Unsplash now has more than 170000 photographers, and somehow I ended up among the top 10 for downloads and views last year.
Less than two years ago, I would never have imagined this. When I first started uploading my photos to Unsplash, it was mainly an experiment. I wanted to see whether my images would be noticed there at all and whether making them freely available would actually make a difference.
I never expected that this would lead to so many downloads, views, and reactions. That is what makes it feel even more special to suddenly appear in an Unsplash year in review among the ten most noticed contributing photographers.
For me, moments like this are above all a beautiful confirmation. Not just that the images are being seen, but that sharing really works. That photos which might otherwise simply sit on a hard drive are actually being used by people all over the world.
It still feels a little surreal. And at the same time, very motivating.