What’s the biggest success you can have as a photographer? Is it money? Fame? Thousands of social media followers? I don’t think so. For me, there’s a far bigger success one can have during their photographic journey.

People curious about photography

I was out doing street photography last week. As always, I took a pit stop to enjoy some coffee and recharge my batteries.

I’m currently doing photography in Colombia and what I love about this country is the curiosity of the local people, especially children. As I drank my tinto, my camera resting on the table, a small child asked if he could look at my camera.

I was more than happy to oblige, and I spent some time showing him how to make a photograph, gladly letting him roam closely and make some images at his own pace. Here’s one of his best…

Moving the images to one side, the thing that always gets me is the enthusiasm I see in children who are curious about photography. Many will suggest photography is a dying art form, I disagree. I think the next generation still have a clear interest in photography and that means people will still practice it for many years to come.

But, how does all this relate to the success we have as photographers? Well, for me, the biggest success we can have is keeping the flame alive and passing on our passion to the next generation.

Elephant in the room…

Of course, this doesn’t pay bills (unless we monetize teaching) and it may not give us the same level of notoriety as having a large social media following. However, if we remove the dopamine hits and the financial demands of society, instead thinking about everything else photography gives us, what I’m saying will soon make sense.

Photography gives us a passion. It helps us pass the time in this weird thing we call existence. It drives us, while also helping to shape our identity. The world can be a tough place to be, and photography helps us manage that and make sense of it all.

As the next generation moves into the world, knowing I can pass on the same passion and purpose I have because of the craft, gives me an overwhelming feeling of success.

Don’t get me wrong, selling prints, being paid to write about photography and doing some gigs here and there is fantastic. But seeing someone’s eyes light up as they begin to fall in love with photography, and helping make that happen will always be the best feeling in the world to me.

The message I will leave you with, is pass the torch. Spend time with the next generation and show them all photography can offer. If they’re curious, don’t push them away. Instead, take the time to communicate all photography has given you, in the hope that one day, it will give the same to them and light up their world.

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