In my photography journey, I have opened up my photos to many people in varying mediums to garner opinions on my work. I find it exceedingly interesting that one person can gaze upon a picture and see something that really appeals to them, and yet another will only see the flaws. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, and understanding this, in my opinion, is imperative to keeping your ego intact.

After subjecting myself to tireless scrutiny, I began to wonder:

-Is it possible that a photo can still “speak” to someone even if the lightning didn’t fall evenly on the subject?

-Can’t a message still be conveyed with the perfect expression on the subject’s face, even though they aren’t looking directly at the lens?

-Certainly a small blown out area on a white shirt doesn’t ALWAYS distract from the rest of the picture, right?

I believe so, and as I go about my day, I find myself looking at the world differently. I’m constantly trying to see it from different angles. I suddenly kneel down to see just what that fence looks like from that view. I lay on the grass, and look up at things. I notice the light, and how it changes the look of the world around me. There is so much to see and learn, and I am glad that I can accept that sometimes there will be flaws, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of viewing.

Great Photographs Are More Than Technical Perfection

Although this post suggests that I might be trying to make excuses for my photography errors, I am not. I am simply saying I have discovered that technically perfect doesn’t have to be the ultimate goal. We need to stay focused on that if we are to keep the joy in our photographic journey. It is finding the creativity, while striving to improve your technique, that will allow you to thrive in photography. We simply can’t lose sight of what moves us.

Great Photographs Speak To The Viewer

The following photo is a perfect example of what I am talking about. Technically, it is a disaster. One side of her face is darker than the other. Her outfit is crazy, and the front of her “jammies” is completely blown out. Sure, it would be sweeter if the bright orange bubble container weren’t there, but I LOVE this picture. It speaks to me. Yes, I know how it could have been “better” and I will learn from it, but that doesn’t take away from what I did capture.

And the same is true for you.

Corey finds herself blissfully caught between mothering her adored Sugar Bear, and her budding passion for photography. You can find her Living and Loving Every Minute Of It over at her blog, where she strives to share her joy in just being….Corey.