People have different reasons when taking photos. Some take photos just to get a quick snap and keep them for memory’s sake. Others take photos intentionally to follow their creative or artistic pursuit. Whichever group you belong to, in some cases, you get discouraged when you don’t get exactly what you want in a photo.
They say that you can always control how you want your photographs to be and what message you want them to communicate. For example, some people may find your photo too dark or maybe overexposed but you can always say that’s how you want the photo to be. I think it’s not applicable at all times.
Although I am not a professional photographer, I still want my photos to look good and presentable. Good and presentable are both subjective. You have your definition. I do my best to imagine a shot and bring it to life but sometimes I fail. Sometimes I just don’t get what I want. And worse, it makes me just give up and quit taking photos.
Now that I think about it, it’s possible you might not have the same context as mine. If you’re not into photography, think of a hobby you really, really love like traveling or playing video games. If it’s something you love doing, you naturally want to be good at it. Right? In my case, there’s always a longing for self-improvement and progress.
I’m using the term photography insecurity to mean the act of holding back because you feel that you aren’t good enough or your photos aren’t shareable enough and not as excellent as others. I get that feeling most of the time but I also try to fight it as much as I can.
If you’re like me who sometimes feel that your photos don’t deserve to leave your memory card, then these 3 realistic tips might help.
1. Take photos for yourself.
I always go back to this basic principle. I go back to the main reason I’m taking photos in the first place – and it is to express, not to impress. Of course, there are always going to be times when we think of what other people might say about our photos. There’s no point in worrying about that all the time. Other people’s feedback is indeed valuable but that’s as much as they can do. They can’t change you if you are not willing to improve yourself.
The bottom line here is that although you willingly accept other people’s feedback and you acknowledge that there are better photos than yours, you take the step to improve your hobby or craft and do it for yourself, not for others.
When you constantly push to impress someone or some people, you tend to live in their shadow and forget that you are also capable of being creative. When you take photos to satisfy yourself, you will be proud to share your best photo even though you think it isn’t the best for everyone. You never know who is inspired by the photos you share.
2. Have an open mind.
Our emotions can change from time to time; that’s part of human nature. When we aren’t mature enough to deal with situations, insecurity tends to hit us in the head like a brick. It hurts. So bad.
When you learn to accept feedback (even negative comments) gracefully, you won’t feel insecure anymore because you know for yourself that you’re doing your best to improve. Listen and take everything with a grain of salt. There’s always something to learn. When you don’t know where to start, start with yourself. And of course, live what you love.
I could still remember when my father once pointed out that there was something wrong with the photo I took. He was telling me something about the harsh light directly hitting the faces of the subjects in the photo causing them to be semi-invisible. I have since then accepted that mistake and learned from it.
3. Take it as a challenge!
If you feel bad or insecure because you see so many perfect photos online, then why not take it as a challenge to improve yourself? I’m happy to say that I have reached that stage of my photography journey. Whenever I see amazing photos, I tell myself to read and practice more so that I can also achieve beyond-amazing photos in the future.
Yup, let your insecurity be your challenge and let others be your inspiration to do even better and to hone your skills. With the thousands of photos you have already taken, I’m sure there are amazing ones. This means you’re one or two steps closer to your goal of taking meaningful and great photos.
Ever felt some sort of photography insecurity? Any tips you can add? Feel free to drop your comments below! Photography is a life-long learning for me so I’d love to learn from everyone any day.
