08/13/2026
I’ve been following a photographer on instagram who I really admire.
We’ll call him Ben.
Ben is a landscape photographer in the UK and his style of imagery is soft, quiet, and dreamlike. He photographs details of trees and the forest. He uses light and color to bring personality and attention to his subjects as if they were speaking directly to us. The viewer’s perspective while looking at these photographs is that of a small woodland creature that coexists with the landscape. 🌲🐿
Ben’s editing style showcases softer textures, smooth light, and very well balanced hues of warmth on the bark and tree trunks with a bold forest green on the brush. It’s exquisite and beautiful in every way.
Recently when I was out and about in the woods, I wanted to draw inspiration from Ben’s style and try to incorporate it into my own.
I, too, enjoy getting up close and personal with trees and showcasing small details in a complex forest structure.
So when I got home and began the editing process in Lightroom, I was incredibly discouraged because I couldn’t recreate what I had intended and envisioned.
I began to question myself as an artist (as we all do now and again)
Why can’t I do this?
Are my editing skills not up to par for today’s market standards?
Am I even a good photographer anymore?
Are my photographs pretty enough?
WHY CAN’T I DO WHAT BEN DOES 😭
I really let my ego think all of these things about me and my own artistic style; a style that I’ve been fine tuning for years to be completely my own.
My artistic style reflects who I am as an artist and as a person.
I am not quiet, soft, and dreamlike. 💁🏼♀️
I am loud, bold, and textured.
I am passive, chaotic, and in your face.
I am generally vibrant and bubbly.
All of these attributes are often showcased in my photographs.
That is how I see the world because that is how I experience the world.
Ben simply has a different experience than I do.
And neither experience is better or worse than the other.
They’re just different.
So the next time you find yourself questioning your style, your authenticity, your YOUness…
Embrace the unique qualities that make you stand out.
The world already has a photographer like Ben doing what he does so awesomely.
The world needs a Brittany who does what she does so awesomely.
And the world need a YOU who does what you do so awesomely! 💖
🌲📸 Proxy Falls
