Why Competition is a Good Thing.

You might be a photographer like me, or you might be something completely different. Whatever your profession or hobby, competition exists.

The illusion is that the competition is a bad thing. My message is: don’t be fooled by that!

Competition keeps professionals on the edge. The downside to this, of course, is that somebody is going to fall short, but the beauty is that everybody has a chance to shine! If others are doing better than you, evaluate why that may be the case.

In the case of photography, you have to look not only at the quality of the photos, but also at customer service strategies and activity on social media. There are so many reasons why others might be more successful than you. It’s okay to imitate how others gain success. They’re successful for a reason (don’t plagiarize though, that can get you in trouble)!

In photography, there was film, and then things changed to digital. The photographers who refused to learn digital became irrelevant because they couldn’t offer what the market was demanding. That’s not to say that there is no longer a market for film photography. Sometimes it’s good to be able to offer a variety of services. So if you were someone who preferred film, keep it as a hobby and offer it to clients who may want that option, but don’t forget to evolve with the market!

What I’m trying to say is, if you find that you aren’t gaining success, look to those who are and get inspired by them! Instead of getting discouraged, try celebrating your competitors because there is so much you can learn from them.

If we didn’t have competition in the world, things would never improve and there’d be no reason to innovate the industry. You know the saying: “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” That doesn’t apply to everything, but I think it applies here!

Let competition be fun! I’d definitely like to hear what you guys have to say about your experiences dealing with competition! Share them in the comments!

I hope your year is going well so far!

Δ Abbi

What is your New Year's resolution?

I’ve made big strides this year. There are many things I achieved that I didn’t think I would, and there were other things on which I fell short. That doesn’t mean I still didn’t improve on those things, it just means that I didn’t get as far as I wanted.

I am so excited for 2019! I have so many ideas and plans for the new year! My new online shop will be debuting in January. I can’t wait to make this big business step. There is so much I can’t wait to learn from this experience.

I also can’t wait to continue my personal improvement. I think we all try to improve ourselves each year but after a while, we get side tracked or we forget our goals. Sometimes we set goals but put them off because we don’t feel like we’re ready. The truth is, we’re never really going to be comfortable making big changes. You just have to do it and learn as you go.

That may seem scary, but if you have the right attitude, it’s not! I encourage you all to make big goals this year and stick to them. Your goals might seem farfetched or impossible, but if you take action, you can do so much more than you think you can.

If you start now, you will be so much farther ahead of yourself than if you were to put it off and start later. You will be glad you did!

Lastly, don’t give up on yourself. You may not have control of everything, but you have control of yourself. If there is something you want, work hard to get it. If you have a dream, settle for nothing less. And encourage others to do the same.

If we’re all a little nicer, a little kinder, a little more supportive of each other, this place will be a lot easier to live in.

Okay, I’m done with the cheesy speech. I hope you all enjoy celebrating the new year!

What goals will you be setting for yourself in 2019? I can’t wait to hear them!

Δ Abbi

Exciting News Going into 2019!

I am thrilled to announce that I will be opening an online shop on my website in January 2019, which will include greeting cards (as pictured), and varying prints! This is something I have been wanting to do for a while, but I finally have enough together to announce my new endeavor! More details will come in January once I finalize the shop.

2018 has been such a great year, but I can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store! With the help of all of you, I continue to achieve my goals and I can’t thank you enough.

On that note, I hope you have a fun and relaxing Christmas!

Δ Abbi

How to go on an adventure.

Do you find yourself waking up every morning at the same time, going to the same job, doing the same things, eating the same lunch, seeing the same people, etc., etc.? Me too! I sometimes feel stuck in my own life, and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way.

Here’s the thing, just because you feel stuck doesn’t mean there is something wrong with your life. It just means that you’re in a rut and you need a change of pace.

Studies show that animals need a changing environment to maintain cognitive health. For example, many people will rotate their dog’s toys every week. Basically, they have half of the dogs toys available to the dog, and the other half are tucked away and hidden. Once a week they are rotated, and to the dog, it’s like getting all new toys each week!

So maybe you can’t afford to take a vacation all the time, or you can’t get away from your work. That’s okay! Just try implementing small changes in your life.

Instead of waking up at your normal time, force yourself to wake up 30 minutes earlier and do an easy 15 minute exercise. Listen to some different music on your way to work, and maybe take a different route! Go out for lunch for once (or bring your own lunch if you often go out). Join a club and meet some new people, or just make some small talk wherever you go! You don’t have to do these things all the time, but if you’re getting a little bored, try something new.

I often find myself wanting to do the same things over and over again every day because it’s what I’m familiar with and it’s what is comfortable to me. Because of that, I don’t always go out and take photos as often as I should, or I put off all the editing that I need to do. When I’m in those moods, I try to change things up to get myself out of the rut.

Adventures don’t have to be anything extravagant. Most of the time, it’s about the attitude. We get stuck because we get too comfortable. Being comfortable feels good for a reason, but if we get too set in our ways, it can ironically make us uncomfortable.

So go out and make a change. Make your own adventure. Be spontaneous! Most of all, don’t let your rut turn you against yourself!

∆ Abbi

Photographers who inspire me - Part II

I get caught up looking at the success of other photographers and I sometimes think to myself, how could I ever be successful like that?

It sometimes makes me feel anxious and threatened, but I know it’s not the right way to look at it. The success of others doesn’t keep you from achieving your own success. Don’t fall victim to the illusion that others’ success somehow brings you down. Learn from the success of others!

I work hard every day to remind myself of that.

The success of these following Youtubers/Instagrammers inspire me to think outside of the box and I’ll explain why!

Sorelle Amore

Sorelle is known for her “Advanced Selfies.” Essentially, she does these beautiful, interesting self portraits. She makes videos not only about her photography but about her lifestyle as well. She’s a minimalist, which means she has very few possessions. Having few possessions allows her to move around a lot and explore the world without being tied to anything. I can’t say that I would want to live exactly like her, but her minimalism inspires me to appreciate everything I have and to remind myself that there are very few things that I actually NEED. She also encourages other people to take “Advanced Selfies” as a way to learn to appreciate, accept and respect yourself. If you don’t first value yourself, how can you expect anybody else to value you?

Chris Hau and Lizzie Peirce

These two actually have different Youtube channels and Instagram accounts, but they have very similar content (and they are a pretty darn cute couple if you ask me). Chris mostly does travel photography, but he’s also done photos and footage for Mercedes-Benz! How cool is that? Lizzie does travel photography too, and she provides a lot of photography business advice! They do such a great job of inspiring me (and many others) to keep moving forward even when I am not yet where I want to be. Success is a process. It’s a series of steps. You can’t be successful if you don’t put in the work.

Peter McKinnon

Coffee, coffee and more coffee! If you watch Peter McKinnon’s videos, coffee is a common character. Peter McKinnon has found unique ways to personalize his channel and set himself apart from everybody else. He is also a master of “B-Roll” footage. To briefly explain, B-Roll is side-footage or supplemental footage that adds to the atmosphere of the video. For example, if you’re shooting a video of yourself walking through a forest, some good B-Roll would be close up footage of the bark or leaves of the trees, a panning shot of the sky or shots of wildlife. It’s not the main point of the video, but it adds to the adventure. Peter McKinnon’s work is inspiring because his videos aren’t always about big adventures. Some of his videos include him cleaning his garage, drinking coffee out in the snow with his dogs or raking leaves with his dad. He shows me and others that you don’t have to live in a big city or have a lot of money to make an interesting video, or live an interesting life. It’s not about what you have or what you do, it’s all about the attitude!

Success does not happen overnight. If you want to be successful in anything, you have to work every day for it and you can’t let the bad attitude of others get in your way. You are always in control!

Δ Abbi