Never feel like you're walking a tightrope between staying true to your own photography style and keeping up with the latest trends? It's like you're climbing a mountain, trying to master your craft while you're also wanting to stand out in a world where what's popular often over shadows, what's authentic. Let's dive into what this journey is like for a real photographer who's all about getting better while also trying to keep it real. Problem number one, the authenticity struggle. You know, we're always told to be ourselves, which is tricky in photography, especially when you see certain styles or techniques blowing up on social media. The temptation to jump on the bandwagon is real, but here's the thing, are you doing it because it speaks to you? Are you doing it just because of those likes and shares? True authenticity is about your story, your perspective, and your voice. It's not about what's trending. So here's your solution. Stick to your guns. Create images that tell your story, not someone else's. Reflect on your niche, and your personal photographic style. Focus on the stories that you want to tell. Resist the urge to copy popular trends. Instead, let your unique voice shine through. Problem number two, the uphill journey of mastery for pro photographers is a journey. And it's not always smooth sailing. There's always something new to learn, always a new technique to try, and I'm sure you're going to trip and follow along the way. But that's what the climb's all about. Whether you're trying to nail a new perfect lighting setup or capture a simple story, it's all about visualizing and pushing forward. So embrace the journey. Except that this journey is going to be tough, but it's so rewarding. Set goals and gamify every new skill that you want to learn. From learning new techniques to finding new clients, you can turn everything that you're trying to do into a little mini-game. Full of mini-rewards, each time you level up. Treat every setback as an opportunity. Setbacks don't happen to you. They happen for you. For you to learn, you did something wrong, so you can easily correct it next time. Problem number three is the imposter syndrome. You might feel like you don't quite belong in the world of professional photography. Maybe you feel like you're just pretending to be good at this as imposter syndrome. And it's super common, especially when you're constantly comparing your work to other photographers. It's a nagging feeling that you're not real enough or good enough, or someone someday is going to figure out that you're not as talented as you think. Thinking this way can really hold you back from embracing your full potential. So here's your solution. I acknowledge that this is nonsense and kick it to the curve. Remember, every photographer started somewhere and everyone has their own unique path. As creatives, we have to stand on ideas not yet built. You do this every single time you go out with the camera. You know you have the skills to make images. Now you have to believe that you'll learn the skills to make a living at this. You do need to learn those skills, but it's never been so easy. Talk about these feelings with the mentor or fellow photographers. You'll likely find that you're not alone. I hear this in almost every mentorship. Which is why I decided to make this video. Celebrate your achievements no matter how small. Keep a record of positive feedback and all your milestones. I have a share your wins folder in my discord. So my photography community has a group of other photographers just like them. So when they share those wins, there's a community to cheer them on. Ask them questions about what they did differently. So they can adopt those strategies right away. Stop the comparison game. Focus on your journey. Not someone else's. Comparison is the thief of joy. The only journey you're on is your own. So figure out your niche and make work that brings value to that niche. Once you do that, you're on the road. Problem number four. Navigating traps in the digital age. In the era of Instagram, it's easy to fall into the trap of only showing your best work. The stuff that's perfect. But is that really showing your true artistic vision? Or you just playing into a shallow audience? Be brave in your authenticity. Share your true vision. Not just what you think it'll get likes. Less than 20% of your followers actually see your posts anyway. So be your authentic self on social media and you'll attract an authentic audience. Curate what you share. But be real. Regularly evaluate your online portfolio. Is it reflective of your true work? Staying on top of updating your book is something that I really struggle with. I'm doing my best at posting on social media more often. But I'm not going to sacrifice another important thing in my life to feed Instagram. But do curate your website. Curate your Instagram feed and update all your profile pictures, making sure that you're putting your best foot forward on all your socials. Dare to post work that's genuine. Even if it's not perfect, it's hard to put yourself out there while you're learning. But it's the only way to get over the hump of actually being in the industry. Practice now while there's lower stakes and you'll see over time, it's not as daunting as you've made it out to be. Be a human person on social media. None of us are perfect. There's a huge pushback by the way on the fake lives that we used to see on Instagram. The new meta by the way on social media is real. So lean into it. Problem number five really isn't a problem at all. There is some unexpected rewards from overcoming obstacles. The obstacles that photographers face, whether it's technical difficulties, creative blocks, or stressing about what your competition is doing, is often where the most significant growth occurs. These challenges that photographers face, force photographers to innovate, adapt, evolve. They force a deeper understanding of their craft and a more profound connection with their artistic vision. Embracing these uphill battles, much like embracing all of life's struggles leads to a more fulfilling and enriching path. So see these challenges as chances to grow. Not just obstacles. You're facing a challenge because you didn't have the information to see it coming before it happened. This is just a lack of information. Nothing more, nothing less. Information is how the world works. You need a constant stream of it. And when you have information, you can absorb, learn, and action. When you're faced with a hurdle, brainstorm creative solutions. Nothing is put in front of you that isn't a locked door that you have all the tools to open. Hurtles slow you down. They force you to think in a new way and come up with a creative solution. Keep a journal of all your challenges and reflect on how you overcame them. I write down everything. Everything that I've learned or anything that I need to learn. Writing down everything frees your mind to be able to take in more ideas. Writing down ideas is how you remember them. It's how you connect them. And it's how you turn them into things that you can action. We have to commit to authenticity and mastery. If you're a photographer on the rise, sticking to your authentic self and constantly improving is like walking a path filled with thorns. There's ups, there's downs, and there's lots of hard turns. It's not about losing sight of your artistic vision, but tackling those tough learning moments head on. And loving every step of it, rougher, easy. We got to keep on growing. We have to stay curious and we have to cherish the climb. Next time you pick up your camera, remember this. Your journey to greatness is uniquely yours. Walk it humbly. Walk it honestly with grit in an open heart. Watch this video next. I'm going to get into some of the ways that you can shift your mindset. A topic that goes so perfectly with this video that you just watched. I hope this one brought you value. Click that video next and I will see you there. It's just like magic. Thanks for watching. I'll see you on the next one.