Are YOU satisfied with YOUR images?

[georgef]

you're happy. well you just did began, didnt you?

I think "never satisfied" and "enjoying of working while photographing" are different matters. Sometimes I get irritated when I miss some shots, or I thought I got some nice shoots and I was happy for a few days but later I recognize that is mere a bull*** so I start shooting again. I feel "satisfied feeling" get you very slow in the learning curve so with very humble approach, you find another things you never thought of.

Walt Disney films make people happy? unlikely, just for a few minutes

I get your point, and respect it...I guess for me learning is a much more positive function...I also think I am progressively leaning heavily toward budhism, so the whole frustration thing is fading out

 

[Paul_C]

incomparable

incomparable

The hits satisfy.
The misses satisfy too.
Each has their value.

 

[chippy]

Dear Andrew,

you do seem to upset some folks i notice dont you Roger

Well, when Garry C-W gave me the column in Amateur Photographer, part of the job description was to "rattle the readers' cages." That's probably the most valuable part of RFF for me. You may disagree with someone completely; you may think he's a complete idiot; you may know that he is a complete ignoramus, who thinks he understands something, and clearly doesn't. But regardless of all that. if it makes you think about your own views, beliefs, etc., it's useful, even if you don't change 'em as a result.

Fortunately there are rather more people who like being encouraged to think than there are who really hate me (or maybe who hate thinking).

Hi Roger,

indeed...nothing wrong with writing thought provoking comments

obviously from a buisness point of view (particularly in days gone by) film was an significant overhead and not to be wasted

Yes, but what's 'waste'? As T and Richard and others have pointed out, film that's used in learning isn't wasted (even though in one sense it's a 'failure'). The same is true of film used in working towards the best image you can take. The Polaroid bills for the whole studio, in the days when I worked in advertising, were frightening -- and I was not the heaviest user. It was a standing joke that Jan wouldn't shoot until the Polaroid wrappers reached his knees.

Cheers,

R.

yes of course i agree film used in learning is less apt to called wasted film. however i guess i was tring to relay that within the context of taking pictures for money, with the final price already agreed upon before; which places restraints upon the number of pictures (or film used) one is able to take before it then becomes unprofitable. with taking a wedding for instance you may plan in advance the basic outline of what pictures you need to take for each section of the day and allow a basic allotment of film for each. in the context i was trying to relate 'waste' would be a term/phrase (or ridicule of myself) i would use if i had already sufficiently captured what i needed, and simply continued to click for the sake of it with no real gain. or if i carelessly made errors when i feel i should not have i would think to myself 'dam i wasted that film'

cheers
Andrew

 

[tomasis]

When I first started, I couldn't believe how good my pics were -- because up to then (in 1966) I'd been used to commercial D+P.

I improved quite fast for a short while, then stagnated for a very long time because I wasn't prepared to put the time or money into re-printing 'almost there' shots. Once I started spending a bit more money on paper, and more time on re-printing, I started to get better again -- not least because I then started to put a lot more effort into making negs that were easier to print. The aesthetic side rides on the back of this: it's just a question of making lots of pics.

Am I satisfied now? Not fully. As others have said, if I thought I knew it all, and had already taken my best picture, why would I ever take another? Sometimes I make a pic that makes me think, "Well, I'm not really too bad at this." And those are the ones that spur me on to keep trying, to make pictures that are as good as those which I personally regard as my best.

the process you are describing, is what we photographers are going through, aren't we? But depending on our best pictures is a bit dangerous, I think. When I look at my favorite photographers, my confidence is already severely dented and I fall back from the top of mountain I really dont believe the word "talent" and recognize that it is only hard work can get you there with other photographers which you like.

I liked what Winogrand said "you have to focus to photography now, you have whole life to improve technical abilities later".

 

[tomasis]

I get your point, and respect it...I guess for me learning is a much more positive function...I also think I am progressively leaning heavily toward budhism, so the whole frustration thing is fading out

Im glad you're going easier way than my I just think that some pain is necessary to grow more. Especially when you navigating in such dull thing which is called "art" lol

 

[Paul Jenkin]

I've never been 100% happy with any image I've ever taken. I honestly believe that all images can be improved or refined. I've been happier with some more than others but I think I would regard myself as arrogant if I said I was ever completely happy with any given image.