On Shooting For Your “Inner Scorecard”

Detroit, 2013
Detroit, 2013

I recently finished reading “The Snowball“, a biography on the life of Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time. One inspirational thing I got from the book was how Buffett always played by his “inner scorecard” — staying true to himself and his own standards. Seeking to please himself, and not others.

I think sometimes photographers think photography is a sport with clear winners and losers. But photography isn’t a zero sum game. There are no point system. Rather we sometimes use social media follower numbers, the amount of exhibitions we’ve had, the books we’ve published, the gear we own, to validate our self worth (compared to other photographers).

But screw all of that. Shoot based on your own “inner scorecard”. Challenge yourself in photography, and know you aren’t competing with anyone. There are no clear winners or losers. We should focus on collaborating with one another, rather than worrying about who is a better photographer or who has more “favorites” or “likes”.

Don’t aim to be the best photographer out there. Rather, aim to the best photographer you can become.

For further reading, you can read my past article: How Many “Favorites” Or “Likes” Are Enough?