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3 Simple Tips to Become a More Confident Photographer
71 Plays16 days ago
Episode Summary: Confidence is one of the biggest struggles for photographers at all levels. In this episode, we dive into three simple yet powerful ways to strengthen your confidence as a photographer. Confidence isn't something you're simply born with—it's a muscle that needs to be worked on consistently. Whether you're just starting out or have been in business for years, these tips will help you trust your unique vision, gain experience, and invest in your craft so you can show up as the best version of yourself.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
- Why confidence is essential for success in photography
- How to trust your unique creative vision and lean into your individuality
- The importance of consistent practice and shooting in different lighting and environments
- Why investing in education and workshops can fast-track your growth and confidence
- How to navigate the comparison trap and focus on your own journey.
Links & Resources:
- Join My Photography Education Community on Facebook!
- Follow me on Instagram
- Join my 3 Day Marketing Challenge!
Let’s Connect! If this episode resonated with you, screenshot it and share it on Instagram! Tag me and let me know your biggest takeaway.
And if you’re loving the podcast, I’d so appreciate it if you could leave a quick rating and review. It helps more photographers find the show and build their confidence, too!
Thanks for tuning in, and remember: You have a place at this table. I’m so glad you’re here!
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Transcript
Introduction to Building Confidence in Photography
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome back. Today I want to give three simple tips on how to become a more confident photographer. And the reason that I want to talk about confidence directly is that lack of confidence is probably one of the biggest problems for photographers of all levels.
00:00:20
Speaker
And just to be completely transparent with you, confidence is kind of like a muscle that you have to work on keeping strong.
Challenges to Photographer Confidence
00:00:30
Speaker
Because there are going to always be things that happen in our journey, on our journey of being a successful photographer, a successful business owner that are going to bring our confidence down. That's just part of life. And and social media especially makes it hard to gain confidence as we quickly fall into the dreaded comparison trap there is a lot of talent out there and it can be really easy to start comparing yourself to others so hear me though the fact that you are listening to this the fact that you are interested in becoming a more empowered photographer that you want
00:01:09
Speaker
to learn more about growing your brand, your art, your business, means that your creative gifts need to be shared with the world. So if that's all you listened to today and you turn this off right now, a minute and 22 seconds in, I want you to remember that.
00:01:26
Speaker
That you deserve a place at this table and that you need to be here.
Embracing Unique Vision and Creativity
00:01:32
Speaker
And so I want to help you become a little bit more confident. And I think that these three simple tips are going to help.
00:01:40
Speaker
All right. So tip number one for becoming a more confident photographer is to trust your unique your unique vision and creative gifts. Like really, really trust them.
00:01:52
Speaker
Yeah. You have to know in your core, in your soul, that you have a unique way of seeing the world.
00:02:03
Speaker
No two photographers see the world the same way. And if you've ever taken part in any kind of group photo shoot at a workshop or maybe at one of my retreats or at a conference, it's really fascinating to see how you can get 10, 20, 30 photographers in one spot taking the same photo.
00:02:23
Speaker
They can even be using the same gear, same settings, same everything. But each photographer will get a unique photo. And that is because we all see the world differently.
00:02:37
Speaker
You have to trust your magic. And the sooner that you learn that you need to lean into your uniqueness, the sooner you will become more confident.
Taking Breaks from Social Media
00:02:49
Speaker
you might need to take a social media break or stop stalking those photographers that you admire and spend a few months focusing on yourself and your craft.
00:03:04
Speaker
And I would advise you, if you're listening to this live, you know, we're at the last quarter of the year and it's okay if you're listening to it, you know, on the repeat, but if you're listening to this live, maybe make it a goal for yourself that for the rest of the year, you're going to focus on you.
The Role of Practice in Gaining Confidence
00:03:18
Speaker
you're going to focus on your vision on your creative gifts this in of itself is going to make you more confident okay number two practice you're like duh thanks a lot elena thanks for the hot tip but listen you cannot rush your come up you do have to put in the time and allow yourself the space to get better For example, I'm really good at photographing families because I've been photographing 100 plus families a year for 13 years.
00:03:49
Speaker
You can do the math, but that's like over a thousand photo shoots, right? And that's just families. I photograph newborns, my own children, etc, etc. That's a ton of practice. So if you're still newer and you're in this phase of really absorbing and um knowledge, absorbing all of the things that you that you can, you have to remember that you also have to put that into practice.
00:04:11
Speaker
So if you're new or even if you're not new and you're just wanting to be more creative, take your camera everywhere or take your camera to places that you wouldn't normally take it. Take photos of anyone and everyone that you can get in front of your lens.
00:04:23
Speaker
Practice doing photo shoots or taking photos of people in all different types of light. And if you're really ready and you're launching your business and you're getting things off the ground, but you're not that busy right now, you haven't had a lot of clients coming through the door, then do some model calls and practice on real people for free.
00:04:41
Speaker
I know that that's not popular advice for some, but I actually believe that it is really good and important to do free work in the beginning so you have that creative freedom and you can really get your feet wet.
00:04:53
Speaker
So practice, like I said, in all kinds of light, all kinds of of locations. The more practice you get, the more confident you will be. You can't skip that phase.
Benefits of Workshops and Classes
00:05:02
Speaker
And three, finally, the third thing that you can do to make yourself more confident is kind of simple. Take more photography workshops or classes.
00:05:10
Speaker
Now, I'm not talking about high-end expensive ones if you're not ready for that, although, you know, I do i have a high-end expensive one that I think is really awesome and impactful. But if you're new to the craft of photography and you're learning to be a photographer or learning a certain genre and you're not really focusing on the business side yet, there are a ton of super affordable online classes that can be done at your own pace.
00:05:34
Speaker
There is a wealth of knowledge out there. And there's also really great in-person photography workshops where you can get real-time feedback and live instruction. They're usually a little more pricey than the online ones, but that live instruction is you know invaluable.
00:05:49
Speaker
You're never going to regret investing in your craft and you will feel more confident after each class that you take. and Some classes start at like 100 bucks or less. There are some that are more expensive because there just a higher level of knowledge, but either way,
00:06:03
Speaker
You're never going to regret investing in yourself. And that is a lot different than stalking those photographers on social media like I was talking about earlier in this audio recording. I don't mean go and like look at other people and what they're doing and see if you can emulate. No, I mean take a class where you're actually investing in your brain, in your knowledge, and becoming better because of it.
00:06:24
Speaker
That is going to boost your confidence. You got to start believing in yourself. You really have to lean into your own inner magic. Nobody can make you more confident. You've got to put in the work.
00:06:35
Speaker
You have a place at this table. i am so glad you are here.