What goes through your mind when you line up a shot? For me, I’m always in search of a unique composition. How can I best represent my subject in a way that has never been done before? (Also of note: I like lighthouses.)

I’m not alone in that pursuit.
After all, how many photographers are really out there thinking, “how can I get the same shot that everyone else has taken.” However, I do think that it’s one of the more unique aspects of the trade, and one of the most fulfilling.
How will your own personal style develop over your photography career?
I think that this journey starts the very first moment you pick up a camera.
When you look down the viewfinder and compose your shot, what exactly is going through your mind? Do some people have a “natural eye” for composition? Or is it learned?
I think that the more experience you become with photography, the better you will start to understand what appeals to you. Taking a look at others’ work will give you more things to try in your own.
With this said, one of the best ways to improve is to view and take more photos! The more “exposure” you get, the more refined your own eye will become.