Not too long ago, I finally felt that I had reached a point where I was more comfortable with imperfect photos. My imperfect photos. The perfectionist in me wasn't completely sold but I was going along with it. When you're writing a blog post, telling a story, does it really matter if the photo is perfect or not? No. As much as I try not to, I still compare myself to others. I think we all do. And actually, I saw others with imperfect photos too. Maybe I became too lazy.
The real game changer for me was signing up for that Instagram account. It wasn't what I expected. That's not to say that I don't enjoy it. I do. It's just not what I expected. Suddenly, having technically perfect photos didn't matter. I feel like there's more of a push for artistic photos, but you need to meet certain technical standards. I actually had a dream where someone left a comment on one of my IG photos saying, "Watch your white balance." I was mortified.
I realize that it's only natural feeling like I've reached a plateau here and there with my photography skills. It happens in other areas of life such as running, or my career. Well, that's kind of at the bottom of the ocean right now, isn't it? But now that I'm no longer working, I've wanted to spend more time focusing on my photography and stepping outside of my box. I tried freelensing for the first time yesterday. Those photos are still on my camera but I promise to share.
Here are some photos from the past month or so. I'll have a Disney dining review post up tomorrow. Thanks for reading my ramblings.
6 comments:
I think your pictures are gorgeous. I especially love the one with Emily and the marshmallow. I've noticed that some hobby photographers produce pictures where everything looks a bit lighter than it would in real life. Like people's skin is flawless and really light and the eyes are kinda glassy. Is that a trend in photography right now? Is it looked-down-upon? Because I notice your photos are never like this.
well, i don't know how much my opinion means in the scheme of things as i'm not a photography expert, although i have several friends who are incredible at their craft (if you have a moment check out juliefloro photography - she is on instagram and i swoon over some of her photos, you'll see what i mean) but i LOVE these pictures of your girls. they are actually some of my favorite ones you've posted. there is a sense of freedom to these, if that makes sense. they're very moment-in-time captured. really lovely. it's just my preference as a viewer. i don't need everything perfectly structured to enjoy the shot. and your girls are precious, so that of course, helps too.
Well thank you for the compliments. I've always tried to capture the moment, even if that means asking the kids to stand still while I do so.
Caroline - brightening and sharpening of the eyes was super trendy years ago. I tried it a few times but didn't like it. I want my photos to be realistic. The photographers who really know how to soften the skin do it so well, you shouldn't be able to tell they did it at all. I don't like it when people end up looking like plastic.
I like your photography style a lot, Sarah. The way you capture tiny, fleeting details of everyday life makes it almost like a still life. It's great.
As a fellow perfectionist, I get it. There's always a struggle between a photo that perfectly tells a story but isn't as technically perfect as you know it could/should be.
But I bet your girls don't care about the focus falling on their nose not their eye or a little grain from a too high ISO. They'll look at these photos and this blog and love seeing the essence of their childhood.
I find Instagram is a place where artistic photos matter more than technically perfect ones. I only shoot with iPhone so I don't care - I'm taking photos for me, and I want to show the beauty of where I am in the way that I see it through my own eyes - but I notice that the featured IGs always have perfect photos that are maybe not technically perfect but are very Photoshopped and filtered and perfect in an artistic way that really can only be captured by a DSLR. They're not real to me, though. I want to see real photos, and yours are beautiful. I love how you capture things.
I definitely struggle with being a perfectionist in my photography and also worry about becoming stagnant in style and subject. I'm always so impressed with and inspired by your photos and love how you capture the light, the mood, and the every day. I think I left comments on a handful of these on insta, but these others I haven't seen before are also so great (like the one draped over the chair - the shadow and light is perfect!)!
Post a Comment