Lingering Self Doubts and Photographic Complements

Earth's Moon...
Originally uploaded by dcumminsusa

I often don’t like my own photographs. Right after I get done with a shoot, I will go through the shots and find one (maybe) that strikes me. Often I have to wait a few days and then go back and look at them. I’m getting better, but still I’m often unimpressed with my efforts at first pass. However, in the last year or so I have received many indications that I might be a better photographer than I think I am.

In 2007 I shot photos for other people. I did not charge them because I didn’t feel I was good enough to justify charging them. Also I enjoy taking pictures, so these were opportunities to take photos of people (which are out of the norm for me) and learn some new things. Twice when the recipients of the photos took them to be printed, the store(s) refused to release the shots because they were shot by “A Professional”. (In this age of digital photography, many places are protecting themselves and photographers by not letting people mass produce professional works.) In both cases the stores eventually released the photos. It was nice to hear a complete stranger who deals with photos all day, felt my work was of professional grade.

Recently, I was selected to have one of my images hang in a local club. I had to pick the image… I was terrified. I looked at some of the other work that was already on display; I did not feel that any of my stuff was of the same caliber. So I posted in a discussion thread on flickr; asking for some suggestions on which image I should put up for display. The group was very kind and a few suggested images; however a few people did give me grief about hijacking the thread and begging for attention. Truth of the matter is, I didn’t (and still don’t) feel my photography is all that great. How does one gauge their own talent fairly? And will I ever?

The above shot is currently hanging in "One Up" in downtown Albuquerque.