Am I still a photographer

I didn’t start this journey dreaming of hashtags or reach metrics. Honestly, I’m not sure I even understand how they work. 

I didn’t become a photographer because I love algorithms or email funnels or search engine optimization. Again, my knowledge of all of those is so limited. From what I can see, I’m supposed to make a video where I stand and bop along to music that isn’t actually playing and then point to things that aren’t there? 

I became a photographer because I fell in love with time, the way a moment can be captured, frozen, remembered. I wanted to give families something they could hold onto forever. A glimpse of their right now before it fades into the next season of life. 

But somewhere along the way, being just a photographer wasn't enough. 

As all small business owners know, we wear many hats. Sometimes we wear all the hats: social media, website, content, etc. We have to plan posts, chase trends, but the most upsetting to me is paying to post in Facebook groups. 

Some groups are being bought and sold on Facebook, and to reply to a post where someone is asking for a service, a business has to pay.  The admins or owners of the groups are not vetting these companies to see if they are legal or qualified to answer. As long as they pay, that is all that matters. 

The rules keep changing, and the platforms demand more and more energy. 

It’s overwhelming and, honestly, heartbreaking.

I didn't sign up for this part. I know I’m not alone. So many business owners, especially creatives like photographers, are quietly drowning under the weight of it all. It’s not that we aren’t working hard- we’re working too hard just to be seen. Just to stay afloat and open. 

And the cost? It’s high

The joy gets harder to find. The creative spark gets dimmed. The thing we love, the art we started with- gets lost in the mix. 

This is why so many photographers are closing their doors. Not because the love is gone. It’s because the system demands everything but the thing we’re best at. 

So if you see a small business trying to keep going -one post at a time, one story at a time, one reel at a time, just know that behind it is someone who never wanted to be an influencer, or go viral. Just an artist. A mom, or dad. A human, doing their best to keep their dreams alive. 

And if you are in those pay-to-post Facebook groups, maybe leave.