How to keep the groove on

When you were starting out, you probably looked at lots of photography, films and art, and referenced it to explore all sorts of approaches and techniques, a bit like musicians who start out by playing covers. You were finding your groove.

Most artists start this way.

Even now you’re probably playing with new gear and ways of showing things- certainly if you’re continually growing. (That’s one of the things I love about advertising photography- every job brings it’s own challenges and learnings.)

But if you catch yourself looking at other photographers, especially your competitors, and emulating their style- maybe to show that you are very capable of doing that work too- you could be sabotaging yourself as well as your brand.

(After all, your brand is you).

Creativity isn’t doing what others have done, and trying to match what’s already out there.

It’s coming up with ideas and ways of doing and saying things that haven’t been done or said before, or photographed/ filmed in that way.

Now more than ever you need to be a leader not a follower.

• Make imagery in your own brand voice, and which says something unique (it can be funny, sad or serious- it’s your thought so it’s perfect).
• Find your tribe- the people who want that work and will pay good money for it, or something similar. People who want you to elevate their brands with your magic.
• And stay visible to those people, repetitively, consistently, reliably, whether they reply or not.

You don’t have to be someone else to succeed. It’s OK to be who you are; it’s just a case of working out what you want to do with that.