hating your own photos

elven

Do you ever look at your stuff and go "meh!"...?

Trying to decide what I want to print for people's photography and I started out optimistic enough, but now I'm actually trying to print them, it's all a bunch of crap.

Tell me it happens to you too :rolleyes:

Is it a phase? Is it normal not to feel satified looking at what you've come up with? Or do you just get sick of looking at them over and over again, no matter how good they might actually be?

Spyral

I do a lot as I was taught to do technically correct photography for crime scenes which isn't exactly artistic.

I find Im better at macro abstract type things but most of my stuff is bullcrap!

Calina

You've too much time to think about it. If you had a deadline you wouldn't even be considering this. The point is you're worrying about stuff being good enough.

I had a crisis a couple of months ago when I did the pictures for exhibition on the beach but it wasn't "are they good enough" because I had just two days to select 35 pictures and print the ones I didn't have prints of and at that stage I was going on what I knew people would respond well to rather than what I completely loved myself.

which probably sounds bad but again, although I made no sales, the reactions were hugely positive and ultimately probably led to me doing the trip to Portugal, buying the wide angle and getting myself further immersed in what started off as an idle hobby and which is now an all consuming passion.

actually on balance, that doesn't sound healthy, it sounds obsessed.

Let's all ritually destroy our digital cameras.

elven

Eh, I won't be asking you for advice if that's the conclusion you come to :eek:

I was thinking it was more to do with the deadline than anything else actually...

As for crime scene photography, ahem, well now there's a different outlook altogether!

mikeanywhere

Calina wrote:

.... I was going on what I knew people would respond well to rather than what I completely loved myself.

Exactly, and its not easy when you are trying to decide if its what people will want compared to what you like personally.

Jools - you wont have any problem with your stuff

elven

Disclaimer: this thread was not intended to prompt chin-tickling

mikeanywhere

All I was saying was that everyones view of what they like personally to what is perceived to be liked will differ.

I had a classic example recently were I did some shots for someone (friend) and they ordered all the ones I personally thought werent the ones they would want.

kcphoto

I think it's normal to feel that way about your photos sometimes, especially when you're picking stuff for public viewing.
I hate that feeling, but looking at it objectively, I'd say its a sign that you're always re-evaluating your work and raising your standards and expectations...
I think if you are passionate about your work, you will always be your own toughest critic.

Calina

elven wrote:

Eh, I won't be asking you for advice if that's the conclusion you come to :eek:

I was thinking it was more to do with the deadline than anything else actually...

As for crime scene photography, ahem, well now there's a different outlook altogether!

Sorry - I should clarify; I had two days total to select and print said photographs. You've a little more time and that's why I think you've time to think about this.

ultimately, familiarity can be an enemy too. We spend a lot of time looking at our own photographs with the result that we can - to some extent - be quite sick of the site of them sometime, or, not really sure what the answer to the question "are they any good?" any more.

I don't know how many you want to print, but I'd select maybe double the number and do a straw poll of some friends. Even if you ultimately don't like their choices, you'll get a better feel for what you want yourself.

Fionn

i'd say your not alone, I hardly like any of mine, I start off ranking them and as stand alone they might be ok but then in comparison to almost anything i see they really look not very good!!
However i still enjoy doing it so i suppose i'll do it til i dont like it any more!!

sineadw

I'm right there with you - going through a crisis of confidence myself, especially with the gig stuff (poor Al got my rantings on that one). I think its normal, healthy even. If we loved our stuff we wouldn't push ourselves.

I've seen what you're printing - not meaning to sound all ((((hugs)))) you're wonderful - there's some fantastic stuff in it and it all really works as a body too.

You need to go out and get drunk and forget about them. Yay!

ThOnda

I hate 50 % of frames, 40 % just don't like, I like about 5% and I am certain about 5% of pictures.
As the time goes by, I do change my opinion on my pictures, but the ratio of hated and not liked ones is the same.
As one photographer said - there's one good picture from seven rools. And he is fantastic fotographer.

Fenster

As I go onward and refine whatever technique I may have, I really start to hate some of my older works. Go figure, heh.

elven

Mike, you were right on the money I think. It's like all of a sudden when you look at your pictures with a view to showing them around, you look at them with different eyes and it can be a disaster. And then, as you say, 90% of the time people like the opposite ones to what you thought they would...

Fenster, that just shows you're developing, doesn't it?

I think getting drunk is definitely the answer though

Fenster

Oh god no, it just shows how much of a hack I am.

rymus

isnt being a successful artist all about self-loathing? If it makes you feel any better, I'm printing a bunch of crap for peoples photography this year too... That and I'm bringing half the crap I brought with me last year. What's worse than hating the stuff you have is hating not getting out to create more stuff.

If you loved absolutely everything that came out of your printer, there would be something majorly wrong with you. In the end, from a professionals perspective anyway (which I will point out I'm not looking from) it seems to be all about what other people like. I'm sure we've all had some outstanding comments about prints we absolutely hate.

mikeanywhere

Fenster wrote:

As I go onward and refine whatever technique I may have, I really start to hate some of my older works. Go figure, heh.

I find that sometimes too. However, I also like the idea that by having learnt some new technique(s) or skillset will actually enhance a shot that at the time I felt wasnt worth the effort.

elven

mikeanywhere wrote:

However, I also like the idea that by having learnt some new technique(s) or skillset will actually enhance a shot that at the time I felt wasnt worth the effort.

You ever sometimes actually find a shot in the archives that you didn't like before but find all of a sudden you can make it work, even possibly because you've learned a new processing technique that works well with it?

I suppose it's fairly normal that some stuff you like to start with, you go off over time and others, you didn't think much of and they grow on you. Prolly works the same if you're a musician or something, too.

nilhg

You would have to be an extraordinarily self confident person to never have a moments doubt about something you have already decided is good.

You would be probably wasted as a photographer if you were like that, much better to be a politician or TV personality or some such.

mikeanywhere

elven wrote:

You ever sometimes actually find a shot in the archives that you didn't like before but find all of a sudden you can make it work, even possibly because you've learned a new processing technique that works well with it?

Absolutely!!

I did some processing on some very early shots that I am really enjoying messing about with again. Mind, when you are (or was at the time) house ridden, you have nothing but the time!! LOL

Sebzy

Well finished selecting all my shots for PP and have come up with about 25 but when looking back at the prints I just say MEH should be better.

Now look through a collection of 65 thousand here in lightroom and out of that I can say I really like about 7 well thats right now. May be back to 5 after I type this message.

Paulw

Elven, I totally know where you're coming from. I looked at my images and really struggled to find ones I really liked and that I thought others might like. So, I sought advice from non-photographic friends and family.

In the end, I have picked 7 images for printing. I've ordered prints, and when I get them, I'll be showing some other people to get some opinions.

Sometimes though, I think we are our own worst critics.

thebaz

I have a near daily battle to packing it up, and taking up golf .... but .... that 1 shot of magic makes it all seam worthwhile ... i think we all know deep down the ones that makes us happy .... but i sometimes i look at 99%of my stuff and feal like deleting them .. then 2 weeks later , they look grand , and i'm glad i didn't ... i think its all headspace

Spyral

elven wrote:

You ever sometimes actually find a shot in the archives that you didn't like before but find all of a sudden you can make it work, even possibly because you've learned a new processing technique that works well with it?

I dont really belive in making a shot work..

As for crime scene photography, ahem, well now there's a different outlook altogether!

yeh its just like 50mm lens + film camera (50mm doesnt distort the scale). you're basically stuck with what type of film they give you (usually 200 ISO) and told to take some pictures ! woot.

before and after, with and without scales, then the item, then in context, then close up of any details AND if you bracket (just to be sure) then you have 3 times the amount.
so one phone say could easily equal 3 pics, +2 more with scale = 5 x 2 coz you bracketed at -2/3 just to be sure = 10 pictures for one thing tho Im sur the context photo would actually be the whole room

but that's kinda insane, realisitically you shoot as many as you need as best you can.

311

Shots that I'd taken last year ,which I didn't think anyone liked .
They've been framed and put up on show ,funnily enough they are portrait shots and stuff I wouldn't normally be into to .

Times change I suppose ,we can't all see the same things.