Do you like your own work?

[tbfoto]

I've been shooting weddings for several years now and have gotten great remarks from all my clients and word of mouth keeps the work coming to me. I try real hard to produce quality work and try to be creative at the same time. I surf the web looking at others shots and am always amazed at the quality and creativity I find in other peoples shots. When i review my own work I always seem to have the same thoughts though. Ho-Hum. I dont see my work as outstanding or the kind of shots that make me say WOW!. I've been thinking about this and I wonder if it's because by the time I get the final prints I've reviewed the shots so many times it's lost that WOW factor. Does this make since? Do you look at your own work and say WOW? Maybe it's just me!

Tom

[kampphoto]

I think most down to earth photographers are like that. You're never quite impressed with your own stuff because you always want to do better and better... I think personally if I ever get to that point where I look at my shots and think to myself "man I'm the best photographer and all my photos are soooo incredible" I'll quit being a wedding photographer and do something else.

You're your worst critic and that's probably why you feel ho-hum sometimes.

[Tommy]

I'm like that too.... I seem to never really think that my own images stand out. But if I set them aside for a week or so, then go back, I do notice things that I really like. I thinks it's just that I see them so often as I'm processing them that they lose that "wow" factor like you said... This goes for all of my photography.... not just weddings...

[George L]

I'll chime in as a me too, I am told I am why to hard on myself....I dont believe them tho :-) Thats what keeps pushing us to be better I'm thinking.
George

[PIXI_666]

Every now and then i go "WOW" did i shoot that? But that's probably in 3% of my work, the rest i think, "Yeah whatever" as i look through other people's work and wonder why i try so hard and i never produce great outstanding work like that...

BUT on the other hand - i guess other people are thinking that about your own work?

We are our own worst critics...i bring it down to that, and the fact that i ALWAYS think i can do better...

Del

[JustKat]

Almost didn't respond to this one, but here goes. Early in my photography career, I was almost never satisfied with most of my pictures. I come from a family of photographers so the pressure was strong to do impressive work. I was my fathers 2nd shooter when I was 19 years old and took over his business when he died(I was 25) in 1979. As the years went on, I started liking my own work more and more and knew I was really improving. It's taken a long time and a lot of pictures but at this stage of my life and career, I can honestly say that I love most of of the images I capture. I think my father would be proud of me!
I definately still get Crappy shots too, but most of the time, my stuff makes me happy.
I'm not conceited, just seasoned:)
What I don't like is my ignorance of computers, but I'm learning.

[tim]

I like my own work, but like many people i'm my own harshest critic. After seeing the same photos a number of times I get a little sick of some of them, but some I like more and more as I look at it over the months.

As I get more experience I like my work better. Sometimes situations prevent you from getting great images, which sucks, but so long as you did your best in the situation, made suggestions to improve it if possible, and at least recorded events, you can't be too hard on yourself.

[Dimitry]

Nah...I just look at my photos and see perfection...of course then I wake up ;) I'm sure it's like that in any creative industry when you start out though

[jessiper]

Every now and then i go "WOW" did i shoot that? But that's probably in 3% of my work, the rest i think, "Yeah whatever" as i look through other people's work and wonder why i try so hard and i never produce great outstanding work like that...

BUT on the other hand - i guess other people are thinking that about your own work?

We are our own worst critics...i bring it down to that, and the fact that i ALWAYS think i can do better...

Del

I feel the same way...read my mind. :)

[jessiper]

Sometimes situations prevent you from getting great images, which sucks, but so long as you did your best in the situation, made suggestions to improve it if possible, and at least recorded events, you can't be too hard on yourself.

It's nice to hear that, because sometimes I feel like I should be able to be marvelous even in bad situations.

[blonde]

like alot of people already said, i am my own worst critique. most of the time, i look at my shoots and the first thing that goes through my mind is " you should have done _______ instead" or "man, this really sucks". i think that this is a good thing though because it makkes me always push forward and imporve my mistakes. the funny thing is that most of the time, other people really like my stuff. i just did a photoshoot and i was very unhappy with my work. my client on the other hand, LOVED it and already started sending me more clients...

[rescue951]

Well I dont do much weddings, however I have the same feeling toward all my shots, and it never stop to amaze me that everytime I think ho-hum abt a series of shots. The client is usually the one going "WOW" and i'm lookig at them thinking you seriously like this shot? I may be to hard on myself sometimes,maybe?

Good to know its not just me.

be safe.

Rob

[WilliamL]

Well I don't feel so bad now... I feel like my work is good, but like everyone here, I don't see it as great... but yet this is what clients keep telling me... I'm always finding little things wrong or things I should have done better... Guess it's this wanting to do better that makes us better... when I feel my work is "GREAT" I think it may be time for me to stop and find something else to do...

[song4themoon]

After working 8 hour days on the PC, going through 800 and more pics I cant really go "WOW" over them anymore. There are a few pics here and there where I still get the WOW effect, but most of the pics are the "usual" specially if it comes to the reception.

[sara505]

I'm like that too.... I seem to never really think that my own images stand out. But if I set them aside for a week or so, then go back, I do notice things that I really like. I thinks it's just that I see them so often as I'm processing them that they lose that "wow" factor like you said... This goes for all of my photography.... not just weddings...

By the same token, there's a lot to be said for not showing clients their photos right away, best to wait until after some of the memories have faded. The way we remember an event changes over time. If I look at my own work too soon, I am viewing the images with the immediate memory of the event and the light and the emotions--the images often don't meet my initial expectations.

I often am soooo sick of my photographs by the time I have shot them, reviewed them, spent hours in PS, that I hate them and don't want to show them to anyone. But if I step away for a time--even a week, I say, "wow, not bad." I am the only one who does not like my photoraphs.

I have old b&w negatives and contact sheets from my dark room days--many I would have deleted had they been digital, but 30 years later, even blurry, badly composed shots are now treasures.

[NickSimcheck]

I think it's completely normal to like others work more then yourself. I always critique myself too much, do this next time, change that, etc.

I get comments on how great something might look and I say "Thanks...BUT i wish blah blah blah)

Then there is always those couple of great shots that you sit back and are simply stunned with youself, or was it just luck? :o

[jra]

Just as many others have said...when I look at my work, I often pick out the mistakes and flaws. After PP and looking at them all over and over, by the time I give them to the client, I'm really unimpressed. Not to mention that weddings are often times so predictable and alike (at least to a photog that attends many of them). It's like seeing the same photos over and over with different faces. I guess this could be a good thing for a photog because you begin to learn when certain photo ops are going to happen, but it can lead to uninspiring work. To keep things on the up and up, I usually try to do some shots that are a bit different and creative on each shoot. Sometimes they work, sometimes not.

[JimAskew]

After 20 months and 12,000 photos with my DSLR I am beginning to like my technical approach to wedding photography. I can actually see improvements over time.

But, it is the artistic side that I am not happy with. When I look at the photos posted here by senior members I am often in awe. It is almost as if they treat the camera as an extension of their mind and eye. Moments in a wedding are fleeting...you either capture them or you don't. It seems to me that the true professional knows this and finds them by instinct. I am not happy with my instincts and I continue to work on my artistic side.

[steveathome]

We are our own worst critics, but maybe we could learn something from this thread.
If you do produce an image that makes you go wow on the first viewing, then think back to this thread and understand what it is that makes you go Wow in the first place. What is it that make the image stand out, and then maybe sometimes this wow factor could be applied to your next shoot.

[Ed Kanney]

Sure I like my own work - not perfect - but not bad!!! I've had the pleasure of working w/my wife for 15+ yrs now (wedding photography) and we are ALWAYS more pleased w/images taken by the 'other'. One's own perspective is ordinary - anothers' is 'different'.

[MHP]

most of the time i am hypercritical of my own work, I find the hardest thing to go and sell myself or be super positive about them because I have ridiculed them soo much, it's something i am working on with myself at the moment. I do get the odd image that just makes me go 'wow' and i think this is what keeps me going, i do find it funny how the client likes different ones to me though, i see the imperfections and others see the true image I suppose.

I don't ever want to be at a point where I am totally happy with my images though, this would be the end of photography for me, i don't think it'll ever happen though, i link it closely to my surfing, you get loads and loads of waves, but every now and again there will be that perfect day when all the earthly elements come together and every wave that comes through is perfect, and so you get the barrell of your life!!. it doesn't matter if it was better or worse than the previous barrel that might have been 2 days ago or 6 mths ago, it was still the best barrel of your life. and the best feeling. photography is very like this. the barrel being the 'ultimate image'.

Pity really eh, the ultimate image doesn't stay the ultimate image for you personally for very long.

human nature I suppose.


oops, just realized this is in the wedding section, sorry i don't do weddings, used to though, does that count?;-)

[MHP]

oh wow, I just tried this. nice one Mathew!

[grego]

I'm never happy.

[cinci-photo]

I think a lot of times I'll say to myself, "these aren't that great", because I've seen so many great shots here. My clients are always very pleased with the work, but I always think I could've done better.

I've seen improvement in my limited number of weddings and that's enough to keep me going. I see a benefit in paying for the quality of lenses. I've just recently upgraded a couple lenses, but still haven't been able to justify an L series lens yet. Maybe once I grab an "L", I'll say WOW.

The important thing is that you see improvement in your work, you like what you do, and most important...... the customer is happy.

[MagicallyDelicious]

im totally the same.

now and again i am wowed by my own picture but then it does fade.

[JMHPhotography]

I like some of the images that I take... but I am still always tearing them apart. In the end, if my customers are happy... I am happy.

[xandria]

Ditto - I dread the download and 1st review. I seem to notice every technical "mistake" immediately and the feeling of dread spreads over me. When I leave it for a day or two I seem to find more images that I like.

I'll look at other photographer's online portfolios - in "consumer mode" - and it helps me to remember that some of the photos I like the most and that grab my attention also have very similar techinal mistakes. We're always going to be our own worst critic, which keeps us on our toes and looking for ways to improve. But sometimes you just have to look at your own stuff as the beautiful art it is.

I recently did a family session, in which I included a portrait of a mother and her grown daughter. After viewing my images, I realized that I would love to have such a portrait of my mother and I. I know my clients loved the photo's and although I should have used a reflector (technical mistake), the photo was beautiful and they loved it....which really is what matters most.....isn't it?

[Mathiau]

I always seem to have the same thoughts though. Ho-Hum. I dont see my work as outstanding or the kind of shots that make me say WOW!



I think like that of most all of my pictures, it wasnt until recently someone saw some of my random pics and thought i was a "pro", was flattering, i do have the odd image i may say "that looks awsome", but they are far and few between, but, i am noticing they are occruing more frequently which i guess is a sign i am learning something.

[richy5497]

I spend so much time looking through and editing my photo's that by the time i'm finished i hate them and am sick of the sight of them. Thats more-or-less without exception.

[deconb]

I often see pictures I take and think, that would have been a GREAT picture if only... You can add focus, color, blur, exposure etc to the end of that. My girlfriend gets MAAAD when I talk about it! She looks at my work and loves it, I say, that'd be great if I'd got the focus just so..

The only time I look at a picture I've taken and think how great it is, is when the subject is so powerfull anybody could have pointed any camera at it and gotten a great shot; fires, sunsets, general excitement...

I'm REALLY glad I'm not the only one! :)

I often think that most of the stuff that I really like I can attribute to having good gear, this REALLY gets her mad.. :)

I'm actually more frustrated when I see a picture that is obviously wrong and other people don't notice it. I've had two pictures printed, one for a newspaper and one for a brochure that I didn't do any post work on.. neither did they. In the paper they printed two pictures, front page, above the fold, one had the wrong white balance set, the other was fine, the blue cast on the first one was a slap, how could they print that without a little correction? The brochure, the pictures was about 2 degrees out of rotation, there were tons of surfaces to draw attention to it, how could they not fix that?!?

I'm embarassed by them, my gf says nobody will notice, I think they will.. gah ocd..

[dpurslow]

I too am like that the only thing that keeps me going is looking at "Normal" peoples phots and when you see what total crap they produce you realise you do have an eye and your photos are way better than just snap shots !

As a a photographer we must see thousands of photos each day, only a few manage to capture us for a few seconds, its those pictures that make us thing. - the rest are just a mish mash of junk.

Be thankful you think that way, what if you thought you were the best, what could you strive to improve upon, what would drive you to take a better photo ?

I am glad I am just one of the crowd - allbeit a well paid member of the crowd. :-)