With apologies to Peter Egan and Road & Track, I'm going to indulge in some miscellaneous ramblings.
I have seen quite a few of us in the community expressing their angst and frustration at the parameters of some challenges, whether it be because of a ruleset or because it's a departure from one's comfort zone. The reason that I decided to open this for discussion is that I hear this from GOOD photographers here. What seems to me to be the eternal sticking point is the score. I'd be lying if I said that scores are completely unimportant to me, but I have discovered if I use the strictures of a challenge, be it Minimal, Expert, artistic, motion panning, or whatever it is that I...... *SUCK* ...... at doing, as a *LEARNING* exercise, then the score carries less importance. Ergo, I derive much more enjoyment from the exercise. That's how I try and center my perspective when I try something different. It becomes what this site truly means to me.....a *CHALLENGE*. Having heard the mantra ever since I've been here that this is a learning site, that just makes sense to me and nowhere else do I know of anything like it.
So.....my suggestion to those who experience this frustration and angst is to make your efforts a positive step in your own skillset by developing your strengths in areas that you would not normally explore.
I am often approached by newbies looking for tips, techniques, and general advice on how to be a better photographer. I tell them to approach their own efforts with a positive eye rather than be their own harshest critic. It's kind of funny to tell someone that they saw something that inspired them. They made the conscious effort to stop, position themselves, compose the scene, fiddle with their camera, and press the shutter button. So.....when you screen up that image, look at it and remember what it was that you saw that made you wnat to create that image. Find what it is in that image that did that for you and expand on it. Remember what you did to create the image and develop what you like about the image the next time. Sure, notice the things that you'd like to make better, but view it like that.....making it better, NOT dwelling on what's wrong with the image. Most people I've told that seem to think that's a good way to look at it.
My $0.02 US......YMMV.
Thoughts?
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