So how did I define “the best photographer”? For a long time, I looked at the views and likes they had on Instagram. That was how shallow my definition of success was. That was how I decided who was the BEST PHOTOGRAPHER EVER. Then I noticed something strange in the neighbourhood.

Sometimes, we need something to look towards or someone to remind us of what we're capable of. Something that cuts through all the noise, gives us a little push and reminds us to keep going. For Jackson, it happens to be anime. And honestly, I think we can all find something similar in the things we love.

A lot of it came down to things that happened before I even picked up the camera: content strategy, pre-shoot Zoom calls, meetings, brainstorming and, of course, the final deliverables. In some cases, clients were even perfectly happy with a simple photo straight out of the camera because it captured the right moment. Wait… is it really that simple?!

Over time, I’ve realized that the best way to improve as a photographer is not to think like one. By adopting my guitar teacher’s advice and learning from experts in different fields, I’m able to approach my work with a fresh perspective and push my creativity further.

Before you take out your camera, try setting yourself an objective. Make it fun. Make it challenging. And at the same time, make it rewarding. Treat it like a video game. Once you complete your mission, you’ll get gold and a magical letter from a princess that you will never meet.

I create stories to keep my focus in check, instead of shooting endlessly without direction. These stories exist mainly before the photos are taken. So if you ask me, do my photos tell a story? I’m not sure… but they do to me, and that’s all that matters.

Sometimes, that's all the teaching someone needs. And ironically, simplifying something forces us to understand it better ourselves. We have to go back to the fundamentals. We have to figure out what actually matters. We have to find a better way to explain something we've probably taken for granted for years.