How self critical are you?

kalibre

kalibre

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Serious question as I seem to go through the same cycle of self criticism each time I produce some shots that I consider 'good'.

1) Take shot, process and tweak.
2) Sit back admire, be generally pleased with myself.
3) Look at other peoples stuff and convince myself that their's is more 'out of camera' and that I'm relying too much on PP.
4) Look at my stuff and think it's not sharp enough or the lightings not as good.
5) Decide that the image is probably not that great at the end of the day and that it's a lifelong learning curve and I'll get there in the end.

The reason I ask is that it doesn't matter how good a shot gets or how much praise I might get it's the same pattern. The weird thing is that I would have killed to be producing some of the stuff I do today, say 5 years ago.

Are other people really harsh on themselves? Is it just flickr envy?

I've probably now opened myself up to hideous amounts of psychological analysis now and seem like a right weirdo. :bonk:
 
Other peoples work always looks better. The same as other peoples food always looks tastier. I am VERY self critical as I am sure most others are. I look at my shots and pull them apart. Other people seem to love them (well, most of them).

The day we stop being self critical is the day we stop learning and striving for improvement. Out of thousands of shots there are a handfull I am happy with.
 
I'm very self critical also.

Friends say that they really like the shot, but i'm still there hating it, wishing i'd done somethiung slightly different when shooting etc...
 
It's very very hard to be objective about your own work.

I've got to the stage now where i'm fairly happy with mine, but I still find it hard to sell it - so maybe I'm not the best judge....

I've just read your last sentence. You're probably hoping for some reassurance, and I'm happy to give it. I imagine most people have problems judging their own stuff.
 
I think being self critical is part of a self led learning process, otherwise you'll start getting a bit flat pretty quickly? I find it v hard to judge my own stuff, I can always see where it could be improved or sometimes where I wonder what I was thinking. It's tough as well because I don't have someone to cast an experienced eye over my work.


EDIT: we need to see your stuff kalibre ;)
 
I havent got a portfolio because i cant find ten good pictures .. I can find somehting wrong with every single pic i have ever taken
 
I'm self critical of my photos, I'm definitely my own worst critique and I'm surprised if I get a photo that I'm happy with (especially with birds in the garden because they don't stay in the one place for long) :). I might be wrong but I think if we weren't self critical of our photos, we wouldn't learn from our mistakes (why we aren't happy with a photo we've taken) or make progress with photography :). Thats my two pennys worth of input :lol:.
 
quite critical, but enjoy the process more than the photo sometimes.
then I stop criticising my own stuff too much and don't dwell on it so that I can get on with the next photos and improve maybe a little.
 
I'm very critical of my stuff. Sometime overly so. However I'm still getting better.

I'm also very critical of others, by this I mean looking at the greats, and taking their shots to pieces too. It's a good way to learn, and to work out new (to me) techniques.

I reckon the day you just stop looking analytically at your stuff is the day you revert to being a happy snapper. Albeit one with an expensive camera. :)
 
Bleh.. I'm just having a moan at myself at the moment for coming home with a load of ***** photos. I look at the photos I've taken and I look at photos other people on here and flickr have taken and it's a bit disheartening at times. I'm not sure if it's that other people have the pick of better locations to shoot and I'm a little limited - I've just got back from a walk down the local woods and river, and I was hoping this time I might find something new but no luck. I keep doing down there with the same plan to find something else but never seem to find it. So I don't know if it's me or where I live!
 
kalibre said:
1) Take shot, process and tweak.
2) Sit back admire, be generally pleased with myself.
3) Look at other peoples stuff and convince myself that their's is more 'out of camera' and that I'm relying too much on PP.
4) Look at my stuff and think it's not sharp enough or the lightings not as good.
5) Decide that the image is probably not that great at the end of the day and that it's a lifelong learning curve and I'll get there in the end.
Click to expand...

Yep, that pretty much sums it up for me. I can often cut our point 3 and 4 though and go straight to 5!
 
Glad it's not just me then...lol...Thanks peeps.

fontmoss said:
EDIT: we need to see your stuff kalibre ;)
Click to expand...

I'd say these are 5 recent shots you may have seen elsewhere on the forum I'm quite pleased with, but even these I can be quite critical about. It's just always that next level you want to break through to.

Good-1.jpg


Good-2.jpg


Good-3.jpg


Good-4.jpg


Good-5.jpg
 
I am extremely critical of my own work, and I wouldn't want it any other way. It is what drives me to improve and learn more about something I now have a great passion for.
 
I am totally with you kalibre, I really struggle to know when I have a good shot or not. Also I find the shots i'm not overly impressed with other people seem to prefer over the ones I would have picked.

PS never mind flickr envy.. the shots you posted are enough to make anyone envious.
 
I'm very self critical.

I look at and hate 90% of my wedding shots, but my clients love them and my wife thinks they're 'awesome'.

I look at others and think why can't I do that - but people tell me I can and I do!

One day I'll think 'that was a great wedding', then I'll retire!
 
It's heartening to see that there's so many that are so critical of themselves and their work.

Must be a fairly unique trait that is present in photographers and certainly not in politicians.
 
It's safe to say other people appreciate my photos a lot more than I do. when people comment on one of my pics I tend to reply in the negative about how I could have made it better.
 
I am critical of everything i do. If it isn't 100% perfect then i wont be happy, even if everyone else is amazed.

This applies to my photography too. I can look at my photos and if it isn't great i'll know, but as far as actually criticising it goes i find it hard to put my finger on exactly what is needed to improve a shot.
 
Your best shot will be your next shot.

Just keep saying that!
 
kalibre said:
Serious question as I seem to go through the same cycle of self criticism each time I produce some shots that I consider 'good'.

1) Take shot, process and tweak.
2) Sit back admire, be generally pleased with myself.
3) Look at other peoples stuff and convince myself that their's is more 'out of camera' and that I'm relying too much on PP.
4) Look at my stuff and think it's not sharp enough or the lightings not as good.
5) Decide that the image is probably not that great at the end of the day and that it's a lifelong learning curve and I'll get there in the end.
Click to expand...

I am very self critical, but I don't have a kind of set list like you do here.

The reason I ended up so self-critical is because when doing photography A-Level, you have to develop the film yourself and make prints too. Well, I always ended up with too much film in need of developing (still have a back-log of 20 films!:eek::(:|:):D:lol: With only a few "periods" (hours) a week to get through all of this, you HAVE to be incredibly critical about which negs to get prints from!

This basically ended up with me throwing away (almost -in my eyes) perfect prints, but say were just half a mm off from being vertically or horizontally correct. I usually had the tutor looking at my discarded work and telling me that there were some good shots in there!:lol:

Now with digital, I again am heavily critical, but mostly because I can't seem (yet) to get anywhere near to what I could using B&W film on my old praktica.

its got to the point where when I go out, I look at my Bessa R, and my 40D and every single time go for the Bessa R! I am now starting to get the "buyers remorse" over the 40D:lol: but no, I do keep trying to take it out when possible.
 
For those who claim they're incredibly self-critical, or if complimented find it hard not to be negative about their work: learning to take a compliment on the chin is an important part of mature social interaction.
 
Brilliant post Kalibre! I really admire your honesty.

I assure you that you're not alone - I do pretty much the exact same thing after every single shoot!
 
I'm pretty self-critical of my images individually and also when I'm complemented about my general skill level I tend to say things like "oh, I was just lucky really" or "it took a hundred shots to get that one good one" when actually I'm probably not as bad a photographer as I keep telling myself I am and should take those compliments and use them to fuel my passion.

God that was deep.:thinking:

Andy
 
Andysnap said:
I'm pretty self-critical of my images individually and also when I'm complemented about my general skill level I tend to say things like "oh, I was just lucky really" or "it took a hundred shots to get that one good one" when actually I'm probably not as bad a photographer as I keep telling myself I am and should take those compliments and use them to fuel my passion.

God that was deep.:thinking:

Andy
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That's exactly it, when someone does compliment me I just say thanks but then stumble with some similiar excuse like 'it's all in the processing you know' or rubbish like that.

Of course there is always that sneaking suspicion that they are also just telling you what you want to hear. I almost wanna hook 'em up to a lie detector to see if they really do actually like it! :bonk:

Once again, glad I'm not alone. :D
 
I'm critical of my stuff to the point where i will very rarely post any pictures online. My wife and family seem to love my photography, but i can find fault in everything.

We have large prints round the house, and over at the inlaws, but i don't like looking at them as they are all rubbish in one way or another.
 
barneyrubble said:
I'm critical of my stuff to the point where i will very rarely post any pictures online. My wife and family seem to love my photography, but i can find fault in everything.

We have large prints round the house, and over at the inlaws, but i don't like looking at them as they are all rubbish in one way or another.
Click to expand...

aww! :hug: :hug:

don't be so harsh on yourself! have a go posting, you will definetly find that your wrong about your pics being bad! plus, you wouldn't have to look at them online, we would!
 
I'm kinda in the same camp. My family, friends and relatives tell me I take great photos and I should turn pro, but almost all of them have something wrong with them to my eye.
I have a few I'm pretty happy with, but not many. I guess I'm being a perfectionist.
 
I'm extremely self critical of my shots and even when I've sold some to the general public I'm still wondering if they know what they're buying ! A person hands over cash for one of my photographs to put on their wall and I'm still wondering if they're doing the right thing ! lol...mad :)
 
Every time I look at one of my shots I like it less and less, this is without exception. Don't know why it's so but there must be a reason behind it :thinking:
 
I sometimes look at my older photos and wonder where the inspiration came from.. but if i try something similar again I don't think it has the extra quality I expect it should have with what I have learned since taking it.

I put most of the photos I am proud of down to luck.
 
I keep finding my criteria changing, and i rarely find myself consistently happy with anything I shoot
 
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