About two years into my career I started settling into ‘shooting for the album’.

It’s not a phrase you hear all that much any more, but it basically means just shooting the images you know will work in an album.

It means finding a formula and shooting to that formula. And honestly it’s a comfortable way to shoot. Not unenjoyable. Potentially more lucrative.

But just as I settled into that I suddenly became aware of a much more creative approach to weddings, and I realised that was what I wanted for my work.

So I stopped ‘shooting for the album’ and I started shooting much more of the stuff that got me genuinely excited.

But then something happened. As I became more aware of that ‘creative style’ I developed a severe case of hero worship.

I ended up with two or three photographers in North America whose work I adored, and I started trying to shoot just like them. To replicate and to emulate their photos.

And I stopped enjoying shooting.

Why? Because I couldn’t emulate them. I could create worse versions of their photos at times, but overall my work was letting me down because it was nowhere near the standard of work my heroes were creating.

I felt ten steps behind them.

I was aware of this feeling of being disheartened and I decided, for some reason, that at my next wedding I’d just go back to trusting my own instincts and shooting my own stuff. No replication, no emulation, just whatever I could do.

And I tried to focus on my enjoyment of the process that day, instead of just hoping I came home with really cool images that looked a bit like photographer X, Y or Z’s photos.

I absolutely loved that wedding. And I absolutely loved the photos I made at that wedding. Because they felt like my photos, and they didn’t feel like crappy versions of photos I’d seen. They felt new and fresh and full of life.

They felt authentic to me.

I learned that day that going with my instincts was the key to being a happy photographer, and that coming home with authentic photos was a better feeling than coming home with poor attempts at emulation.

As a quick tangent, I could show you those photos now and you’d laugh. But they felt great at the time.

I’ve been lucky over the years to learn from loads of amazing photographers. Sometimes you can take a lot from what they have to say, sometimes a little, sometimes nothing other than a quiet confidence that you already like the way you do it.

And if you’re attending or planning to attend workshops or conferences during this workshops season, go with confidence that you already have a solid foundation of authenticity to your work.

And plan only to build on that.

Don’t chase a style that isn’t authentically you.

Don’t chase emulating photos that impress other people.

Reinvent and strive for continual improvement, for sure. Use workshops to add ideas, skills and techniques to your toolbox then use them to gradually improve what you already do. The foundation is there.

Or reject them. I’ve had most of my epiphany moments as a photographer when I’ve thought ‘yeah I don’t want to do that’. I’ll tell you more about those in a future issue.

Overall, in summary – January/February/March – it’s a weird time. It’ll trick you every single bloody year into believing you need to change everything. If you’ve been with me here since issue 1 you’ll remember issue 1 was about exactly this.

You don’t need to change everything. Don’t stay the same though, that’s boring. But commit only to build on what you’re already doing. What you’re already making. Tweak it. Experiment with it. Learn something new that you can try.

And remember, giving Apple thousands of pounds will never make you a better photographer. Believe me, I’ve done it many times! All those Apple shareholders are not happy with me working on a 2015 iMac!!

Thanks for reading.

Adam

PS — If there’s something you’d like me to talk about in an issue of superchARJ let me know.

PPS — Thanks for all the encouraging coffees so far, I’m appreciating each one as I drink it: buymeacoffee.com/arjphoto