Don't compare your beginning to someone elses Middle - Jon Acuff

I pinned this quote a while ago and it speaks volumes to me. I was reminded of this exact mentality yesterday as I was reading or rather listening to a video Q&A by Courtney from Click it up a Notch.  She was talking about tips for fighting discouragement and insecurities in the photography world. Mainly she was saying that you should never compare yourself to others. Those other photographers have a head start and you are just beginning. So to fight your own insecurities you should just focus on your own growth. This got me thinking and I went and looked back at one of the very first newborn sessions I have done. My best friend, who I have grown up with, had her first child 6 months ago. As a gift to her, I did newborn pics of her little guy. I remember being so proud to get the bum in the air shot. I thought I had done a really good job. 6 months later (present day) I look back at those pictures and I'm in shock. Don't get me wrong, he is one of the most adorable little guys on this planet, but  I'm thinking to myself, "I need to fix his purple foot, what is up with the yellow tint? I need to clone out those spots from a bum rash"... I remember editing this picture before and thinking I did a pretty good job. But 6 months of scouring the internet for tutorials and practicing everyday has done so much for me.

Needless to say, I have learned a whole lot in 6 months.  6 months is not a long time either. Imagine what I will learn in 6 more months. All I can say is this is an excellent exercise to do if you are feeling discouraged or intimidated by others. Go look back on your older work and look into the progress you have made.  Now I can't wait for my next newborn session!!!