Sometimes the questions that I grapple with as a photographer echo through my head each and every time I go out on a shoot. Is my work good enough? Will others appreciate what I am doing? Am I making a difference with causes that are important to me? Am I making a positive impact on others with my photography?

When these questions start to bounce around in my head, I am often surprised by the answers that I give myself. I remind myself that I am the only one that I have to satisfy when it comes to my images. It is not about the number of followers or views that my images may or may not obtain when posted.

What matters most to me is that the images I am coming away with are ones that I find fulfilling. When I am out with my camera their is a certain freedom that I feel not worrying about how the images will be perceived. The joy I find comes in the creative process of making something that I am proud of. Certainly, if the end result of an image is that it appeals to a certain audience, that’s fine, but it really is unimportant in the scheme of things.

“How wonderful is it to shoot, just for the sake of making something you are proud of. Enjoy the process and wonder of it all. Shoot for an audience of one”

If your mindset is wondering about what others think of your photograph while trying to create something, it hinders the creative process and can limit things. Your idea is yours alone for the moment and needs to be cultivated and pursued. An audience is a by-product of work that thrills you first.

A creative thought is fragile thing that needs to be thought out and worked through, and is often best done without all the noise of others. Often those thoughts if repressed by the aforementioned doubts and questions can tend to never see the light of day.

Your personality has to shine through in the image and not be overridden by others. When you don’t succumb to to the voices inside your head or others, it lets the best of your work show through and that is – you