Dreamy Photos & Embellished Albums

Like many photographers, my style has developed and changed drastically since the beginning of my career. We all go from simply trying to capture good photos, to capturing and editing photos in a way that feels simultaneously true to our own style and our clients’ aesthetic desires. A style some adopt, and one that I focus on myself, is a dreamy aesthetic; romantic, storybook-esque photos that feel like they’re from a novel. But what makes a photo ‘dreamy,’ and how can we differentiate our style from that of fellow photographers?

I think most of us will agree that dreamy photos have a consistent and similar look that qualifies them as such. This style often features soft focus, diffused light, and slightly blurred movement to create a dream-like effect. Some lean towards moody and cinematic, while others adopt a more airy feel; both aesthetics incorporate editing techniques that make the viewer feel like they’re looking into a daydream or storybook. This style can also exist beyond our normal expectations, though, and that’s where each photographer's style gets to shine. I tend to focus heavily on glowy light, sunflares, reflections, and candid movement to achieve this look, incorporating slightly blurred motion for a hazier effect. I’ve also found that, when editing in this style, utilizing the ‘Dehaze’ slider in Lightroom is incredibly helpful. Decreasing this slider makes a photo look less focused, yet slightly more romantic and dream-like. Outside of typical color and light editing in softwares like Lightroom, I’ve developed a new method of editing that has truly elevated my photography and attracted a completely new clientele.

I’ve started offering my clients what I call ‘embellished albums.’ These albums include photos that have been edited with software like Canva to include filigree, light flares, glittering wisps, glowing fireflies, and more. These edits have been achieved for years in Photoshop, but doing so in Canva makes it more accessible to photographers without intensive Photoshop skills. I’ve found that by combining photography and graphic embellishment, I’m able to create photos that feel like stories come to life. These embellishments don’t aim to falsify a photo, but instead elevate the magic that was already there. In this way, more of a person’s personality shines through in their photos. This isn’t a style that everyone looks for, and it’s why I still offer standard albums as well. Though, it is something new and unique, and not often seen as an option for traditional photography services. I find that this editing technique correlates well with my clients, as people who are looking for dreamy photos tend to lean towards these more unique edits. I’ve found that offering this service in a different way than simply describing it as ‘a cool edit’ has reshaped how my clients view it as well. Referring to this style as ‘embellished albums’ captures what the editing truly aims to do, and presents the idea to people in a way that seems more tangible. 

Overall, we can define what ‘dreamy photos’ consist of on a base level; but, we must each approach our photography with our own unique outlook. Instead of trying to mimic a certain style, or fit within the standard of an aesthetic, I invite you to ask yourself, what could come of your work if you simply edited in a way that felt free? What ideas could develop, what techniques could you happen upon? When we step outside of these constraints, new ideas have more room to be born. This is where your style finally comes to life. Happy editing!