A Basic Guide to Photographic Bliss and Making Better Pictures … A Series of Periodic Musings … #17 … The Finale!!! Be Your Own Dog! Remember, It Doesn’t Matter What Anyone Else Thinks About Your Work. What Matters Is What You Think!

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We made it to the finale!

Finally!

Be your own dog!

That’s right!

I don’t give a flying fig about what others think about my pictures. Instead, I care about making pictures that are meaningful to me. And isn’t that what it’s all about?  The other way you may produce some good images, but will they be great ones … ones you think are great?

I remember reading one of Fred Picker’s newsletters where he stated something like “if gallery owners could see, they would photograph”. Chances are they will reject your work for all the wrong reasons. Assuming your print quality and presentation are first rate, as they should be, consider this a badge of honor! But if showing your work is what you aspire to, you will eventually get there, because you believe in the efficacy of your work, not because you want someone’s approval.

So forget about what others may think about your pictures. The lemonade just isn’t worth the squeeze.

You may now have photographic bliss!

Stay well,

Michael

2 thoughts on “A Basic Guide to Photographic Bliss and Making Better Pictures … A Series of Periodic Musings … #17 … The Finale!!! Be Your Own Dog! Remember, It Doesn’t Matter What Anyone Else Thinks About Your Work. What Matters Is What You Think!”

  1. Paul J Genin

    When Figs Fly

    Well, Michael,

    You’ve opened up a can, it seems.

    Yes, photos can have meaning, as Roland Barthes expressed, that are idiosyncratically personal. And I would question absolute print quality and perfection as being mandatory. And, a subtext is that I just sent thirty images to LensCulture for a book making competition and many of my scanned slide images I struggled with and are not perfect. But I found out about this possible book publishing competition just a few days ago, so I had to hurry to meet the 18 AUG deadline. But I do want a book. And if it can be published or printed for the price of entry fee, that will be good. But I don’t think my chances are so good — but I had to take a chance. My feeling is that if you show others your work and you get a truly honest positive response, that is one indicator. Does one snap for oneself? Sure. But if one started a project with an eye to posterity, then one needs to be critiqued. I mean if one actually puts the work out there, IE, redacts. A.D. Coleman remarked that he could not critique Vivian Maier’s work because she never redacted her work. It was just “found.” And, I agree with Coleman. J

    ust my two baht

    Reply ↓
    1. Michael Marks Post author

      Paul,

      Thanks for your response and good luck on the book competition! I have a couple of book ideas myself! Books are a great idea for many, many reasons!

      Best,

      Michael

      Reply ↓

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