How many times have you sought validation for your photography from others?
When you first start out, every (or most) photo you take feels important.
“Look! Look what I learned to do!”
You set up flowers in your kitchen and practiced lighting—
(If you change the “you” to “I” and “me”)
I took my camera on walks with my children so I could snap photos of butterflies. I uploaded those photos to the photography group I joined and…
Had someone say, “This is good, but not quite there.”
What the heck did that mean?
Or, I proudly displayed a photo where I had just learned to select a single color and turn everything else black and white—
only to have someone comment, “Isn’t selective color outdated now?”
I’ve posted before about what appeals to me. Here, I want to talk about seeking validation—
about having photos that you can display and hear a large crowd say, “That’s impressive!”
I’m a hybrid. Sometimes I take a photo for no one but me, caring little if someone else likes it.
Other times, I take a photo and want others to say, “Wow, I like how you did XYZ,” and so on.
This is the advantage of being a hobbyist. My income doesn’t depend on pleasing clients.
On the other hand, it means the pressure to improve has to come from within.
It also means I can’t point to people buying my work as proof that I’m a “real” photographer.
Sure, I’ve given my work away—people wanted it—but since no money changed hands, that doesn’t count in our society.
(Not trying for a “poor me” tone—it’s a choice I made currently to not pursue professional photography.)
Validation—I’ve read enough articles on this that it must be true—often seems to require money.
Or winning a contest.
Or getting people to “ooh” and “aah” over your work on social media.
If any of those work for you, great!
But in seeking validation, have you ever considered that some of those photos others didn’t like—but you were so proud of—were just as good as the ones that sold, won awards, or went viral?
Sure, some photos fail. Some only serve the purpose of practice, not display.
But I’m talking about the photos that made you say:
“I took that. That was my vision, my perspective, my voice in that photo.”
No one else may get it, but for once, you pulled off exactly what you intended.
That photo—or photos—fueled you to keep going, to challenge yourself.
Because in photography, like any skill, we are never done.
We are always learning.
The first source of validation has to come from you—your own sense of self-worth.
You may never win a contest, break into the business of photography, or gain a large following on social media.
If you want those things, go for it—there are plenty of resources to help you.
But even if you don’t pursue that path, your photography still matters.
The time, the effort—you carry that investment and skill. You’re doing something you enjoy.
One photographer I enjoy learning from is David duChemin.
His books and workshops are less about gear and more about mindset.
I connect this to validation because if you lack confidence in your own vision,
the photos you take may end up looking like everyone else’s—
and leave you feeling disappointed in the end.
You are a photographer, even if you only take photos of pumpkins or cats on pumpkins. Whether you are a good photographer, sure, take advice, watch the impact your photos have, but don’t base your self-esteem on it.
