Learn post-work, or enough post-work to make your own style. At minimum, figure out how to composite a shot and do minor shit like tone & color.
I just don't understand people on the Daz boards who shit on post-work ("That's not REAL Daz skill"), and then they gush over an image that clearly had a shitload of post-work done on it.
Like, my dudes?! You understand the visuals that you are looking at?!!!
I agree for the most part.
I know my renders sometimes take 10 hours to finish (using a GTX1070) and im sure i can shorten it if i invest more time in optimizing. I render while i sleep so i don't mind that much. But i always do postwork.
Sometimes i just fix some highlighting and contrast and sometimes i go more heavy like here:
Linky.
I know there are a few here that have a distinct style. Both in scenes and in postwork.
I dont have a real style in my renders for a number of reasons.
I want to do new stuff, learn new things.
Also post work that works in Scy-Fi scene may not necessarily work in a fantasy setting.
Maybe that is my style