Stop Feeling Small

Forget the prestige of the past and the pressure of the present. Photography is freedom, not a measure of worth.

Why do so many photographers struggle with self-esteem? Perhaps it’s because we secretly compare ourselves to painters and sculptors, envying their centuries of prestige and museum walls. Or maybe it’s because social media has turned photography into a popularity contest, where our worth seems tied to numbers, likes, and fleeting approval. Either way, many photographers end up feeling small as though their work isn’t enough.

But here’s the twist: photography was never meant to make us feel small. It was meant to set us free.

Anyone can pick up a camera and that’s exactly what makes photography so powerful. It is an art form that refuses to be locked away in ivory towers or elitist galleries. Yes, that means more competition, more noise, and more doubt. But it also means infinite voices, infinite stories, and infinite ways to see the world.

The truth is, photography doesn’t need prestige to matter. It doesn’t need validation to be real. What it needs is you, your curiosity, your perspective, your willingness to look at life and say: this moment deserves to be remembered. That’s where the magic lies, not in someone else’s approval.

So stop feeling small. You’re not competing with history, or algorithms, or other photographers. You’re playing with light, shadow, time, and memory. That is more than enough. That is extraordinary.

Stop measuring yourself against someone else’s standards. Celebrate your own vision, your own moments, your own story. In the end, photography doesn’t ask for your self-doubt, only your courage to see.

Your worth isn’t measured in likes, galleries, or praise, but in the courage to keep seeing.

Just keep creating!

Nazhad