Personal Editorial Piece - Social Media, Sanity, and Staying True to Yourself: A Photographer’s Struggle
Let’s try something a little different today. Instead of diving into a real wedding story or something directly wedding related, I wanted to share some personal thoughts about social media—because, let’s be honest, it’s a love-hate relationship most of us in the wedding industry can relate to (and if you’re a vendor reading this, you’re probably doing way better than I am).
Why Is Social Media So Exhausting?
I don’t know if it’s just me, but social media marketing feels exhausting. And when I say I’m “not good” at it, it’s not for a lack of trying. I’ve been in this industry for seven years—full-time for five—and I’ve done it all: stories, reels, posts, captions that I hoped would hit just right. But no matter how much effort I put in, social media has this way of draining me to my core.
At first, I thought it was a mindset thing. “You just have to do it” or “push through” I would always think to myself. But even when I tried different approaches, I’d end up in the same place: stressed, uninspired, and questioning myself.
And yes, I hear you—“Social media is work; it’s not supposed to be fun!” But when work starts messing with your sense of self, it’s a whole other issue.
The Tradeoff: Free Marketing vs. Sanity
Here’s the thing: social media is essentially free marketing for your business. And as a photographer, I know how invaluable that is. But sometimes, I feel like I’m trading my sanity for exposure.
I’m a private person by nature. I don’t love sharing every little detail of my life, and I’m not the type to whip out my phone to record every moment. When I went through a phase of forcing myself to do that, it felt like I was becoming someone I’m not. It pulled me away from living in the moment and made me feel like I was chasing something that didn’t align with who I am.
And then there’s the fear of falling into the trap of creating content that feels like social media slop— the endless stream of surface-level posts that we all doom-scroll past daily.
I don’t want to chase views or trends just for the sake of visibility.
The Struggle of Staying Authentic
This conflict becomes even more obvious when I compare my personal Instagram (@forstercphoto) to the business page (@weddingeditorials). On my personal page, I’m more relaxed. I share fun moments, like a meal my wife and I cooked, without overthinking. It’s basically me talking to my friends since that’s where I usually communicate and stay up to date with them.
But with Wedding Editorials, I feel this pressure to keep things polished, cohesive, and on-brand. For example, if I posted a photo of a homemade dinner on there, would people be confused? Would they think, “Why is my wedding photographer suddenly a food blogger?”
Am I overthinking this? Maybe.
Writing this blog is already helping me untangle some of these thoughts. Maybe the solution is to make my business page more personal—to show more of myself and not just the wedding side of things. After all, running a wedding photography business can feel repetitive if it’s just a stream of perfectly curated posts about the work we do.
Why This Blog Feels Different
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for sticking with my rambling thoughts. This blog feels like a breath of fresh air compared to social media. Something more long-form, that delves deeper into all the different sides of the same thing, rather than a 15 second reel that someone consumes and skips to the next video of a cat with a dog... I mean how can I compete with that?!
That being said, I’m still trying. I’m still posting, still experimenting. Because at the end of the day, trying is what sets a business apart from those that give up. I’m not built to accept failure, and if social media is part of what keeps my business thriving, then I’ll keep working on finding the balance.
So, What’s Next?
If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of the few people who genuinely care about what I put out there—and I appreciate you for that. If you want to help me figure out what direction to take, head to my Instagram story and vote or comment on the poll I’ve posted. Should I make Wedding Editorials more personal? What kind of content do you actually want to see?
At the end of the day, I love photography. I love seeing my couples light up when they realize they look like they belong on the pages of a magazine. And I hope that through this space—whether it’s blogs, social media, or whatever comes next—I can share more of that passion with you.
Thanks for being here.
— Forster