Stop Copying. Start Building Something Real.
Why originality matters more than ever in a saturated industry
In a sea of photographers, it can be tempting to look sideways - at someone else’s grid, pricing page, or branding - and think, “If it’s working for them, I’ll just do that.” But here’s the truth: if your business is built on borrowed pieces, it won’t hold. And worse? It’s robbing you of the confidence, clarity, and sustainability you actually need to succeed.
In this episode of The Work Between, we’re not here to call you out - we’re here to call you up. Because you can build something real, profitable, and deeply aligned. But not by skipping the work.
Let’s talk about what copying really costs you—and what to do instead.
1. If You Didn’t Shoot It, Don’t Market With It
Using styled shoot images or a Pinterest board to promote your services may feel harmless. But it blurs the line between inspiration and misrepresentation. When clients inquire based on a portfolio of work that isn’t fully yours, you’re starting the relationship on shaky ground.
Do this instead:
Be transparent. Label styled shoot images clearly.
Build your real portfolio by offering a few limited sessions (at low or no cost if needed).
Lead with work you actually created - the kind of sessions you want more of.
Clients don’t need perfection. They need to know what it will actually feel like to work with you.
2. “Inspired By” Isn’t an Excuse for Copying
From About Me pages to pricing guides, we’ve seen photographers copy entire websites, word for word. The “I was just inspired” excuse doesn’t hold up, especially when it’s your story written in someone else’s tone.
Instead of duplicating:
Use ChatGPT or a trusted copywriter to help you find your own voice.
Get curious about what makes you different, not just visually, but in your experience.
Remember: If your business only works when it looks like hers… you don’t have a business. You have a duplicate.
Being original is harder, but it’s the only way to build something sustainable.
3. Stop Playing Spy Games
Yes, people are still creating fake emails to inquire with other photographers under false names. To get pricing. To mimic packages. To undercut competitors.
It’s shady, and it’s exhausting.
The better path?
Use a CODB calculator (like the free one in the MOTIV show notes) to build pricing that actually works for your business.
If you admire someone’s business model, take notes, but build your own.
There’s room for everyone - but not if someone’s being copied exactly.
Trust works both ways. Build yours on integrity.
4. Templates Aren’t a Shortcut to Originality
Templates can be incredible tools, when you customize them. But if you’re copying someone’s logo, color palette, and entire layout, you’re not creating a brand. You’re blending in.
Try this instead:
Use your own words, story, and session images to make the design yours.
Choose visuals and fonts that feel aligned with how you photograph and who you serve.
Make sure your site reflects your personality, not just the aesthetic of someone you admire.
When people land on your site, they should feel something that’s unmistakably you.
5. You Can’t Skip the Building Season
So many photographers are trying to replicate the end result, the curated grid, the sold-out calendar, without showing the messy middle. But that is where real businesses are built.
You don’t need shortcuts. You need systems.
Messy first drafts are better than copy-paste perfection.
Slow growth with integrity will always outperform fast growth built on borrowed work.
You don’t have to do it all overnight, but you do have to start doing it your way.
This Week’s Action Steps
✔️ Audit your marketing: is everything 100% yours?
✔️ Rewrite your About Me page in your own voice
✔️ Build pricing that works using a CODB calculator
✔️ Customize your branding so it reflects your personality
✔️ If you’ve copied or inquired under a fake name - make it right
Weekly Listener Question:
"I’m new and everything’s been done already. I don’t want to copy, but how do I stand out?"
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but you do need to bring your own voice to the table.
Start with:
Why you do this
Who you’re best for
How you make people feel
What you want them to remember
No one else can replicate that.
Final Thoughts
Copying might seem like a shortcut, but it’s actually a roadblock. The energy it takes to keep up the illusion? Exhausting. The confidence that comes from doing it your own way? Unmatched.
So stop comparing. Stop duplicating. And start building something real.
