Growing with photography is a life long journey, it is truly a subject matter where skill training and knowledge constantly needs to be pushed in order to improve. I noticed many photographers that do not handle criticism very well, they get touchy, offended, it is like you are stepping too close into their private sphere, and ruining the perception they built up on their photography.
For me “Everything is in the process of becoming” it is an attitude, and understanding which I have adopted into my photography. The realization of my imperfection becomes insignificant in comparison of how much I enjoy the strive of becoming better. Perhaps therefor I love to criticism, it is always rewarding, even when I do not agree to it. Enjoying the path forward rather than the goal is for me a great attitude that moves me towards becoming a better photographer and artist, and restores humbleness whenever modesty elute me escapes.
When are you a success as a photographer or as an artist that uses photography as your medium. Is it when we truly achieved “success” in our photography, do we need to get a book published, do we need to have an exhibition, or do we need a certain amount of followers? I think we are successful when we find joy in what we do, first when we enjoy that then others can appreciate the outcome of it. After all, what is perfection” when it comes to photography? subjective to the aim and the situation. for me perfection has very little todo with technical skills, nor the results from it, but more to do with the feelings provoked in the spectator. Does it matter that a photo of a child is slightly out of focus, if it makes the mother recall her child that day of the photograph ?
Seeking “perfection” in your photography
Seeking perfection is never fruitless when it comes to photography, it is just the not the most important thing there is to photography. Seeking perfection causes us to push forward, and to move forward we have to reinvent ourselves, otherwise we will just be brewing the same cup of coffee better and better. Not that there is something terrible wrong with just improving step by step within known territory, it just mean that great landslides will never happen. For us that still can remember the old Nokia phones, might remember that Nokia who produces one good phone after another with slight improvements, got blown away when the first Apple Phone emerged. Reinventing is for me leaping towards the goal of achieving perfection, where improving simply is small steps that will never really get you there.
Compete against yourself, listen to others
Don’t feel like you need to compete in your photography with anybody else but yourself. Being competitive towards anyone else but yourself makes little sense. I might not bring a camera every day (as a fact i Mostly do) but you can still think compositions, think light, do compete against yourself to find motives.
I think rather than thinking about photography in terms of “perfection”, we should look at photography in terms of “progress”. When every you fall for the feeling of Perfection, then restore yourself to reality, change your mindset, it is not about perfection but rather about progress.
The Golden Hour 