How To Avoid Perfectionism

Try putting away your fancy gear and use your phone. It's amazing at how your thinking changes when you don't have to worry about the camera, just what you are taking a picture of.

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Set the camera to full auto basically to do the same thing. Be in the moment. Just a thought. BTW, I now do this at family gatherings. Unless it's a special event, like a wedding that someone asked me to shoot, I use my phone. I find that people are much more comfortable and willing to goof around and get candid when the big camera stays in the bag.

goalerjones wrote in post #18896481
One of the harder things is that I do this for free, so I'm never sure if they're telling me how they really feel, or what they really want. I get, "we love your pictures" a lot, but never any, "but could you maybe get some shots like this".

You don't get specific feedback that would be helpful because the clients aren't photographers and don't have experience in critiquing. They aren't aware of what choices you make in carrying out a project. They may not even know what they want, beyond something general like coverage of the craft sessions, until they see photos that capture different aspects of the activity.

For commercial work, clients would tell you what effect they want and would answer questions about whatever they missed. In this situation, I would ask in advance of shooting or, second best, before you select shots to submit. Do they want images that emphasize the kids having fun (smiling faces, expansive gestures, etc.) or the social aspect (cooperating, sharing resources, showing their work to friends) or the craft objects? Include pictures of the supervising adults? How much of the setting? Any funny pictures, like little hands and shirts covered with paint?

Thanks. Your reply has actually shed some light on this for me. I'm planning on doing this once a month, so I will speak with them, but, as you said, they may not know what's possible. Towards that end I will take different types of shots and have them tell me if they want one vs another. It was hard going in cold and only taking shots I thought were nice.

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goalerjones wrote in post #18896481
..... when I reviewed the images they went with they had used close up on craft, craft in the process of being made, and kid standing holding their craft, in short, none of the images I'd contributed.

My needs come in the form of pointers on mindset, and approach to jobs that don't sound as fun, but aren't necessarily "beneath me", but just require a different mindset.

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What I have done in such occasions is to think about what the people want, and then completely focus on shooting that kind of image. . Forget all about your own preferences, your vision, your tastes, your interests, and your shooting style. . It's not about you or the kinds of images you like at all when you shoot for others.

I have done this somewhat recently at a soccer tournament. . I had to think of what kinds of photos the kids would enjoy, and what kinds or images their parents would enjoy, and what kinds of images the coaching staff would want, and then focus 100% of my energies on capturing those types of images.

The resultant images are ones that I do not like at all, and would never want myself, if I were a soccer player/parent/coach. . But they are exactly what those players, parents, and coaches wanted and they were very pleased with them. . But I don't even want to look at those pics because they are distasteful to me. . So yeah, you basically have to put a really big huge sacrificial effort into creating something that you don't even want to look at, because "not about me" really means "not about me at all, not even 1 percent about me".

Most things in life go best when you can adopt a super-extreme, super-harsh mindset about something for a short period of time, and then extract yourself from that mindset as soon as the thing you are doing is over.

And yeah, I did that for free, too, just like you are doing your thing for free.

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I come from the exact opposite side of the coin. Since I shoot news/sports/events, I almost never have the time to shoot a perfect image. Not sure I have yet to shoot a perfect image. Trying to get myself to slow down enough to do a really excellent scenic is a constant challenge. My current quest is to become proficient at astrophotography. It is a completely different mindset. I rely heavily on post to current images I've shot. I always strive to get most everything right in camera, but adjustments in post is nothing I shy away from.

There is a place for perfectionism..... but if I let my mind get stuck over there I would never produce anything. In order to get there you need to work at a glacially pace, with intense focus on the process. My mind will just not go there. And the thing is I have seen near perfect images... and none of them were on the web. Perfectionism comes in the detail, and there isn't enough detail on the web to be able to visualize perfection. The medium itself isn't perfect because everyones monitor and lighting conditions are different. The image has to be shown in controlled conditions.

Anyway... I know I can't produce perfect... I try to get close... but have yet produce a perfect image.

I am under no illusion that my images are perfect. I just try to get out and shoot, mostly things that I like but I am trying to do other things that are of lesser interest to me, as I think it will probably help my photo skills overall. Sometimes just a few photos from around the house but then I will shoot them in RAW, just to mess with the PP side of things a bit and they are not "important" photos if I screw it up.

The perfect photograph has yet to be made. Adams, Weston, Bresson all came close. The perfect body of work has yet to be made. Robert Frank came close with The Americans.

What is perfection in art? Is it composition? Weston said "so called “composition” becomes a personal thing, to be developed along with technique, as a personal way of seeing.". So what is works for one photographer in one situation doesn't for the next.

My point is a lot of creative work is subjective. So then everything is pretty much wide open. "Photography is not a sport. It has no rules. Everything must be dared and tried!" - Bill Brandt

I guess the only thing that is important is having something to say visually and knowing that photography is the best medium for you to say what you have to say.

airfrogusmc wrote in post #18897865
The perfect photograph has yet to be made.

There is a large difference between a perfectionist and a perfect photograph (not implying anything about the OP!). I am surrounded daily by people who have a obsession for details - but loose sometimes the view for the bigger picture. But I agree with photography "is having something to say visually".

drmaxx wrote in post #18897921
There is a large difference between a perfectionist and a perfect photograph (not implying anything about the OP!). I am surrounded daily by people who have a obsession for details - but loose sometimes the view for the bigger picture. But I agree with photography "is having something to say visually".

I agree. They can't see the forest for the tree.

goalerjones wrote in post #18895877
I've become an "artist", when all some people want is just candids. I do my own images for my church's stock image library, and now I've been asked to photograph the day to day aspects of the ministry. Crafts, and "nuts and bolts" shots. However I'm finding it hard to adjust from portrait mode.

Do any of you have to adjust like this also? Any pointers? Thanks.

Just adopt a different art. Right now your art is portraits. Adopt the art of the documentary.

Study the classics. Get into some old National Geographic magazines. Read up on the old photo documentarians like W. Eugene Smith (my personal idol).

When you go in to the church, think in terms of developing a story for National Geographic. So, say it's a Sunday for communion. Shoot the story of the people who prepare and deliver it. What are the aspects that the average member doesn't know? Illustrate the camaraderie and community that develops among people doing a specific job to support the congregation.

Next time maybe it's the story of the guys directing traffic in the parking lot.

Next time, come in early to shoot the long day of the worship team and choir, doing sound checks first thing in the morning and worn out after the end of the last service.

Have a story in mind, think about how you'd build a slide show from it. And then, besides turning in separate images, actually create the slide shows and present those as well. They may never have thought of such a thing before.

That's an art, and there is a perfection to doing it right.