I’ve stopped trying to impress other photographers, and I’ve never been happier
Let me start by saying that I am not a professional, and Iām well aware that my movement towards to success is an ongoing process that is (hopefully) in the early stages of even bigger things to come. That being said, I think itās a good idea to reflect on my last year or so of growth.
Back in 2018, 2019, and the first half of 2020, I spent the majority of my time, as many other aspiring photographers do, on the āphotographyā side of the internet. I primarily shared my work with other photographers in the hopes of getting both constructive and positive feedback from both my peers, and professionals alike. My hope was that if I got enough attention from other photographers, it would somehow lead to some kind of success ( I know, some real āUnderpants Gnomesā logic there). While it did help me grow as a photographer, lead to a few more followers on social media, a few more people to follow myself, and a few new photography buddies to talk shop with, it never lead to the kind of success Iād been hoping for.
Then, around June of 2020, something changed. I decided to focus less on what my fellow photographers thought, and decided to focus more of my attention on myself. Since then, Iāve spent more time adding products to my shops, including images that Iād previously considered as ānot portfolio materialā. To my surprise, a number of these images turned into my best selling images. Iāve since spent more time focusing on creating images I want to create, rather than images I think would be āportfolio worthyā or impress other photographers, and itās lead to more and more images that sell.
Beyond monetary success, Iāve also found myself enjoying my shoots more as thereās less pressure to always create a portfolio grade image, and a stronger focus on creating images I want to create. To avoid turning this into a novel, Iāll write my thoughts as to why this change in thinking lead to more success, in list form below.
1) I focus more on what I want to create
As I mentioned above, I used to go out to every shoot with one goal in mind ācreate a new portfolio imageā that would get me praise from my peers (or pros). As you can imagine, this not only caused me a great deal of stress, but also limited my shooting locations and times, as conditions had to be āperfectā and the location had to be āperfectā. If even one thing was out of place, the shoot was ruined and I left in a bad mood. That being said, I do still try to create portfolio images, but I donāt force myself to create one every time I go out. I give myself more time to create images I want to create without the expectation of outdoing myself. In some cases, this has actually lead to portfolio quality images without the stress of feeling obligated to create one, so it all works out in the end.
2) I share more work
Despite what my lackluster uploading schedule on Instagram may suggest, more of my work has seen the light of day. Iām a big believer of adapting to your surroundings, so after moving to a beach city with a view of Mount Fuji, my focus has primarily been of those things. Just this year, for the first time ever, I started photographing surfers. Being new at this subject means that I really had (and still have) no idea how best to shoot them. I do still use my basic photography knowledge, such as light and other elements, but I honestly havenāt got a clue if theyād be considered āportfolio materialā from other photographers, and to be honest, I donāt really care. I like them, so I share them. On top of that, it gives me an excuse to go cycling along the beach, which is never a bad way to spend a sunny day.
3) I spend less time overthinking things (perfectionism kills productivity)
Another issue I used to have was spending hours on an image, only for it to never see the light of day because some small issue caught my eye. āUgh, the light could have been a little better hereā, āAh, why didnāt I use a polarizing filter!ā, āwhy couldnāt I find a leading line or foreground element!ā. Newsflash, the general public either doesnāt notice or doesnāt care about these things. They typically see something and they either like it or they donāt. I still take a ton of photos that donāt make the cut, but I spend a lot less time editing photos for hours only for them to end up in the trash due to trivial problems.
4) Iām focusing more on my audience/market
As I mentioned above, I used to only share my images with other photographers. Well, as it turns out, other photographers arenāt usually in the market to buy prints, unless youāve made a name for yourself. Spending more time both creating and sharing work that the general public might be interested in has lead to me creating more selling images, and has helped me reconsider which images I take when out and about. Now, I donāt mean this to say that Iāve ādowngradedā my work or only focus on images that sell, I still create plenty of images for other purposes that havenāt sold a thing, but it means Iām more open minded about what I shoot, what I edit, what I share, and what I sell. At the end of the day, I get paid for my work, and some person in Canada gets a neat tote bag.
5) My overall happiness level is up (with photography)
Back when I was creating images for the singular purpose of impressing photographers, I often found myself starting to get tired of and frustrated with my photography (and other photographers ā but thatās a post for another day). This was mostly due to the seemingly never-ending cycle of disappointment. Without the pressure of āmaybe this is the one that gets me noticed!ā āor āthis one is a contest winner for sure!ā, Iāve been able to shoot, edit, and share images without the feeling of disappointment when, like hundreds of times before, my photo is just a photo. Even without this pressure, Iāve managed to get some international recognition within the community, so again, it all worked out.
6) Freedom to experiment
Again, without the pressure of always trying to create mind-blowing world class images, Iāve allowed myself to experiment in ways I never would have before, to varying levels of success. If you can imagine, I went about 5 years in Japan before photographing a shrine or temple in a serious way, and another year after that to really start considering them as something I could produce quality images with. Since I live in an area with quite a few shrines and temples, I now consider them as one of the most interesting subjects I can use in my new images. Before getting really into the photography community, I used to experiment quite a bit, but there was a period where I was too afraid to break away from what I knew. Iāve since returned to shooting the unfamiliarā¦and occasionally the mundane, and Iāve never enjoyed it more than I currently do.
Now all of this isnāt to say ālistening to other photographers is uselessā. Iāve learned a lot over the years. I think itās a good idea for people just learning the ropes to seek feedback to help improve their work. For me, Iāve reached a point where Iām comfortable with my work, and donāt need to know what every photographer and their dog has to say about it. I may still seek feedback on specific images, to get a second opinion, but I no longer shoot to impress other photographers specifically. At the end of the day, if Iām happy with the work Iām making, thatās all the counts. Any success that may follow is just gravy.
About the Author
Jordan McChesney is a Canada-born photography hobbyist living in Japan. He focuses mainly on landscape photography, but youāll also find architecture photos in his portfolio. You can find Jordanās work on his website, Instagram, and Facebook. This article was also published here and shared with permission.