Confessions of a ‘Mama’ Photographer – Stop comparing

We want to give a warm welcome to Taisley, from Taisley Weston Photography, who is guest posting with us today. 

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Confessions of a ‘Mama’ Photographer – Stop comparing!

Do you know how hard it is to make yourself stand apart from the other million “photographers” storming the castle? The armor is on. The torches are lit. Jousting, anyone?

“But I want a chance too! Pick me ! Pick me!”

Are there REALLY that many photographers out there? Thanks to these awesome camera companies, they have integrated their gadgety high-res learner-permit cameras all over and chances are 9 out of your 10 book club friends have one. This makes me happy! Because this means photography as a whole is getting an upgrade. Our entire social media smorgasbord just got a 100% better in the eye candy department. I can finally tell
the TRUE blue color of that scarf on Groupon! And when I browse the endless pit of google I can say, on a whole, WE, as members of society are improving our photography talent in hoards! Hooray!

8 years ago I bought my first learner DSLR. I didn’t call myself a photographer for a LONG time. Quite honestly, sometimes I still don’t see myself as a {in a stuffy voice} “Photographer”, but I really just wanted to take some pictures of my kids and I really really REALLY liked art. That’s right, photography is an art. Let’s talk about this for a second. What is art? “Art is in the eye of the beholder”.. “art is subjective”… “art is not what you see but what you make OTHERS see”…yada yada yada, right? Yes! So what do YOU see when you browse the endless pit of bloggers, pinterest, etsy stores, and insta-compare-gram threads? Are you looking for inspiration? New ideas? OR are you on a personal mission to kill your confidence? Or maybe you are even hoping for some personal satisfaction with yourself by saying… well at least I am a little “better”… {whatever “BETTER” means}.

I know the WHY of why we compare ourselves. It’s because we as women take it personal. It IS personal! What’s more personal than a ONE of a kind portrait taken of a ONE of a kind family in a ONE of a kind location on an anxiously awaited red-inked calendar date- becoming a memory, history, a story- the moment after your shutter releases. I can freeze time. What’s YOUR superpower? Ha!

It is LITERALLY a physical, pixelated, living color proof of a sliver in time. When we pose our kiddos on our front porch steps with their overflowing Easter baskets in tote hoping to get at least ONE shot for grandma and grandpa, I hope you remind yourself of one thing… There’s a reason it’s way cooler to hang an original textured oil painting on your wall than the color copy version 21st generation print of it. Nobody. NOBODY will take a picture exactly like you. We can try, we can pick up some wooden monogram letters at hobby lobby and plant them in front of our one-year-old to mimic a really cool pin we saved yesterday…. but you aren’t “creating” something that is already created! The sweet moment that happened in that shot has been there and done that. It is POOF! Gone. And we don’t have time travel {yet,… but my 11 year old is working on it}. We can only make what is OURS. What is US. What WE see. From our own lens. Pun intended. NOBODY else has YOUR eye. Or YOUR cute kids for that matter. So those moments that YOU take?… Can NEVER be replicated. No never. Not by any other website lurking secret mutual Facebook friend mamma.

This is why we cannot compare ourselves to each other. It’s HARD. I’ve done it, you’ve done it, we’ve all done it and it literally KILLS our individual creativity. We live in the wonderful age of distraction. For me it starts with just a couple free minutes{*scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll*}. 2 hours later I feel lame. Flustered and SAD and LOUSY and FRUSTRATED and SMALL and CLEARLY “behind in the market” so maybe I should just quit and sell my camera. I could buy a small used car for the quick cash I’d make! This thing we do needs to stop. {Enter daily spiritual thought here:} It clearly deflates our demeanor- the spirit I feel… and therefore WHAT I DO KNOW? Is that THOSE types of feelings aren’t coming from my Creator. Own your work, your family, your moments, your imperfect cell phone snap shots of your kiddos. NO ONE ELSE HAS YOUR STORY! Love your personal journey while capturing it. I’ve been at this for 8 years and no,
I’m not close to paying off my mortgage next month from my small business, but maybe someday! Maybe I should be further along after 8 years? Who cares! I LOVE what I do… I LOVE people and I LOVE when I make a picture that is ART and MY art alone. I love having A-HA moments and learning a new button on my camera {THAT would have been helpful a year ago. Geeze!} Most of all, I love looking through my pictures of my kids and family and realizing that it is literally a ONE OF A KIND moment. Nobody can copy or take it from me.

A while ago I decided that instead of spending that 20 mins {errrr, maybe more} scavenging, analyzing and comparing my light, composition, coloring ETC with other photographers’ light, composition and coloring ETC- I would spend 20 minutes watching a Youtube tutorial, or rearranging my sock drawer. Either, is time better spent! I promised myself to spend that time filling my cute burlap covered bucket of ideas instead of dissecting my style till I feel like I don’t have one at all. Instead of rethinking my entire branding/website design etc and how to reinvent the wheel- I will take “the high road” and learn a new photoshop technique which is exponentially better than logging off my computer feeling like a piece of poo poo. And most days I stick to that plan. Most.

If you are like me I am constantly FILLING myself like a over-saturated sponge. I want to get better! If you aren’t like that, kudos. You probably fall asleep faster than I do. I compete with the visions that swim in my head of my future self MOST OF ALL. In any line of work there are at LEAST 156 flavors of ice cream. It’s not fair for the chocolate ice cream to compare itself to the cookie dough ice cream. Good heavens I want both. Or the diet Dr. Pepper to compare itself to the Diet Coke. Or my HGTV channel to compare itself to the DISCOVERY channel. ALL GOOD and ALL have a place. If God wanted us all to be chocolate ice cream we’d all live in Antartica. {Oooo!! maybe I should make a meme outta that! Wait, Double Oooo! Picturing potential penguin shots framed in snow…} There will ALWAYS be someone better than me at photography. Truth. There will always be someone better than YOU at your skill. Truth. But do yourself a favor. Stop comparing yourself.

“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”

-Good ‘ole Dr. Seuss

Taisley – Taisley Weston Photography

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So speaking of comparing. Are ya’ll wondering how your last family session compares with some of mine? I have some jewels for you. In fact I have so many funny outakes I could entertain an entire blog post about it.

I’ll wait until you get it buddy.

Beagles are friendly, I promise! Oh, and I’m freezing my toosh off. Come on rubber chicken, help us out!This was seriously the best picture we got that time. Dog pile style.How long have we been here?!Epitome of life with three little boys. Wiggle warts.

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Here are a few other great photography related posts on HowDoesShe

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We know you can rock that camera, but photographing our kids can be a challenge! Check out these 10 tips for taking great photos of your kids

Taking photos is a away to preserve precious memories and moments. We love creating those special moments and know you’ll love this fabulous post on how to become a #nowmom!

Do you have a blog? Check out these 7 tips for taking better photos for your blog!