection amidst the celebration. Freeze the emotions in time by filling the frame with all those special feelings.
These photos, when combined, become more emotionally impactful than their individual components due to the visual interest created by blending various techniques. Just like when Master Chef picks and chooses their spices and ingredients for different parts of a layered dish, we blend our techniques to tell stories with photos.
Your style is built in the moments when you let curiosity guide you—when you try a new technique just to see how it feels, or when you combine familiar skills in ways you’ve never thought of before. Every experiment, whether it works or not, adds something to your understanding and sharpens your creative instincts. The more you explore, the more your work will reflect the nuances of your vision.
Hope this helps!
Gear Used
Camera: Canon 5D MK IV
Lens: 50mm 1.4 Art, 70mm-200mm 2.8L IS II
Edited in Lightroom Classic with JY POP Signature Presets
Settings (Your settings will vary)
1/200, f/1.4, ISO 1000
1/250, f/2.8, ISO 4000
Natural Light
Continue Learning
“When was my artwork going to pop off?” Why did it feel like everyone else had the secret sauce?