I love photography—everything about it: carrying a camera around, freezing moments of time, downloading the photos to my computer to see what I’ve got, processing them, tweaking them, and making them just right. I share them because I’m happy with the picture, and maybe it inspires someone else. Pictures start conversations. Pictures can make you cry, think, or even change your mind. 

I want to say a few words about the inspiration part. 

At first, looking at other people’s photography was inspiring. But over time, it started to have the opposite effect. I wasn’t learning–I was comparing. And comparison is a trap.

You can take in so much of other people’s photography that it can make you feel bad about yours. It can make you put your camera down with a sigh; why even bother? I suck; there are 10,000 better photographers out there sharing amazing content, and nobody needs to see my crap pictures…. and on and on and on—the dark side. 

A lot of this is from social media itself. 

Some from looking at/consuming more photography than you are out shooting. More Consuming, Less Making.

I struggled with this a few years ago and completely put my camera down and stopped taking pictures. I felt like, why bother, my stuff is crap. I spent too much time looking at other people’s photography, taking classes, and worrying about my gear instead of just being outside taking pictures, loving my hobby, and working on my craft. 

Be inspired, look at other people’s work, but know when to stop. Know when to get outside and shoot. Work on your stuff, find your happy place, and find your niche in this big photography world. There are limitless photos uploaded every day. In 2024, it’s estimated that 14 BILLION photos were uploaded to social media EVERY DAY. You can’t compete with that; you can’t even look at 1% of those photos in your lifetime. 

Find your group, find your niche, or don’t. Just take pictures if it brings you joy. Upload them to your socials, or don’t. Make a website, or don’t. Do what is right for you. There is no good and bad. There is only art. Your art. Do what brings some joy to your heart. Make yourself smile. And if you do upload your photos, I can guarantee that somebody sees them, and it makes them smile, makes them think, brings them a little joy, and most of all, inspires them to go out and take some pictures. 

Epilogue: 

Photography has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I fell in love with it back in high school; we were lucky enough to have a yearly photography class with a complete darkroom. I took it almost every year through school; we rolled our own film and developed our film. My dad gave me his old Pentax camera, and I shot a lot of pictures. 

At one point, photography became more than just a passion–it became a business. I sold my aviation prints online, and for a while, it felt like I was living the dream. But soon, I found myself spending more time answering emails, processing orders, and futzing with gear than actually out taking photos.  

Selling my photos online and making a business out of it brought me down a dark hole where I would look at “better” photographers and their work, and I kept feeling worse and worse about my skills and how I couldn’t push it to the next level. Their pictures were always better. 

I stopped taking pictures. 

Completely. 

For years, not a single photograph. 

Cameras put away in a drawer, deleted all my photo apps from my computer. I was done. 

Not long ago, on Mastodon, I started seeing people’s photography, passion, and love for the art. And boy, did it spark that love again for me. No more selling, no more comparing, just doing what I love to do, even if it sucks. 

I want to express my deepest gratitude to the photographers I follow on Mastodon. Your work, your passion, and your love for the art have reignited my own love for photography. You’ve inspired me and brought me back to what I truly love. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Somebody out there will see your work, and it will spark something in them–just like the photographers I follow on Mastodon did for me. And maybe, one day, they’ll be the ones inspiring someone else to pick up a camera again.

Cameras up. Let’s go shooting.