It’s how you see, damn it!

Over on Heather Morton’s fabulous blog, there is a post by Myles that brings up a really important point: it doesn’t matter what tricks you know in Photoshop, if you start with your own way of seeing, your own great images, you will have much better work.

The comments need to be read as well.

I don’t think that computer tricks and skills are bad, that is not what I am saying. I just think that if you start with strong work, strong images you have made, then add strong post skills, the combination can be devastating (in a good way). But if you just take a picture, then use the same skills in post, meh.

And like Myles was noting, it is too easy to get sucked into trend-following if you aren’t making your own best work first.

Think about it: are you making your work or the work you think that people want? Are you making your work and then turning it into what you think people will want? Or are you making your work, using whatever tools are appropriate, and then finding the right people to show your work to?

Only the last option will bring you lasting success.

2 Replies to “It’s how you see, damn it!”

  1. Here’s another trend to avoid: Sharing your work with everyone who asks you for a photo. I just got a request from a local event organizer who wanted me to give my photos to her so she could share them with a well-known local non-profit.

    And, I don’t know about you, but I’m running into quite a few non-profits that have more money than any of us can shake a stick at.

    So, I asked the event organizer if there was any chance of selling one-time licensing rights to the non-profit. Her reply: They had no budget. (Yeah, right. They get quite a chunk of money from Our Fair City, and last I checked, my business doesn’t.) But she thought that the visibility would be nice for me.

    My reply via e-mail: Visibility is all well and good, but I need to keep my bills paid.

    Her reply was quite gracious, which is good. I want to stay on good terms with her, but also make it clear that I’m not in the business of giving my work away. Especially to organizations with a lot more money than I have.

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