Please don't let that terrible photo and the others you will see as you scroll down kill you. I promise they won't, though it almost kills me looking at them. But I am killing myself for a good reason. Comparison can be an evil thing for photographers (and writers too). In our day and age we can access so many wonderful photos of anything (almost). We can also be tempted to compare ourselves to other photographers. We look at their photos and see how much better they are than ours and sigh... "what is the point... surely I can never be that good, so what is the use trying."
“Comparison is an act of violence against the self.”~Iyanla Vanzant
Comparison can lead us to give up and stop trying, don't. Look to those photographers as inspiration, and go and practice. Enjoy taking the photos you take. I enjoyed taking these photos back in 2005. Yes they are terrible photography-wise but they were a start. Everyone has to start somewhere.
“Comparison is the death of joy.” ~ Mark Twain
As to why you get to see these embarrassingly terrible photos.... Well they prove how bad my photos were and of how much I have improved. They are also part of another point I want to make. Comparison can be good, (yeah I know I just said it was bad) but only if you are comparing to yourself. I am very glad of how much better my photography has gotten. Very...
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| 2006 |
Because we are human though, we compare. So, if you must, then compare to me... see where I was, and where I am now. It is possible. With practice, it is possible to get magnificent results. I just revel in that feeling, when I capture a moment so perfectly and I know I have just taken a photo that I have always aspired to take. So scroll on down and see how my photography has changed, through the years.....If I can possibly call this stuff at the beginning photography.....
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| 2006, yes this is actually a selfie.... |
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| 2007 |
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| 2008 (I bought my first digital camera) |
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| 2009 |
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| 2009 |
I did occasionally even take photos back then that I still like now. Like that one at the beach, which is rather nice. I decided to only use photos of people, because then I only had to go through a certain amount of photos. Back then I only very rarely took photos of people. I preferred flowers... generally blurry ones. As you can see though, I did sometimes take photos of people.
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| 2009 |
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| 2010 |
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| 2011 |
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| 2012 (I bought my second digital camera) |
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| 2012.... yes I used a tripod |
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| 2012 |
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| 2013 |
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| 2013 again a tripod.... because that is me |
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| 2013 (borrowed a friends Nikon DSLR) |
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| 2014 (bought my own Cannon 600D) |
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| 2014 |
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| 2014 |
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| 2014 |
As you can see the camera does help, to a certain extent. But really I bought a better camera each time, because I wanted one that could do more, because my photography had improved. The thing that counts most is practice and training yourself to see the photos.
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| 2015 |
Don't compare to other photographers. Look back at how far you have come. Look at others for inspiration and go out and take photos. Yes some of them will be dreadful (but if you don't put them on social media no one will ever know how dreadful some photos you still take are). Dream on, Lord willing you will get there, you will be able to capture that picture, just as you always dreamed of doing.
Comparison to others takes the joy out of things, whether it is photography, writing or even life. So please don't do it. Just have a go, take your camera for a walk and get clicking.
awkward
,
blogging
,
christmas
,
Clear Light Photography
,
encouragement
,
family
,
hope
,
laughter
,
magnificent
,
photography
,
quotes
,
sisters
,
time
About the Author
Clare Farrelly is a professional photographer. She is an Australian and lives in NSW Australia. In her free time she likes to read, do random crafts or sewing projects found on Pinterest, journal, write articles and stories. Most important, she is a daughter of the living God, saved by his grace.
3 comments
Wow! Speak of then and now... I barely recognize Jane in those earlier shots!
ReplyDeleteYou have come a long way in your photography, Clare... the work you do now is breath taking! God bless you, friend! :)
Thanks Emily :D Jane was hoping no one would recognize her.
DeleteYou've come so far Clare! :-)
ReplyDelete~Katie@ liliesofgrace.blogspot.com