How to Gain More Pride in Your Photography

What are we lacking the most in today’s word? Pride. Pride in our photography, pride in ourselves, pride in our artwork.

But how do we gain more pride in our photography? Some thoughts:

1. Introduce yourself as a visual artist, or photographer

The next time someone asks you:

“What do you do?”

Answer —

I am a photographer.

Or,

I am a visual artist.

Or,

I am an artist.

To tell others your profession is boring. Nobody really cares whether you’re a programmer, a consultant, or some manager. Rather, people are hungry and curious to see what your passion is.

That is why nowadays when I meet people, I don’t ask people what they do, I ask “What is your passion?”

You are identified by your passion, not your occupation.

2. Better to be more interested in your own photos than the photos of others

There is this notion of ‘navel gazing’ (credit to Cindy for the idea), or this notion that artwork that is ‘self congratulatory’ or ‘selfish’ is bad.

But … isn’t all art about you? Your subjective view of the world? Any artist who claims to be ‘objective’ is either lying to themselves, or misguided.

The more subjective you make your art, the better.

3. Don’t share your photos on social media

Share your photos on your own website and/or blog instead. Why? When you own your own website/platform, you are like the gallery owner. If you upload your photos to Instagram/Facebook, it is like having McDonalds curate your work.

I would rather be the master, lord and controller of my platform (how and when I want to share my photos) than to be a ‘digital sharecropper‘. We do not want to be social media slaves.

4. Unburden yourself with notions of money and fame

In today’s world, it seems that your worth as a photographer is dependent on how many followers you have (which is a shortcut for how much influence you got, or how much money-making capacity you got from photography). A better flex when others ask you:

How many followers do you have on Instagram?

Better to say:

I don’t have an Instagram.

The most impressive thing is to NOT have an Instagram as a photographer in today’s world. Better to direct them to your own website.

So as a mental thing, let us proclaim to ourselves:

My worthiness and self pride in my photography is not dependent on money or ‘success’.

5. Practice everyday

I personally get more pride in my photography when I review my progress, every single day. I can see my photography simplify over time (a good thing). Also I get great joy and pride in seeing I am becoming a more efficient photographer. And less self-critical.

To me, progress in photography is simply shooting every day, reviewing your photos every day, and uploading photos everyday to your own website/blog (uploading it to your WordPress.org media library).

6. Allowing yourself to be a little ‘irrational’

Even Aristotle said,

In every great artist is a bit of madness.

In today’s world, pride is seen as a vice, or ‘foolish’. And the truth is, if you want to have pride in yourself, you must allow others to see you as ‘strange’ or ‘foolhardy’. Pride in today’s world in yourself is not allowed, unless you become a billionaire or sell your company for a billion dollars.

Money is not pride. Pride doesn’t need to be rational, it just needs to be personal.

7. Getting honest feedback on your photos

The great innovation of arsbeta.com:

It is double-blind.

Others don’t know who you are, and you don’t know who the other is. This will mean people will give you more honest feedback and critique, irregardless of who you are.

What you can also do when you share your photos with other photographers in real life (whom you respect) ask them:

Help me “kill my babies“.

8. Review your old photos

Sometimes we look at our current photos, and we feel dismay. However, it is good to look back at your old work, and have deep pride in how far you’ve come.

For example, when I look at my street photos in my first year, and look at my photos now, I think: