It's no secret that the photography industry is heavily saturated. There are a lot more people taking photos now, than ever before. This trend is likely to continue, with the rise of social media and increased availability of high quality cameras to the public. I honestly have mixed feelings about this. I love that loads of people are interested in photography, and that because the competition is higher, the standard is also higher. However, I don't like that a lot of quiet beauty spots have become overrun with cameras, kind of spoils the vibe of the place.
Anyway, with all that said, it isn't easy making your photos stand out with so many others trying to achieve the same thing. So here are a few things you can do to try and differentiate yourself.
Editing
Most people are editing their photos, and if you aren't already, without an edit you will definitely struggle to stand out. Not just any edit though, I think that developing your own style and way of doing things is very important. To the point that when people see a photo taken by you, they know it's yours. This isn't an easy thing to do and can take years to get there. However, if you look at most successful (modern day) photographers, this is something they have all achieved.
This is why I generally advise people against buying presets, you won't stand out using someone else's editing style. You will also suffer from taking the "easy route" and not learning how to edit yourself. Every small detail matters, and a lot of small differences make a big one overall. If you want to learn more about editing, check out my youtube channel here.
Composition
Composition is one of the best ways you can stand out. In a similar way to editing, your style of composition will help you to stand out and differentiate yourself from other people. Especially in popular spots, try and do something different. For more advice on composition in landscape photography, click here.
Using the rules is always a good practice, however breaking them can bring great rewards sometimes too.
Research
This is an area often neglected by most people. Research can bring you massive rewards. Researching the position of the sun, the stars, the location, the list is literally endless. The more research you do, the more likely you are to find something that really jumps off the page at people. Something people might have not seen before. I try to research at least 1 hour per day, there are so many resources out there, take advantage of them!
Consistency
This is what turns cubs into lions, one of the most important areas of success in anything. A lot of people get into photography and drop off after a while. Keeping on going is what is going to help you stand out, learn more and take better photos everytime you go out. Many people come up with all kinds of excuses. You can always find time for photography, the real question is; how badly do you want this? That will be answered by your actions, not your words. You work full time? You can go for sunrise before work. You can get up early and do edits. There is always time.
The shot on the left is from when I first started landscape photography. The one of the left is the same area but 5 years later.
Thank you for reading, if you have any questions don't hesitate to get in contact here.