As I have developed my photograph skills over the last few years, I’ve found an urge to share more. You might notice i’m not usually a big writer on my blog, writing is not my strong suit. Talking!!? Oh i’m very good at talking, but sit me down infront of a keyboard suddenly the words stop, ummmm, why was I here again!!!? So I can’t promise that I’ll blog every week, but I’ll try to blog at least once a month regarding something educational. By no means am I the expert, or know everything, I am still constantly educating myself, but I feel confident now that what I’ve learned to this point might be helpful to someone just trying out photography for the first time. I know when I started down my photography journey, any tiny bit of education I could glean from a photographer, who’s images I admired, I soaked up like a sponge. My hope is I can help someone else the same way.

So with that … the first post on my mind today…

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes find myself constantly comparing my work against others, critiquing my own work against other photographers and often times feeling like mine is just not good enough. Whenever I start the comparison game I’m always reminded of a bible verse, 2 Corinthians 10:12. ” … but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise”   Then why in the world do we do this to ourselves? Validation, when we find someone we are better than? Motivation, when we see images we know are far superiors to our own?  Whatever the reason It’s probably not a good one.  I remember reading a wise blog one day that made that made a point I will always remember. Rather than compare our work against others, we should start looking at our own progress, remembering to look back on those first images you took and compare those to the images you take today.  If your images now are drastically better than 2, 3, 4 years ago, GREAT,  you just boosted your self esteem for the day with our having any negative thoughts towards another fellow photographers work. If you aren’t please with your progress, thats OK too!  That’s your motivation to continue to practice, learn, develop.

Here are two images I’ve taken ( both happen to be my best friends little boys ) Nolan was taken in the fall of 2010, not a bad image, but looking at it now I critique it, upside down and sideways. Soft, composition, shadows, lighting, you name it. Evan was taken last week. I’m sure an expert would look at this image and have many critiques, but for me I’m please with my progress. Is there room to grow, YES there is always room to grow, but I can look at these two images side by side and see I am growing, and that’s all I can ask of myself.