If there’s one thing we think all photographers struggle with, it is, without a doubt, comparison.
Can you relate? From the very moment you decide you want to pursue photography and establish your own business and brand, you’re constantly looking at other photographers’ work. That’s how you learn, right? You are inspired by dozens of photographers who post hundreds of images that fall under infinite categories of styles. Yet, it can take years to truly hone in on YOUR style, and if we’re being honest, we believe it should take that long to figure this out. With so many photographers in the world who all purchase the same equipment, post on the same social media platforms, and pursue the same goal of photographing engagements and weddings, there is only one thing separating you from the rest of the photographers out there: YOU.
The way YOU run YOUR business, the way YOU interact with your clients, the ways YOU bless and serve your clients on wedding days and in the months before, how YOU edit, YOUR workflow, YOUR email response time, YOUR level of personal interaction with your couples, YOUR posing techniques, YOUR personality, YOUR vision… YOU are all that separates you from every other photographer and business owner. And it’s okay for that to scare you a little bit.
Yet, even once you truly find your style and are content with who you are as a photographer, it’s so easy to watch what’s trendy and what people are obsessing over, and to stop in your tracks for a second. Questions like, “Should I be editing that way?” and “Should I be posing my clients the way they do?” run through your head.
We’re all for watching what’s up and coming. We’re advocates of staying ahead of the times in all aspects of business. And we support paying attention to both the wedding and photography worlds to ensure we’re providing what OUR brides are wanting. In actuality, that’s only smart! Also, it allows us to serve our couples better, which is our ultimate goal, anyway.
However, we actively try to avoid doing something the way someone else is doing it simply because it’s working for them. Just because another photographer edits a certain way and it works for her does not mean that our clients will love that style. In fact, editing that way may cause US to be more unhappy and unfulfilled in our photos, too. Similarly, just because another photographers uses one posing technique or approach and it works for her does NOT mean our clients will be comfortable posing that way. And perhaps that posing approach doesn’t play to our strengths as a photographer. Do you see how comparison can quickly become dangerous for the livelihood of your business?
Friends, don’t let someone else’s success move your sweet heart straight to fear and to the action of changing what already works for you.
For example, it would be so easy for Luke and I to take a quick look around Instagram’s popular page and see hundreds of photos edited in a gorgeously dark and moody style, others edited in a light and bright, whimsical style, and still others from an enormous variety of styles. It would be so easy for us to hop on every posing and editing trend simply because it’s what’s popular right now. And quite frankly, some days it’s hard NOT to do this! ????
Yet, when we take a step back, we look at the best of the best of our work and we breathe a sigh of contentment. Maybe someday, we’ll overhaul our editing and our images will be the dark and moody ones that I, too, am LOVING seeing so much of lately. We have dear friends who are killing it with this exact style, and it’s awesome to see that and cheer them on! Maybe in a few years we’ll scrap “posing” altogether and move to a totally new technique. Industry leaders and local photographers alike pose way differently than we do… and that’s okay.
For right now, we’re content producing bright imagery that pops, is bright, and is bursting with the joy that overflows from our couples who are CRAZY about each other. And we want to encourage you guys to seek contentment and confidence in your photography style, too. It’s possible… we promise.
Here are a few ways you can become confident in who YOU are as a photographer:
- Create a folder with your top 10-15 images. Write down what you love about each photo, specifically. Look for patterns and similarities in your list, from the coloring and locations to how you edited it and posed your couple.
- Save editing presets for the images you’ve been most happy with so. Decide upon a style, and run with it for a little while. Update your presets as needed, but sink into who you are and who you’re becoming as a photographer.
- Pay attention to what your clients say they love about your work and what work of yours they share most often. For example, we are always hearing about how “happy” and “bright” our photos are, so we know what we’re sharing is attracting brides who love our “happy” and “bright” style! Take what your clients tell you they love to heart.
We’re with you in this, photographers! Have you been struggling with comparison? We’d love the chance to chat about that with you in the comments below! ????????
