…. well, I suppose that’s true and we all have our opinion. I think the important thing is that it satisfies something inside you. Ohhhhh, excuse me the gang is here.

Sorry folks, I was in the middle of a discussion. See, we were talking about the value that a photo has for different viewers. The thing is, that even tho we may very well be the maker of the photo, once we make it and start looking at it, we are viewers. This is a crucial concept to adapt and utilize. I’t hard to let go of the children we make as photographers. What happens is that regardless of how we attach, without letting go, we can’t make progress and see clearly.

It’s not easy to just be a viewer, not at all. It’s so much easier to just be a viewer with everyone else’s work. You probably think I don’t know what I’m talking about. I do know, I just don’t know how to write it. I’ll try to make sense of this in a brief way.

When I do a workshop, I always show my work to get things started. The reactions to the work is always interesting. Some wonder why and ask why I make such dark strange photos. Of course my reply is, I don’t think they are strange. They are what I feel and see inside. I guess it’s kinda flattering to have some people think my work is strange. That means to me that it’s not like the majority of what’s going on.

Then there are those that want to make everything the way everyone else does it, just for the security of knowing they fit in. There is no right and there is no wrong way to work. Only the satisfaction of the maker matters……until you share it with the world. Then as we all know, everyone has an opinion. What value you place on someones opinion is what determined the success or failure of your photographic emotional state. Here’s what I mean. You post a photo or more and you get good response from 5 people. That provides instant gratification and you love those people. Then it happens. You don’t get good response and maybe even someone post a negative comment. This has a negative effect on you because it’s a blatant attack on your work. So, this has the power of providing good energy or bad energy. Maybe you sit back and figure, I’m just not cutting it. Maybe my efforts aren’t understood or appreciated.

Her’s what I understand as the main problem. GRATIFICATION.  Instant at that! As shooters, we get instant gratification the second we release the shutter. It doesn’t get to build too much. So, if you see that you are working for yourself, then this conversation doesn’t have to much about it you have to deal with. If the other way is your way, the way of the shooter without a cause of their own but to seek responses from others and that shapes your path, that’s a problem.

We all like a positive response to our work. We need to be strict with our judgments and stand by our selves and our work. It is not easy to stand by an image or even a body of work that has little response. It’s difficult to say the least to be committed to said work and NOT LET ANY RESPONSE, GOOD OR BAD EFFECT HOW YOU WORK.

So, I suppose the perfect idea to go after, is to try to find yourself in your work.

to be con’t, cont’d, continued.  shortly……

Be blessed my friends…………