nwalthall asked: A really dumb question, but I wrestle with it, and so I wonder if you do too. Not all of my photographs work. I wish they all did, but they don't, and the ones that do work--assuming for the moment they sometimes do, not always my call ;-)--stand head and shoulders above the others --that's what makes them work. But when I produce one like that, I am confronted with having to do it again, and I find myself asking, how I am ever going to do THAT again? ;-) Do you ever have this problem?
It’s not a dumb question mate! I definitely have photos I’m on the fence about, but I aim to keep those photos away from my site/portfolio, as that is where I try to showcase what I consider my best work. Over time I’ve learnt to be quite brutal with what I’m willing to put my name to - even on a blog like this which is where anything that doesn’t make my site is also included. Otherwise I think you end up diluting the overall standard of your work - it’s about quality over quantity in my eyes. I guess, the higher you raise your standards, the harder it is to keep them there and I think that is what really separates the good photographers from the great photographers - consistently producing great photos. I also think that keeping high standards, whilst maintaining your style, but not becoming repetitive is also important but very hard to achieve. When it comes to your “how am I going to do that again?” question, I will leave you with a quote by Imogen Cunningham :)
“Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow.”
