5 Reasons Your Photography Isn’t Improving

[Paul Jones]

Very interesting article...

5 Reasons Your Photography Isn’t Improving

The evolution of a photographer is rarely a linear one. We get better, we get worse, we think we’re improving but we’re not, and then with some luck and a lot of patience and practice, we actually start to produce great images. For some that last point is never reached and it’s usually due to a few common mistakes.

Link - http://fstoppers.com/5-reasons-your-pho ... -improving

How much do you agree with?

[Walter Brooks]

Seems accurate enough Paul ... could maybe add one or two more ...
Regards

W

[Paul Jones]

Seems accurate enough Paul ... could maybe add one or two more ...

What would they be, Walter?

Reading the article, I can personally identify with Reason 1. And I think it may apply to many members of a club like ADAPS.

I'd say that I've also been guilty of Reason 5.

[Walter Brooks]

Reason 7 - playing follow my lead. Whilst it's important to have sources of inspiration, and nothing is new, blindly following another's style stifles individual creativity, and doesn't allow for development/ improvement of the art of photography. It produces banal images that are tiresome to look at.

Reason 8 - Back to Reason 5 "If you’re brilliant creatively, but can’t translate things into properly exposed or composed image, then it’s hardly a recipe for success. The technical elements, however, are rarely what we struggle with. That’s the easy part." - I would suggest that as easy as it maybe, many just can't be bothered to understand the fundamentals. Know how to then you can ignore the knowledge as you wish. Accidental success can't be hidden or repeated.

W

[Paul Jones]

Reason 7 - playing follow my lead. Whilst it's important to have sources of inspiration, and nothing is new, blindly following another's style stifles individual creativity, and doesn't allow for development/ improvement of the art of photography. It produces banal images that are tiresome to look at.

Agreed. And I think this is quite similar to Reason 1 - 'You compare yourself to others too much'.

There are many photographers that I greatly admire and am no doubt inspired by. I find that my ideas and tastes are constantly changing as to what I would like to shoot, be it bright glamour, low-key nudes or Hollywood portraits. I think that I am still to find my own 'style'.

[Walter Brooks]

Maybe that change of direction that does not give your work a "style" is a good thing?
Prevents you and your work becoming predictable and stale.
W

[Paul Jones]

Maybe that change of direction that does not give your work a "style" is a good thing?
Prevents you and your work becoming predictable and stale.

Actually, that's perhaps a good, and quite profound, way to look at it.

For years now I've been thinking that I need to find my 'style', as I thought that was the 'holy grail' of every photographer.

Maybe it will just emerge if I carry on enjoying my photography in my own way.

[John]

Photographers probably have many overlapping "styles" but maybe sometimes they become well known for one of them.

[Paul Jones]

Photographers probably have many overlapping "styles" but maybe sometimes they become well known for one of them.

Yes, I think that's very true, John.

Think of photographers like David Bailey, Terry Richardson, Lara Jade, Martin Schoeller, etc, who all have become synonymous with a certain style, yet they also take lots of other images.