It started by accident, almost. With a camera in my hands and my settings on auto. Isn’t that how most of us began? A friend gets married and they are just out of college and you’ve been studying photography and taking classes and spending hours in the darkroom listening to snow patrol. So they ask you to take their engagement photos and you love it. Every single fine art photo you thought you loved goes right out the window and emotion and raw feeling takes over. Then they ask you to shoot their wedding. And you say yes because you love them and don’t realize the huge thing you are agreeing to. For you, it’s just fun and they are your friends. And you stand in the back of the church and tear up as they become husband and wife and it hits you that this is what you are supposed to do. This is what you were given your gift for – to help people remember.

But then life gets hard, you graduate college and don’t have a career direction and people tell you that you need one. So you don’t pursue it as hard as you want and don’t chase your dreams because you are scared or don’t think you’re good enough, or there are too many photographers in the world already.

And then it’s been a few years and you’re doing something you know you weren’t meant to do, and you are tired and worn out and you start reading and dreaming and discovering. And you start, slowly, to tell people that you are a photographer. And you book a wedding and then a few more and your heart comes alive and your art starts to improve. But something still holds you back. You are scared to put your voice out there. You don’t want anyone to think you are copying them or stealing their idea. You want to be seen as unique. And you push and struggle and don’t get anywhere but frustrated.

But then you attend a conference and for the first time, someone gives you permission to do all the things you wanted to do. They tell you that no one person owns an idea, style, blog post topic, photo, technique. And it unlocks something inside you. And you stop reading others blogs and being frustrated and jealous – instead you unfollow them and start writing your own blogs and shooting your own way. Everything is new and fresh. You start to love your camera again and you find your voice. And it’s slow at first, like pushing a rock up a hill. It’s hard work and sometimes you have no idea what to say or post. But you still do it. You still work and you don’t quit. And then you get so lost in the work you don’t have time to be jealous of others, you actually only have time to celebrate their wins before you get back to work. And instead of pushing the boulder alone there is an extra hand or two as you celebrate with each other. And another client calls, and you surpass your goals. And then it happens…you look back on the year and have no idea how you got here or when it happened – but you became a wedding photographer. And it doesn’t matter how many there are in the world because there isn’t a single one like you. And you only wish you hadn’t waited for permission.

So today, if you are feeling like that boulder is too heavy and you will never make it, if you feel like you have nothing new to add to the world, if you are stuck and tired and frustrated I want you to know – you are allowed to be exactly what you want to be. You are allowed to get everything you dream of! You are allowed to chase that thing that feels just out of your reach. And you’re allowed to do it right now! Stop waiting! Stop comparing. Close the browser, hit unfollow and just do what you want. So what if the photographer next door is writing engagement session tips but you want to…go ahead! Your voices, your perspectives, and most importantly your clients are different! No one knows what to wear for pictures and everyone asks that – so what is your spin on it? What tricks do you have?

Everyone doing a styled shoot? So what – go plan your own and make it awesome. Use your ideas and your God-given creativity and make it shine. No one owns light and airy photography styles. Go out and embrace it. And then maybe you’ll look back in a year and wonder how you got to this place you thought was so far out of reach.

I’m cheering for you – and adding an extra hand to that boulder today because we are all in this together.

Credit: Kaitlyn Phipps