The One Thing That Separates Good Photographers from Great Ones

After 25 years in this industry, I can confidently tell you this: there’s no shortage of good photographers.

Plenty of people can shoot a wedding competently. They can deliver a solid gallery. Their clients will be happy. They’ll get booked again.

But the photographers whose work stops you in your tracks? The ones who inspire and challenge the rest of us? The ones couples choose not just because they’re available, but because they bring something different to the table?

That’s another level entirely.

And what separates good from great isn’t gear. It’s not how many followers you’ve got. It’s not even how long you’ve been doing this.

It’s something else altogether – exactly what I discussed in the opening session at Thrive Edinburgh this spring.

(And yes, Thrive Brighton is coming this October – and if you want to be in the room where conversations like this happen, keep reading…)

The Scene That Lives Rent-Free In My Head

If you’ve watched The Bear (and if not, please add it to your list), there’s a gorgeous scene in season two that perfectly sums this up.

In an episode titled, Honeydew (look it up on YouTube), young pastry chef Marcus asks his mentor Luca, “How do you get good at this?”

Luca replies that being open to inspiration matters more than technical skill alone. And the moment that changed everything for him was realising he’d never be the best, but he could focus on becoming his best.

To do that? He needed space. Time away from the job. Time out in the world. Time to reflect. Time for inspiration.

When I watched that, it struck me that I see exactly the same pattern in photography. To reach greatness, we need to make that same space.

What’s the Magic Ingredient?

Let’s stay with the chef analogy for a moment.

Think about the difference between a good chef and someone with a Michelin star.

Both can cook beautifully. Both can deliver an excellent plate of food.

But what elevates one to the highest level isn’t just technical execution, it’s intention, creativity, and personal voice. It’s the magic ingredient that comes from curiosity, risk-taking and a deep understanding of what they want to express through their food.

It’s exactly the same with photography.

The photographers you see headlining conferences, getting flown around the world, inspiring others with their work, they probably didn’t just perfect the technical side. They created space to experiment, to refine their voice, to think beyond what’s already been done.

That leap from good to great happens when you deliberately make room for inspiration and creative growth and it’s what many photographers skip because the business side eats all their time.

A stunning bride holds her beautiful wedding gown, a great picture to go with an article about good photographers.

Why Most Photographers Stay ‘Good’

It is entirely possible to build a busy, successful wedding photography business while staying good.

You can shoot well, edit consistently, deliver a gallery people are happy with. You’ll get referrals. You’ll get bookings.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean your work will evolve. It doesn’t mean you’ll develop a distinct voice or style. And it doesn’t mean your work will move people in a way that sticks with them.

That’s the difference between good and great.

And most photographers don’t close that gap because they’re too busy doing more. More editing. More posting. More content creation. More shooting. More marketing.

Without space for creative growth, we get stuck at good.

Why I Talked About This at Thrive

Trying to understand what gets you from good to great is one of the reasons I created Thrive and why I’m so deliberate about the speakers and topics we bring into the room.

Yes, you can learn business tactics online. But what you can’t do online is step away from your day-to-day and allow yourself room to think bigger about your craft. To be around photographers whose work is pushing boundaries. To overhear a conversation at the coffee break that sparks a whole new direction for your work.

At Thrive, I deliberately curate a mix of photographers who aren’t just popular on socials, but who are doing work with voice, depth and intention.

That’s the kind of space where inspiration actually happens.

If you think about the chef analogy again, chefs who reach the top levels don’t get there by cooking more covers every night. They make time to travel, eat, collaborate, observe, reflect.

As Luca explains to Marcus, top chefs don’t get their best ideas in the kitchen and you won’t get yours at your desk.

Photographers need the same space if we want to evolve beyond good into great. I also think that space might be at a conference, a place where everyone has arrived seeking inspiration.

A model poses with flowers in her hair. Just the photo to go with a blog about good photographers.

If You Want to Move Towards Greatness, Ask Yourself:

When was the last time you protected creative time outside of client work? Personal projects, editorial shoots, even something non-photography-related?
Have you sought out new influences lately? (Cinema, fashion, fine art, music?)
Are you exposing yourself to experiences that feed you creatively – not just help you book more?
Have you stepped back and asked: what do I actually want to say with my work?

If the answer is “not for a while”, I promise you’re not alone. The wedding industry makes it really easy to stay in the cycle of production and forget about growth.

But that’s exactly why stepping out of that cycle, even for two days at Thrive, can be so powerful.

Thrive Brighton is Coming And You Should Be in the Room

This October, Thrive comes to Brighton, and we’re bringing together another incredible lineup of photographers and creatives who are pursuing great work, not just good work.

If you’ve been feeling a little stuck… if you know you’ve got another level in you but can’t seem to create the space to reach it… if you’re craving inspiration and connection with people who get it then honestly, Thrive is where you need to be.

Because the difference between good and great doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you deliberately make room for it.

Come join us. You won’t regret it.