When I started out in photography, my photos stayed on my computer. I did not think that they were good enough to be printed or shared. It wasn’t until I went to my local camera store and showed an employee some pictures I had taken with my new camera. He asked me if I had thought of sharing them or having them printed. I said no because I didn’t think they were that great. I was just starting out on my journey with photography. He was really impressed with them and told me I should share them because others will learn and as time goes on I’ll see how much I’ve improved.
I thought really hard about this. Sharing my work with the world? I’m a positive person, but to me this was new ground I was venturing out in. Will people like it? What if no one visits my site? What if, what this and that filled my head. Well, being positive and having kicked cancer’s butt to the curve, I went for it. The following week, I researched sites to showcase my photos on. I picked one for starters and designed my site. I promoted my site in any photography forum I could. I asked for advice both positive and negative so I could learn. I created calendars for my family and friends for Christmas gifts filled with photos I had taken throughout the year. My husband gave calendars to his coworkers. Now everyone is seeing my photos. A year later, I started blogging.
Fast forward to today and I have come a long way. I have a brand new site, I’m on Instagram now and have this nice blog. I still do the calendars and now I am printing more. I am no longer afraid to share. Photography is an art, not everyone is going to like it, and yes, some people like to think that they are the best and your work isn’t. What I’ve learned is this- don’t let the fear of people not liking your creativity stop you from sharing. You might just help someone out. I give a lot of advice on how I take my photos and it feels good to share my wisdom. I’m not a pro, I take what I have learned and do the best I can with every press of the shutter button.
So go out and share your creativity. It will make whatever you love to do even better. I know it will.
