I let a bunch of other competitive “professional” photographers (in an organization) squash me, silence me, crush me. I regret that. I got bullied. I took less and less photos. I went into hiding. I quit. I let friends and family tell me I could not be a photographer. I broke their hearts by taking better images. I got bullied. I listened. I could not handle breaking the dreams of others who had wanted to pursue photography but didn’t. I quit. I let a group of dog trainers and dog professionals gossip and try to destroy my dog photography Facebook page and phoDOGraphy business. They spread the word in a small town that I cost too much. (I had charged too little and went broke doing so). I quit. I got cancer. I immediately changed all my social profiles and removed “photographer” and “iPhoneographer” and “travel photographer” (wanna be). I couldn’t see how I could travel and be a photographer on the road and have cancer and be in treatment. I quit.
All this crazy thinking and shrinking thinking smaller behaviours and quitting to please others has lead me to …
Begin again!
Today. Lesson learned. I begin again.
xxoo Brenda Johima
P.S.
I have a new opinion of what a “professional” photographer (which I have never called myself) is … they don’t bully other “wanna-be’s” as they call it, into submission. They encourage, they motivate, they inspire, they remember where they came from when they began, they know that their words and actions displayed to those starting out, ARE their brand and affect their own reputation. They know that anybody may refer them work and clients … even possibly the “wanna be” that they bullied.
