My own worst critic
Recently I was speaking with a friend of mine who asked whether or not I am super critical with my own work and whether or not I negate what I do.
Short answer: Yes.
And there’s more to the story. When I photograph, I do so with intent. Whether I am photographing nature or shooting portraits in the studio, I have a high-level idea of what I want to convey.
During the activity of setting up the shot – moving the subject; moving the point of view – more of what I want becomes clear. It’s at that stage (typically) that I start becoming, dare I say, entranced with the subject.
Once I am entranced, I move organically with what it is I am shooting. That’s when a large part of my creative process happens. That is when I am becoming one with the subject.
For the most part, when I am creating, I know when I have captured what I wanted (or have become clear that I won’t capture it). It’s at that point – that 1/125th of a second – that the piece becomes different for me. I become different.
When I review the images, I can destroy my creative process by over analyzing details – by turning into a perfectionist that picks apart all that was created.
Grant it, analysis is beneficial. Striving for perfection is also a ‘good’ thing. The key though, I have found, is knowing, and accepting, that it has already been achieved.
Some would argue that perfection is never achieved.
I argue that it always is…it’s only I who stands in its way.
Blessings,
Gregory