No matter where you stand in the spectrum of nature photographers from hobbiest to published professional there is always more to learn and new techniques to try. I consider myself to be a complete newbie. I’ve only been taking photographs seriously for about two years, and only actually been putting my work out where people can see it for about a year. Putting my first serious photos (not just goofy shots of friends or pets taken at the spur of the moment) on Facebook was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done.

Even scarier, was joining my first group. After all, Facebook is mainly just friends and family members (at least at first), but joining a group is putting your work in front of strangers, some of whom have been doing this a lot longer than I have. I was terrified that after my first post, they would kick me out of the group for not being good enough! Even after I was accepted as a group member, it took me about a week to get brave enough to post something. After I did, I was scared to go back the next night to see what reactions I had gotten. I literally held my breath (not consciously) until I found my post, and discovered that low and behold, I had several likes, and a few very nice comments! That was when I realized that I’d been holding my breath!

Since joining that group, I’ve joined several more. It has been one of the best things I could have done. Most of the members of the groups I belong to have been super supportive and encouraging. I’ve gotten plenty of likes and good comments, and I’ve gotten some great constructive criticism and suggestions. No one has been unpleasant in their criticism, and in fact, it has been very useful. Through the comments (both “good” and “bad”) I’ve learned some new techniques and principles of photography that otherwise might have taken me years to learn. Being a member of a group has also given me the chance to see what other people all over the world are doing. I love looking at the work of others in my groups. Seeing the beautiful work of other group members is incredibly inspiring!

During the time I have belonged to my groups, I have gotten three photos into exhibitions, and I have made some friends among the group members. I have gotten some “followers” (something that still sometimes amazes me) and I have found some folks that I like to follow. All in all, joining my groups has been an incredible experience, and I’m so glad that I did it. So my advice to anyone out there who is scared, is to go ahead and get your work out there! You won’t regret it!