Moment of transparency. I’ve never entered any of my photos in photo competitions until this past year. Honestly, I don’t think any of my work is good enough to compete with the amazing photographers who enter these contests. But this year, I decided to give it a shot. I picked five of my favorite photos and entered them in the World Sports Photography Awards 2025. And guess what? One of them made it to the finals in the Football (Soccer) category! I didn’t make it to the top three, but I get Special Merit (Top 10), which was a huge surprise! It made me realize that comparing myself to others was taking away the joy of what I do. We all only show our best work, so why waste time comparing yourself to what others have posted? Everyone has a different perspective, and some of us have more access than others. That doesn’t mean my or your work isn’t good; it’s just different. So, my advice to anyone in the creative industry is to try not to compare yourself to others. Set goals, but ...