Finding Where You Fit With Photography and Styling

The other day, I watched a photographer I admire pack her gear for an on-site commercial shoot. There was so much stuff. All I could think was - no thanks.

Yes, all of that stuff was necessary for her. But do I want to photograph for billboards? It turns out that I’m pretty happy photographing for trade show displays, websites, food media, and the occasional supermarket promotion. 

On the flip side of this, someone commented on a past YouTube video of mine where my props were visible behind me - Oh, wow. You have so much stuff! Do I have to have that many props to create food photos? I don’t want that many props!

Not at all. High-quality print campaign photos can be created with a number of different professional cameras and lenses that you know how to use well. Beautiful food photos can be created with only a handful of props. 

The point is that viewing my process from the first photographer - I use way too little. 

Viewing from the perspective of the commenter on my video - I use way too much.

What’s important is that I’m super happy where I am. I know where I fit. 

Finding this spot took a lot of time, a lot of moments of feeling inferior. 

You don’t have to go through that. Do what I didn’t have the knowledge to do when I first started out, and give some thought to where you want to be. Where do you fit? Grow your skills there and the confidence in your work will follow. 

These are a few things I know about myself and my work as a photographer and stylist:

I don’t use a lot of gear.

I’ve encountered plenty of outstanding photographers who use minimal gear for many different reasons. They want to travel light. They can create what they what to create with what they have, there’s no reason to use more stuff. On the other hand, there are plenty of markets and types of photography that require advanced gear. 

The beauty of it is that you get to choose what category you fit into and how you want to pursue your own work. No one else. 

I prefer natural light and use it 95% of the time. 

This is a hot topic, specifically in food photography. I’ve read comments on photography message boards saying you’re not a professional food photographer if you don’t use artificial light. I’ve seen Instagram ads promising me that using artificial light will make my life so much easier. 

Can I use artificial light? Yes, in a minimal way. Do I want to? No. Not unless it’s absolutely necessary. I like the patience, challenge, and truly unique style natural light gives to my photos. I also get to work in a brightly lit, mood-boosting studio all day instead of a dark room. 

You can do either or both. Lots of types of photography that use natural light - on-farm, outdoor events, landscape, travel, weddings, branding, some interiors, street, architecture… 

Whatever you choose to use and excel at does not make you any less of a photographer. Don’t let anyone make you feel that way.

I am a stylist and photographer.

Many photographers are not stylists. You don’t have to be both. Most commercial and advertising shoots have teams of professionals all with a very specific role. 

I love styling and I prefer to style my own shoots. I love working alone at my own pace. At the same time, it can also be fun to work with others. All my client work requires some type of team effort, whether it’s art direction, campaign playbooks, color schemes, mood boards, or final photo decisions being made via phone calls, emails, or Zoom video calls. But personally, I do my very best work when I have the freedom to create alone based on what my client needs. 

Not everyone is like this. Others prefer to be around a team at all times. Again, the best part is you can choose how you work. 

I know my limits.

I like working alone and that means I have to know my limits. Intricately decorated cakes and pastry art are not my strengths. I’ve taken them on before and it led to more frustration than it was worth. I usually turn them down. If it’s a shoot I don’t want to pass up, I’d hire someone to help create or style the cake. Same with ice cream. It’s a tough subject alone (speaking from experience) so now I usually avoid it. 

Limits are something you can only learn with time. You have to step out of your comfort zone and even fail from time to time to find what is right for you. I feel like when I turned that point where I could say this is what I can do, and no, I don’t do that, my confidence in my work grew even more. 

Your turn. What are four things you can say about your photography and how you work? Say them with confidence and pursue them. Also, be flexible. They may change over time.

Should I take photos for free?

It’s difficult to escape.

Even if you plan to only photograph for your own business with no intention of taking photos for others, as your skills grow, chances are you’ll be approached to snap a few photos in exchange for something other than actual dollars. 

I’m sure you’ve heard it before:

• Cookies don’t pay the bills. 

• Charge what you are worth. 

• Don’t work for free. 

After 12 years of doing this work, I still do photo trades. But what is worth a trade might surprise you. I also think this is a decision that you and you alone can make. You don’t owe anyone an explanation. 

In this video, we cover:

• The one thing I ask myself when a photo trade is on the table.

• When it’s a yes and when it’s a no.

• More importantly why it’s a yes or no. 

• Something to consider instead of working for free to build your portfolio. 

Four Ways to Create a Healthy Relationship with Instagram for Creative Businesses

After just barely a month into the new year, I’ve watched numerous people whom I love following on Instagram share their disheartened stories about how they find no joy in posting anymore. They have 10s of thousands of followers and they just want to give up altogether. 

It’s difficult to watch people who are so lovely and talented, who inspire me, feeling beaten by an imaginary set of rules, who feel as though they can’t win against some computer code. 

I’ve gone through the same things as others by using this platform since 2011.

We all do. It doesn’t matter if you have 50 followers or 50,000.

The comparison and feeling like we don’t have what they have or can’t create what they do affect everyone. And many of us deal with the frustration of watching follower numbers stay the same year after year. 

The platform isn’t going away for most of us. It still serves as a way to communicate with those who want to connect and as a way to share our foods, products, and creative works. 

The truth is I don’t hate Instagram. I have to set boundaries on scrolling. I take regular, healthy breaks from it and I look forward to coming back and posting again, to flipping through my feed. 

This mindset shift is due to four very specific things.

Follow joy over jealousy. 

I evaluate my reaction to all posts that come through my feed. If what I see makes me feel anxious, jealous, or not good enough, I mute or unfollow immediately. 

This isn’t the account holder’s fault. They can’t control our reactions to what they post. And life is too short to keep thinking that it’s our fault; that we need to change our reaction. This isn’t a relationship with a spouse or sibling that needs to be worked on. It’s social media. If it makes you feel less than, get it out of there. 

I want every post that comes through my feed to trigger joy. To inspire me, to spark curiosity, to make me say - Good for them! And not - Woe is me. 

And yes, I include myself in this. If you follow me, I absolutely love that. Thank you. But if anything you see from me triggers negative feelings. Unfollow me. Your wellbeing is too important. 

Remember that followers, fans, and customers are not the same thing. 

I was just listening to the Hashtag Authentic podcast by Sara Tasker and her recent interview with artist Maria Wigge. Towards the end Maria shares how a photo of a painting that might get numerous likes on Instagram can be very different from a painting that actually gets the most sales from her website. 

Likes are just that - likes. A thought, a cheer, a high-five. Instagram popularity doesn’t translate to sales. Liking an image is much different than trading money to put a piece of art in your living room, flowers on your table, or food in your kitchen. 

So why do we let likes and views dictate whether our work, our products, have value? Stop letting likes shake your confidence in what you create. Don’t give them the power to change how proud you are of your piece of work whether it’s a photo you’ve created, a piece of pottery you’ve handmade, or a vegetable you’ve grown. Put what you love most and what best reflects your brand or business out there. 

Grow out of your niche. 

Filling your feed with numerous people who do the same thing that you do only leads to comparison and feeling less than. Filling your feed with only people that do what you wish you were doing is only going to take you down a path of trying to create the same things they do in the same way that they do. 

You’ve heard me say this before, I only follow a handful of food and drink photographers. Only those who truly inspire me and don’t trigger envy. The rest of my feed is inspiring artists and growers who post content that makes me think about my work in a new way. Their posts give me ideas that I can take back to my own niche. 

My feed is full of gardeners, florists, painters, brand designers, interior designers, landscape and nature photographers, ceramicists, textile artists, vintage collectors, travelers, and dogs. (Don’t be afraid to throw in lots of animal accounts if they make you smile. We all need more smiles.)

Stop using it to chase money. 

The correlation between Instagram followers or likes and sales is minimal for most of us. It’s highly unlikely that Instagram will ever make you any money, even indirectly. 

Let’s be honest here because I’m tired of the - build-your-business on Instagram mentality. That if you don’t have thousands of followers who lead to sales on your website then you are doing something wrong. In reality, there are many forces working against your ability to do this. The platform would much rather you pay for ads to get that kind of attention instead of giving you that for free.

It’s not your fault. Approaching the platform with monetary gain as the priority only sets you up for feelings of failure.

Instead, approach it as a way to have real connection with people. I assure you it is not a wasted effort to be a real person behind your handle.

Some of the people who have made the most impact on me have 10s of thousands of followers…and they still respond to their comments and DMs…themselves. They set aside the time to connect.

And guess what. Because they acknowledged that I was an actual person, and didn’t pitch me something in return or give me a generic like or heart in response, I buy their courses, their products, and their foods. Lots of them. Show people that you appreciate the time they took to reach out. We all seek acknowledgment. 

Chase the connections, not the money. 

Implementing these four things won’t solve all your problems or radically change your life. But if Instagram is an essential part of sharing what you do, like it is for me, making these changes will definitely lift your mood and bring more joy to posting, sharing, and engaging. 

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