Those of us with cameras have a unique privilege in the way we see the world around us. Our trained eyes are able to selectively focus on what others do not. The result are the images in our collection.
However, photographers, as a whole, are cursed, as we look over the images just imported from the camera and see the flaws, the mistakes and the misfires. As trained as we think we are, we succumb to the critic. One of the results, however, is growth. By seeing our photographic flaws, we learn and apply techniques to do better the next time.
Then, at times, we become jaded in the selling of our creativity to make a living. We shoot to deliver and, once delivered, accept the money. Do this enough and you tend to see your images as a commodity. If your images are a commodity, what does that make you? The critic culling the last assignment is the same as the one in your head saying, "You suck!"
The more you allow the critic to speak, the worse you feel about yourself until it paralyzes you. The paralysis is one of putting down the camera, specifically for self-assignments. You continue to sell your craft and deliver the client's wants, but never satisfying the need within.
The feeling of non-acceptance can be mitigated by your clients’ unsolicited comments, "You nailed that one! These are great! These are better than I expected." (What exactly were they expecting?)
The notion you are a good photographer, not just a photographer, has to come from inside you and, to do that, you have to silence the critic.
There is nothing wrong with analyzing your images, but analysis is different from criticism. On one, you are looking for angle, exposure, your subjects facial expression, pose, eyes and so forth. Criticism, on the other hand, brings the "you" into the picture (pun intended) and denigrates the photographer for making a less than perfect shot.
You want to lay ownership on your images and you do so by checking bylines, using watermarks, tear sheets and the like. Your ego enjoys this. While your eye is good for picking out images, it is usually not so good at examining self. You see yourself through filtered eyes of your emotions and, anyway, only philosophers examine themselves from the inside out.
While you can't fully ignore your inner voice, you can do some things to quiet it. Use your gift to create gifts for others. When you give one of your images to a loved one, a favorite client, a friend, you are giving a part of yourself. Whether you are aware of it or not, people around you see you as an artist, able to produce what they can not. A gift of one of your prints brings something special into their life, something not mass produced and something not available to others. It's special.
The byproduct is their praise and thanks for a unique gift which, in turn, becomes a gift to you by making you feel good and silencing the critic. You can't go around giving everyone you know one of your images, as a strategy for your well being, as this devalues both the gift and any praise. Creating a strategy, by gift giving, is not giving gifts; it's self serving. Neither the gifts or your relationship to the receiver is honored.
While clients, who pay you, say some nice things about your work, it's not the same as someone close saying the same things and feeling special.
I enjoy going into friends and relatives home and seeing my work displayed; they have a part of me in their house. This holiday season, choose a few of your images and give a print from them as a gift. You'll be doing yourself a favor.
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