Chasing the Seasons & Authenticity
Every year, I get these grand ideas of capturing images of soft magnolias blossoming in the early spring light, clusters of lilacs spilling over weathered fences, or baskets of blood oranges glowing against rustic wooden tables. I imagine capturing the season’s beauty in a way that feels fresh and deeply personal, a little moment frozen in time.
But then, life happens. A week passes. Maybe two. By the time I finally carve out the space to create, my feed is already full of similar images. The world has moved on to the next bloom, the next fruit, the next fleeting moment. And suddenly, my carefully planned shot feels… redundant. Like I’m simply echoing what’s already been done.
It’s a strange thing, this feeling of being late to nature’s own rhythm.
But maybe that’s the wrong way to look at it. Maybe this shared love for what’s in season is a reminder that we’re all paying attention - that these moments are worth noticing, celebrating, and capturing, no matter how many times they’ve been seen before.
Maybe the magic isn’t in being the first, but in the way we each see things just a little differently.
Authenticity vs. A Shared Visual Language
With so much beautiful visual content at our fingertips, it’s easy to start questioning: What is original and what is not? How do we determine who is copying and who just happens to have a similar creative instinct?
The truth is, we are all drawing inspiration from the same world - nature, light, colour, emotion, nostalgia. The fact that so many of us are compelled to photograph magnolias when they bloom, or capture the golden glow of autumn leaves, speaks to something deeper than just trends. It speaks to our collective appreciation for beauty.
As photographers, we share the gift of noticing. We are drawn to light in a certain way, to fleeting details, to small, everyday moments that others might walk right past. And those who follow each other - those who resonate with the same subjects, compositions, and palettes - naturally we share a collective visual language. It makes sense that our work will overlap at times. But that’s not a sign of lack; it’s a sign of connection.
Elizabeth Gilbert, in her book Big Magic, talks about the way creative ideas float through the universe, looking for someone ready to bring them to life:
"Ideas are driven by a single impulse: to be made manifest. And if you don't act on an idea, it's not lost; it simply moves on to someone else.”
I love this concept because it takes away the fear of copying and replaces it with the idea of creative energy moving through all of us. If multiple people have the same idea at the same time, maybe it’s not imitation - it’s just an idea that was ready to exist.
And maybe our job isn’t to worry about whether our work is the most original thing in the world, but simply to create from the heart, trusting that what we make - through our own eyes, our own hands, our own lived experience - will always be ours.
Creativity as Abundance
It’s easy to see creativity through a lens of scarcity, as though there are only so many original ideas to go around. But what if we flipped that perspective? What if, instead of fearing that an idea has already been done, we trusted that there are infinite ways to interpret the world?
We don’t have to hold our creativity tightly, afraid that someone might “take” it. Instead, we can approach our work with the belief that inspiration is abundant - that there will always be new light, new moments, new ways of seeing.
So, I’ll keep chasing the seasons, even if I’m not the only one. Because in the end, the world can always use more beauty. And the way I see it? That will always be mine.
One Last Note…
There’s a big difference between being inspired by and directly copying someone’s work. Inspiration is natural - we all absorb ideas from the world around us. But if you’re intentionally recreating another artist’s image, it’s important to acknowledge that. A simple note like “Inspired by [artist’s name]” or “I wanted to challenge myself to recreate this look” gives credit where it’s due. Otherwise, it’s best to focus on developing your own voice. Creativity thrives in authenticity, and there’s more than enough room for everyone’s unique perspective.