My Own Harshest Critic

Criticism these days is cheap and easy, and not just for photographs. The access to unlimited work that is arguably better than mine on the internet puts me in the same position as many other artists, in that we often find our work being judged, commented on – both positively and negatively – but to a far greater degree than if our work were simply hanging in a gallery. These criticisms come through live, directly to our inboxes and comments sections.

I would definitely rather receive criticisms from an anonymous internet stranger than a client, but I would also rather be the first myself to notice flaws in my work and strive to improve them. Ideally, by the time other people notice my shortcomings they are in areas that I have already sought to improve.

I would rather create work I enjoy, and that upholds my own standards of what I expect from an image than to change my style and tailor it according to my audience. It would be impossible to create an image that was liked by everyone at once, all for the same reasons. I would rather create work that I personally enjoy, and to hope that there are enough people with similar tastes that the work (and my services they advertise) will sell, or at least be appreciated.On my portfolio I share only my absolute best work, which I constantly seek to better and replace. My portfolio from a year ago looks absolutely nothing like my portfolio today, but that’s not to say the work there was terrible – it was just the best I had at the time.

On my Instagram I roll my feed on a circuit, with new and old work – but still only the work that really stands out to me. And here on my blog I allow myself to post bad work, or work that didn’t quite make it, as long as I justify the story behind how and why I missed the shot, or how it didn’t fit my vision.

This way I am constantly looking back, and introspecting on my work, and finding ways to improve, deciding why I like an image as much as why not, and using that to help guide my work in the future.