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Why is it that any one photographer may have hundreds of ordinary images but only a handful of really good ones? Is this the hallmark of an amateur or do all photographers have the same issues? Is it possible to change the ratio of really good images without improving all the images? Could it just be luck and 'time in the saddle', that essentially we have no control over this? These are important questions and the last one is downright scary - the idea that I have no control over now many good images I produce is discouraging, not to say depressing. But is it true?
I would argue that every photographer of whatever genre and style has the same problem - that a small percentage of his or her images are much stronger than all the others, that each of us has a 'portfolio' of images we want to be known by. The quality of those 'best' images varies from person to person, but the ratio doesn't. I suspect that all photographers have roughly the same percentage of images which stand out against the rest of their work.
Anything which would help you make more 'outstanding' images is likely to improve the worst of your images at least as much as the best of your photographs. The gap may change but it isn't ever going to go away.
I would further argue that we wouldn't want it to go away - we NEED those few really good images which show us we are capable of improving.
The same phenomenon of sometimes excelling is present in everything we do in life. Every so often a tennis player plays above himself and its the memory of that day which pushes him to keep trying, to practice more, to take lessons, buy a new racquet, do just about anything in fact to have that happen again. Of course when he improves, the bar is just raised that much higher.
Some days we are particularly attuned to the subject matter, we just seem to see more clearly, it's easier to put the many elements of a photograph together and it's easier to recognize potential subject matter. A different day and you'd walk right by.
Myriad factors play here - sleep, stress, fitness, mood. Some days those ground strokes work perfectly, other times the brain just doesn't talk to the hand - welcome to real life.
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5 comments:
Interesting observation. I'm also struck by how often my own subjective opinion of my work differs from another's opinion. Some of my photos which are my personal favorites have never sold, while others (which I've perhaps liked but not loved) have sold well.
Good insights, George. The factors that can affect a photographer's images are too many count. Of course, home and work issues are at the forefront, but as creative individuals we have such an connection and interaction with our subjects that they (people, building, landscape, parking garages, etc.) might actually play the biggest role. If we, as artists, cannot make that optimal creative connection, we just aren't going to get a great image.
I also agree with what Doug said about his opinion of his work vs. others opinion. One of the many photographic talents I have not yet mastered (and probably will never) is the ability to separate my subjective opinion of an image from the memory of actually shooting that image. The excitement and anticipation I felt at the time definitly have an effect on my judgement.
For instance, while working as a newspaper photographer I shot only a few frames from a very bad angle of an event that had to be covered. I hated every single image, but the one frame chosen by the other photographers (I was helpless) won a national award. I STILL don't much care for that image because I still remember the frustration I felt. On the other hand, I'll have a landscape pic I am in absolute love with, show it to my wife and friends, only to have them look, shrug their shoulders and walk away muttering something about feeling queasy :)
Chuck
George, I would have to bring technology into this too. I think that sometimes, things get lost in the translation. For example, I can remember the feeling of ____ that felt when I took a particular picture, but I may not have the skills to bring it out in Photoshop. That's a little off track, but I think that you get my point.
Also, I think that our mood, at the time, greatly affects what we come home with and not everything is going to be a home run. I have so many pictures where I've shot, and shot, and shot at different angles, exposures, etc. and I still didn't come away with the shot that wanted. On another day, it might only take one.
But, as you said, it's good that it's this way. If we got it right every time, it wouldn't be challenging, or at least I don't think so. Great thoughts.
Hey, let's not forget my best friend.....LUCK.
Hmmm, to further this string i would love to see the two images Chuck is talking about...
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