Meet Nicole Esposito

We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Esposito recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Do we ever truly get rid of imposter syndrome? I think no. And I’m not sure we really ever should…fully. Hear me out.

I think that some level of self guessing and constant self evaluation is important in all aspects of life. Imposter syndrome in its truest form screams no confidence. That is something we all need to overcome at some point. And the only way to build confidence is to work more and experience more and never ever stop learning. We all seek to outgrow the paranoia and self doubt that defines imposter syndrome. But what I’m suggesting is that maybe keeping a little of that in your back pocket isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Does that mean we don’t eventually become confident artists? Of course not. Does that mean we never grow to believe we belong in the art community? Nope. In order to be successful artists you need to feel like you’re part of something larger and that your work matters on some level. And confidence, the one thing that imposter syndrome so kindly strips us of, is key to becoming a more accomplished artist who learns to take risks. Sometimes those risks pay off. Huge. And sometimes we fall flat on our faces and things simply don’t work–reenter the self doubt.

What I’m suggesting is that imposter syndrome teaches us some very important lessons and helps to prepare us for failure. Because we will absolutely fail sometimes. But it’s picking ourselves back up, taking more risks and coming back with something even better that really matters. Imposter syndrome teaches us to be more confident and our stumbles in our careers force us to lean back on that confidence in times of self doubt.

I have no formal training in photography aside from a couple of local classes and tons of Youtube. Imposter syndrome often crippled me in the beginning. I couldn’t imagine that anyone would be interested in viewing my work, let alone purchasing anything. Every sale, every show and exhibit and every shout out from fellow artists mattered in combatting the self-doubt. But every time I undertake something new or try to expand my skills a little bit of that imposter feeling comes back up. Now if I let that control me then my argument holds no water. But, when I use it to my benefit and as a means of motivation, that’s when self-doubt can push you toward creating something really special.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a landscape and travel photographer who tries not to get hung up on connecting too closely my success as an artist and my success as a business. Photography is fun, relaxing, creative and ever evolving. For me, “business” is not. Once you begin to get your art out there the next logical step is selling. And from selling comes the business, marketing and financial sides, which is sometimes hard for us creative brains to wrap our heads around. Or at least that is my experience.

I love photography. While I came to this career choice a bit later than most–I was around 40 when I made the choice to give this a shot–I think I came to the decision at the right time for me. My kids were growing up and I needed to find that thing that I could sink my passion into in the same way I’d done raising my kids. COVID gave me the transition from family/child photography to landscape, coastal and travel photography. I know that was a very tough time for us all, but I’m not sure I would have seen this transition so clearly without it. It was 100% the right choice and I found my passion there.

I like to think of my photographs as little memories, each with their own story. They are super personal to me and I hold each closely. For me, photos evoke a feeling. I can remember the smell of the beach that day. I can feel the air drenching sunset that feels like it’s covering my skin. I can feel the Swiss Mountain cold air on my face. I can hear the giant waves crashing as the 3rd hurricane of the season approaches. Sounds crazy, but they are sometimes so vivid they seem to come alive.

Photographing our beautiful Long Island and anything coastal will always be my first love. There’s nothing quite like toes in the sand waiting for a gorgeous sunset, or a winter beach walk photographing an empty beach. The coast will always be my favorite thing and not just to photograph. It’s in my blood. It’s my happy place and therapy. It’s beauty and calm. It’s a place I dream about and could spend every day.

With college and grad school aged kids now, travel photography has become a passion as well. We are able to get on the road more often, travel further and my travel partner husband is super supportive in allowing our destinations to be somewhat connected to amazing photography experiences. If I could spend all my time travelling and photographing I would. There is nothing like it and while learning about travel photography is super fun, learning about the places we are visiting, the cultures and the people is simply amazing and unlike anything else.

I’m expanding my reach as much as I can, taking more chances and scooping up any opportunity that comes my way. I’ve begun joining multiple art groups, submitting to any shows I can and getting my stuff out there. I sit on the boards of South Bay Art Association and our local Chamber of Commerce. Taking chances is my mantra for 2026 and making this commitment to myself has proven to be fruitful so far. Whether that means getting my art out there a bit further east or in the city, I’m taking steps every day. And it feels good to start seeing little pay-offs here and there.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Photography is an interesting field. There are, of course, the super technical parts of photographing that really do separate the hobbyists from the professionals. There is the creative brain that is so important. There is the vision and the ability to look at the world differently. And, when you get really serious, there is the business aspect of it all–the organization, marketing, sales, accounting–the real nitty gritty as I think of it. It’s truly multi-faceted.

I came to this profession with the ability to look at the world and see things that not everyone does–that colloquial, “you have a good eye”. I can look at a scene (or early on, a child during a session) and see what angles will work best, where the light is hitting something perfectly or where the best reflections are. I’m observant. I look for patterns, whether the afternoon clouds are setting up for a good sunset, or learning the foot shuffle my son does before he shoots the lacrosse ball so I can capture him perfectly. Of course, there is the technical part of learning your camera and how to see and use light, but the ability to see the world in a way that most others can’t is what really separates some good photos from the great ones.

I’m patient. And anyone who knows me would probably raise an eyebrow right about now. I’m not incredibly patient in real life, but I can wait hours for a photo. Once in the zone, time doesn’t really exist unless I’ve forgotten gloves or extra layers in the winter. I could spend hours at a sunset. Each minute I’m there something new reveals itself that makes this minute slightly better than the last. It makes editing super difficult because they are all so special in their own ways, but I haven’t come across anything else that suspends time exactly in this way. Time slows down, my brain slows down and I’m locked in and thinking only about how to make the frame better.

I have lived on an island almost my entire life. The water and the coast is part of my makeup. It’s where I’m comfortable and where things all fall into place. Much of my work is coastal in theme. Our island provides me with a never ending plethora of material. And because it’s so much a part of who I am I feel like it’s easy for me to scope out, find and eventually capture what people are looking for when they are seeking coastal photos for their homes or businesses. Now, this isn’t truly a skill per se, but rather my good fortune of having parents who chose to live here. But I do think it matters. A lot.

There is so much you can learn about becoming a good photographer. But I do think that your heart has to be in it and that can never be taught. I truly believe you can “feel” photos and each one represents a particular feeling or time in the photographer’s life. The rest you can learn–the patience, with practice, the vision, the business side, the marketing, the editing, the organization–these are all things you can work on. And despite doing this for years now, I still work on all of these everyday. Most important is being eager to learn and try new things and making sure your heart is in it. Buyers will know if it’s not.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I grew up with a slew of brothers and played nearly every team sport possible. I work best in groups, alongside people with a common goal, often driven by emotion and camaraderie. Photography is like the sprinter or swimmer. It’s solitary and your head can make or break you. When self doubt creeps in there is no teammate cheering you on. When you make an amazing photo there isn’t someone giving you a high five. That in itself was a huge obstacle for me as I dove deeper into my photography career.

I’m a landscape and travel photographer, which by nature are one man, or woman, jobs. I’ve filled this gap of working alone by joining art leagues, community groups, photo groups, social media groups…anything that focuses on collaborating with fellow artists. And I have met some of the most amazing and talented people ever. We are all “solitary” artists, but these groups foster a sense of community and team. It has filled the hole for me for sure.

I’ve actually taken on board positions with a few of these groups which furthers the sense of community even further. Helping to plan events, handle the money, toss around ideas however grand they may be–they all make you part of something bigger than you. And I think that’s super important for any artist who sometimes feels too in their own head and world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nicoleespositophotography.com
• Instagram: @nicole_esposito_photo
• Facebook: Nicole Esposito Photography
• Linkedin: Nicole Esposito