Comparison is the thief of joy
– Theodore Roosevelt
When I started out, the first thing I did was immerse myself in information. I wanted to learn everything about photography. I researched, was on all of the forums everyday, and followed all of my favorite photographers on Facebook and Instagram. Gorgeous, perfect images everywhere, every single day.
Initially, I was so inspired and excited, but over time I started to get discouraged. I remember thinking to myself, “Ugh, her photos are so perfect! I’m never going to get there!” Scrolling through stunning image after stunning image was overwhelming. Instead of feeling inspired, I felt sad my photos weren’t “as good” as others.
Once I noticed that all of the pretty things I was looking at were kind of taking the joy out of something I loved, I knew I needed to do something. Here are a few things you can try to battle what I call “comparison syndrome.”
1. Step away from social media.
The first thing you can do is take a break from social media or hide the photography pages you follow temporarily. Say what?! I know! I’m a big social media girl and this is kind of crazy talk, but it will help you clear your head and heart for a minute. You can set a time limit like a week or a few days or just wait until you feel inspired again.
2. Do work.
Start to think about your work. What do you love about your work? What do you love about shooting? What do you think is something you might want to work on? Spend this time really focusing on what it is about photography that makes you happy, and what inspires you. For me, it’s light, so I started shooting my personal work focusing on using light in different ways. It helped recharge my passion and refine my style.
3. Find the love.
Go back through old client reviews or emails. Read why your clients said they hired you. What did they love about your work? How did your work make them feel? Find the common theme and focus on that. That’s part of why you rock!
4. Compare!
Yup, I said it! If you really must compare your work to someone, let it be your own! Go through your hard drive and find a session from a few years ago and compare it to something you photographed recently. Yeah – that’s you getting better!
Thank you so much for having me write this. Ironically, just after I sent my article in, I went through this yucky feeling all over again unsure emoticon It’s a constant struggle!