Finding Your Voice: When Confidence Comes from Competence

Here’s a truth I’ve had to learn the long way: finding your voice — in life, in leadership, and yes, in photography — is deeply rooted in knowing your stuff.

See, real confidence isn’t just loud. It’s not bluster or bravado. It’s not saying things just to hear yourself talk or snapping photos just because you have a fancy camera. Real confidence comes from competence — from putting in the reps, doing the work, and knowing you’re bringing something of value to the table.

That kind of confidence is magnetic. It resonates. It gives your work — and your words — weight.

The Voice in Your Work

In photography, we often talk about “finding your style.” That mysterious, sometimes elusive thing that makes your work yours. But let’s not overcomplicate it. Your style is just your voice — visualized. And you don’t find it by following trends or mimicking every Lightroom preset you see on Instagram.

You find it by shooting and editing and tweaking and failing and figuring out what actually works for you. What colors speak to you. What compositions feel natural. What moments you’re drawn to.

The more you shoot, the more competent you become. The more competent you become, the more confident you are in the choices you make — how you shoot, how you edit, how you communicate with clients. And that confidence? That becomes your voice.

A Caution About Confidence

Now listen — some folks have plenty of confidence with a severe lack of competence to back it up. That’s a dangerous combo. We’ve all seen it: someone new to the game, charging top dollar, peddling shaky images and calling themselves an expert. That’s not a voice — that’s noise. And people can spot the difference.

You don’t want misplaced confidence. You want earned confidence. You want to know that when you hit the shutter, you’ve got the skill to back up your vision.

The Confidence Loop

Here’s the cycle:
Practice ➡️ Competence ➡️ Confidence ➡️ Voice ➡️ Resonance.

That’s it. That’s the secret sauce. It works in photography. It works in business. It works in life. You don’t have to be perfect — you just have to be committed to getting better.

And one day you’ll look back at your old work and laugh (and maybe cringe) — not because it was terrible, but because you’ve grown so much since then. That’s the sign you’re doing it right.

So, if you’re feeling uncertain or quiet in your work, start by building your competence. Shoot. Study. Practice. Ask for feedback. Do the hard stuff. Confidence will follow — and your voice will too.

And when you find it?
People will listen.