The Real Cost of Photography Hype: Losing Your Joy
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
There’s a lot of noise in photography. It’s hard to escape the pressure to upgrade your photography. Everywhere you look, there’s a new body, a sharper lens, a brand that somehow is the one that everyone is moving to, or an accessory being pitched as the missing piece in your work. And it gets harder as we move forward; the influence is constantly put in front of us; algorithms point us towards not what they think WE will want, but what THEY want to put in front of us.
Do one search on a subject and see what happens. We immediately see it on other channels. A Google search generates a coincidentally related ad on Facebook. One watch of a YouTube video generates dozens of other related videos. Curiosity can quickly become concern as more and more of what you never thought of, or what you never knew, is revealed.
Falling Behind
Reviews, ads, and even content from genuinely helpful creators can make it feel like you’re falling behind. The message, subtle or not, is that sticking with what you already own is holding you back, when the reality is that most of us are nowhere near the limits of the gear we’ve got.
New cameras, new lenses, new “must‑use” settings, and endless debates: it’s easy to feel like you’re always one purchase or one YouTube tutorial away from reaching that next level. The problem is that most of that doesn’t matter as much as we are led to believe. That’s not to say that gear doesn’t have its place; it truly does, and understanding your camera is important. In reality, very few of us are trying to chase specs; we’re searching for moments. The images you remember are the ones with memories attached.
When Enjoyment Starts to Fade
Can we waste money on gear we don’t need? Yes, absolutely. I think we can all admit that we have felt regret about a purchase. But the risk isn’t wasted money on gear we don’t need; it’s the loss of enjoyment. When everything starts to become a comparison, photography starts to feel like a checklist instead of a creative expression. We constantly fight to stay ahead. We focus on avoiding mistakes and doing things the “right” way, rather than approaching the art personally and creating images we love. And when enjoyment fades, so does motivation. We can become stuck, far removed from what we once found so enjoyable about photography.
Creating Space for Honest Growth
Not every video, article, or post aims to manipulate us; most are generally helpful. But we should enjoy photography for how it makes us feel. How it fits into our lives and complements who we are. It should grow with us and mature over time. Wanting to improve our art is common, and seeking out information to help us do so is perfectly fine. But we need to be cautious; separate what is helping us from what is pushing us towards someone or something we are not, because the further we think we can’t get ahead, the further we move backward.