Landscape photography is arguably one of the most popular genres of photography while also being one of the hardest to find success in. After working full-time in the profession, I’ve finally found what the secret to success is.

If you’re a landscape photographer and struggle within your own work, you absolutely are not alone. Maybe you’re just a hobbyist on the verge of taking things more seriously, or maybe you’re toying with the idea of monetizing your time. Regardless of where you’re at, you’ve probably struggled with feeling successful in your work. These feelings go hand in hand with being an artist and generally drive many of us to improve on our craft.

Success can be defined in many different ways, and it’s mostly personal to your own journey. Success could be waking up for sunrise and taking a photo, success could be recognition from your peers in the field, or success could be monetizing your time and effort into a profitable way. Within the context of this article and video, I’m defining success as taking pride in your own work. You would be a successful photographer if you looked at your portfolio and could confidently think you take professional photos. 

Here’s the secret: volume. Maybe this is a boring and obvious answer to some of you but hear me out. When I was shooting as a hobby photographer I found that I really only took photos when I went on trips. I even pursued more trips just so I could take more photos, yet at the end of year, I still only had a few sets of images to work through. I would compare my work and my portfolio to a group of photographers I looked up to without accounting for the fact that they were taking images all the time. On top of that, they were being paid to do it! 

Some of them are doing repeated workshops in the same locations every single year, meaning they’ve got decades of images year over year in spots like Iceland, Patagonia, The Pacific Northwest, etc. I went to Iceland for a total of seven days back in 2017 when I was still shooting as a hobbyist, yet I was comparing my work to people going multiple times per year every year. 

When I started doing landscape photography full-time, living on the road eating and breathing photography, that’s when a lightbulb went off. It’s not about taking spectacular photos every time you release your shutter. It’s simply about taking a lot of photos, consistently being out there in case the conditions are good, returning to the same locations over and over. It’s a privilege to earn a living making images. 

The reality is that you just don’t take nearly as many photos as all the people you compare yourself to. The famous quote, “comparison is the thief of joy,” couldn’t be more true in this case.

So, what can you do to change? I know many of you reading this can’t instantly change your life to allow yourself to take more photos, to drop whatever responsibilities you have and just go out to shoot all the time. Something you can absolutely do, though, is continually work on revisiting your idea of what success is within your own work. Stop comparing yourself to people in general, which I realize is easier said than done. Don’t set expectations for yourself based on those around you. Try to direct your energy and enjoyment into finding improvement within your own work. Take the time to look back on your older work and realize just how far you’ve come.

Remind yourself that amazing images don’t come from the best camera, the most skills in Photoshop, or even a specific location. Amazing images come from being able to be at the right place at the right time with your camera ready.