The Unfair Photography Reality
Take a look at anyone ‘successful’ online and it won’t take long before you find comments suggesting the person is lucky and privileged. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about photography, sports, music, or any other pursuit. It’s very easy to brand someone’s success as sheer luck, especially in the current age of social media where only the best cards are shown. Recently I had a spate of “you’re so lucky” comments and it got me thinking, is it just sheer luck? Or is there more to it? In this blog, I will unpack this topic into something more objective and easy to understand. I believe there are five components that go into ‘being lucky’, they are as follows.
Inclination
People are drawn and attracted to different things. Sometimes early influences such as parents, friends, or what you consume can push you in a certain direction. Other times, you randomly pick up a camera, a pair of skis, or a microphone at a young age for no clear reason. You just wanted to. Many of us have this inclination towards certain things and while they can fade away to be replaced with other interests, it’s worth keeping tabs on what you naturally find interesting. This is one of the earliest indicators and the younger you pick something up, the more successful you can become at it should it morph into the thing you end up doing. The best sports stars all started at a very young age. Think of it like investing and compound interest, the earlier the better. In my case, my grandma bought me my first camera when I was a kid and my mum pushed me to attend some art lessons.
Talent
Talent is when you realise you have a knack for a specific skill. Perhaps you find it easy to spot good compositions without much effort. Or maybe you just so happen to have very good taste for music and intuitively know what sounds good and what doesn’t. I once read somewhere that every single person has a unique talent; the sad truth is that the vast majority of people will never find theirs. The thing with talent is that on its own it’s not enough. Talent is like having a seed. If you just look at it, nothing will happen. You need to plant it, put a lot of work in, and commit to a long period of time before that seed can become a plant. While I don’t consider myself talented, I have a natural inclination for spotting colours, patterns, and anything visual.
Unfair Advantage
This one is a bitter pill to swallow for some who might not have had any major advantages, but the reality is many people have some kind of an unfair advantage. This can come in many shapes and sizes. Here are some examples:
Wealthy family - allows them to focus on their art and not worry about jobs or money.
Connections - more connections means more opportunities, shortcuts and open doors.
Supportive parents - support and encourage their kids instead of hindering them.
Intelligent parents - teach their kids how life / the world really works and not rely on a flawed education system.
Live in a safe and wealthy country - have more opportunities than others.
Make good friends - end up with a group of intelligent and ambitious people instead of losers.
Have good health - not having any health-related limitations.
Not having dependants - it’s no secret that if you don’t have kids or those who need your care, it’s much easier to get ahead.
There are many more unfair advantages one can have, but the above are examples we can all relate to and understand. My personal unfair advantage was a supportive family, great location, and health. On top of that, I had a remote working day job before it became a thing in 2020. This allowed me to be more creative with how I spend my time, thus allocating more hours to photography compared to most people. My day job also provided me with a free car and a good salary. I also moved back with my parents, which saved money and allowed me to really put all my eggs into the photography basket.
There is nothing wrong with having unfair advantages, and don’t let losers online tell you that because you have a wealthy family or connections, you’re somehow not worthy of your success or progress. Try to figure out what unfair advantages you have and lean into them.
Timing
Timing is important, but it’s not make or break. The best time to start a YouTube channel was in 2019, just before COVID. The best time to start sharing your photos on Instagram was in 2015. The second best time is now. Of course, if you time what you’re doing with global events or trends, it can boost your growth and exposure. While I wouldn’t want to spend my life trying to time everything, it’s worthwhile keeping an eye on current affairs to see if you can somehow time your skill with what’s happening globally and boost yourself. For me, it was going all in on photography and YouTube just as COVID started.
Hard Work
You can have all the unfair advantages, talent, and timing, but without hard work, you will achieve nothing. If “success” is 100% of the pie, hard work is about 75%. Everything else mentioned here is 25%. Why do so many kids of rich parents end up not doing anything meaningful? Meanwhile, why do kids from poor working-class backgrounds end up extremely successful? I know so many amazingly talented photographers who are lazy and don’t have any drive. Equally, there are many average photographers who become incredibly successful because they are hard workers and grafters. Unfair advantages and talent will open doors, but hard work is still needed to walk through them.
Luck
So what is luck? Luck is a combination of all the above. Of course, you need to be lucky to come across a beautiful scene in the street. But it’s hard work, talent, and unfair advantages that will be the difference between an amazing photo and a missed opportunity. The harder you work, the luckier you get. The more you network, the luckier you get. The more money you make, the luckier you will get. Some people will say this isn’t fair, but life isn’t fair. You have to go out and make your own luck, and then maybe life will become more fair to you.
Instead of telling you how these will change your life, I would rather be practical and answer the most common questions that people tend to have when buying presets.
What are presets?
They are editing settings that are saved in a file and can be applied to any image.
Why do people buy presets?
Sometimes because they like the work of the photographer and want that style for their own photos. Mostly because they would like to see how other people edit and learn by reverse engineering the presets. Other times it’s just to support their favourite photographers, thank you!
What’s the overall style of these presets?
- Filmic
- Minimal
- Soft
- Bright
What are these presets suitable for?
Street & Travel Photography
Some Nature (with further editing)
Some Portraits (with extensive editing)
What do these presets look like?
These presets 100% reflect my current editing style. Please see examples of work below.
Do these presets get updated?
Yes, as my style changes, these presets will also be updated. Any time a new update is available, you will get a free update via email. Of course you also keep all the old presets in case you prefer the older looks. Only presets purchased from 2025 onwards will receive the updates.
What file types are these presets for?
- All RAW files
- JPEGs & TIFFs (not recommended)
What camera brands are these presets for?
These were designed around Fujifilm, Sony, and Leica sensors. With that said, they will work with all camera brands. While there might be subtle colour changes due to individual camera colour science, the overall feel of the preset will carry over.
Will these work with JPEG files?
Yes, but you will need to reduce the intensity and make further edits. I strongly recommend editing RAW files.
Are these one click edits?
95% No. You would need to do some basic adjustments as each image is different. These adjustments can include exposure, colour balance etc. In 5% of cases you can just apply and leave it alone.
Do I need to know how to edit?
You need to have a basic understanding of adjusting exposure, highlights, shadows, etc. A more comprehensive editing skillset will let you get the most out of them.
How many presets are included?
15 in the main pack and 20 in the extras pack
Why two packs?
The main pack is what I use for 99% of my edits. The extras pack is random test presets, one-off looks, and looks I don’t use often.
What software do I need?
These presets will work with any of the following:
- Photoshop (adobe camera raw)
- Lightroom Classic
- Lightroom Desktop
- Lightroom Mobile
Will these presets work with free versions of the above software?
You need to research and double check before buying. These presets were designed for the full paid versions.
Will these presets work with very old versions of the above software?
You need to research and double check before buying. These presets were designed on and for the latest software.
What file type do I get?
XMP
What else do I get?
- Comprehensive PDF guide
- Short video of me editing using these presets
Can I modify these and turn them into my own?
Yes! In fact I encourage you to modify them and play around. Use these to help you get your own style.
I have more questions…. What do I do?
Make a cup of tea and drop me an email on hello@snapsbyfox.com
Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.
Finally I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying these presets is the most direct way you can support my work thus allowing me to make more videos / photos / tutorials for you.
Thank you for your support!