Being a photographer and running my own business has been such an amazing journey so far, and I am stoked to see where it takes me over the next few years. However, with that being said, sometimes being a photographer is really lonely, and people are not always very nice.
I was once part of several photography groups on facebook. Now I’m only actively a part of three groups, because people were just too mean and degrading towards other photographers. I don’t understand why, as an industry, we seem to come across so much shaming, negativity, and self-righteousness among each other.
Once, I would get angry about new photographers popping up out of nowhere and just looking for answers for everything instead of doing the research themselves. Once, I compared myself to other photographers. Once, I was incredibly judgmental of photographers who were just starting out. Once, I was a brand-spanking new photographer.
I still am.
What’s changed? My attitude. My outlook. My perspective. It has changed so much, and for that I am SO thankful. I wasn’t like this for very long before I had some sort of epiphany about photographers in this industry, and I am so incredibly grateful.
I want to lift them up and help them be the best photographer/person/businessperson they can possibly be.
I want to cheer them on when they are successful. I want to support them and provide them with lots of encouragement. I want to willingly share my knowledge (I don’t have a ton of knowledge, but I have definitely learned a lot, and I am continuing to grow).
Photography is such a lonely industry. We need to surround ourselves with love and positivity and support. We need to help each other grow! I believe that there are enough people in the world to take their photo of that we shouldn’t have to worry about competition. Photography is about so much more than that.
It’s about taking photographs of amazing people at amazing times in their lives. About helping people realize how beautiful they really are. To remind them of their love for one another. To document their family as it grows. It is so much more than competition and comparison.
We need to be true to ourselves. Stop looking at what everyone is doing and be the very best that you can be, and the rest will follow.
After all, “comparison is the thief of joy.”
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