Growing Thicker Skin

[gnelson]

How did you go about getting thicker skin towards criticism of your photographic style? I am a perfectionist, so it's been driving me nuts. I know my style and enjoy the photographs that I take (as does my family), but I can't please everyone which drives me NUTS.

[PnwGuy]

I am far from being a professional photographer and have been shooting only just under three years. I have found that some of my favorite shots have not seemed to be very popular at times. Other times shots that I felt are just OK were well-received.

I've shown my flickr page to quite a few people and everyone reacts differently to different pics.

I finally accepted that everyone has different tastes and it is nearly impossible to take shots that everybody will like.

Stay true to yourself and shoot what pleases you. That will help you to develop your style and to enjoy it. It's more about you and what you get out of it than anything else in mho.

Oh, as for criticism...critiscism has a negative conotation. Think of it as feedback. Actually listen to it, as you may hear some common things that could help you. I understand the perfectionist...but you just gotta let some stuff go.

[private]

Art, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And what kind of feedback is given? If suggestions are not offered on how to "fix" it - just blow it off - especially if you like your work.

[SandeeWig]

Originally Posted by gnelson

How did you go about getting thicker skin towards criticism of your photographic style? I am a perfectionist, so it's been driving me nuts. I know my style and enjoy the photographs that I take (as does my family), but I can't please everyone which drives me NUTS.

I am one of those amateur photographers that found her passion for it through taking pictures of friends and family, and at some point having those same people comment about what great pictures I take. So, naturally, I thought I was good. When I first found this site and asked for critique, I took the responses very personally and found myself wanting to be defensive and justify (or make excuses for) the decisions I made in terms of composition, post processing, lighting, etc.

However, after reading many many many more critiques, I realized two things: 1) no matter how many edits I make, no matter how much my knowledge of photography or software improves, it will be a very long time (i.e. never!) before I know it all and execute every shot perfectly, and 2) photography is subjective, so what looks great to me may, in fact, look like rubbish to someone else no matter what I do.

And so, I decided, I'm OK with both of those. When I ask for critique, even if I do not always like what people tell me, I take what I get and either apply it, keep it in mind for next time, or disregard it knowing that one of the two things mentioned above probably applies.

Also realizing that in the end, it really doesn't matter what others say about your photography...if you like it, your family appreciates it, or your clients are happy - whatever your situation - then it is perfect!

[wulf]

You can't please everyone. The difficulty with being a perfectionist is not everybody else though - it's getting to the point where you are content enough with your own work to put it on display in the first place.

Wulf

[Doug Pardee]

Originally Posted by gnelson

How did you go about getting thicker skin towards criticism of your photographic style? I am a perfectionist, so it's been driving me nuts.

At some point you need to develop some confidence in your art. You are the one who knows what you want the image to show, and how you want to show it.

Until then, if you want helpful feedback then you should ask specifically about whatever it is that isn't working for you in the photo. Then take all responses on that topic as suggestions, and all responses about other aspects of the photo as being someone spouting off.

It's your photo, dangit. Stand up and own it!

See this satire on Internet critiquing of classic photos:
http://theonlinephotographer.blogspo...-internet.html

And a real-life example from Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrerabelo/70458366

I can't please everyone which drives me NUTS.

You can't please everyone, so you gotta please yourself. (swiped from Rick Nelson)

It is absolutely impossible to please everyone. Fortunately, it is not your job to please everyone.

[PowerPix]

I was born with it....Perfectionism and thick skin

[gnelson]

Originally Posted by Doug Pardee

Until then, if you want helpful feedback then you should ask specifically about whatever it is that isn't working for you in the photo.

I like that advice

About the only thing that bugs me with the images I take is sometimes I don't get the best focus and the images aren't as crisp as I would like, though I know some level of PP is required to achieve the effects I see in most images people post.

[EdithOSB]

I took a couple of online classes; we had to post and critique each other's photos. Because of the class, we had specific guidelines for various assignments, and the basics of composition.

I quickly found that some students simply couldn't stand the process even of GIVING feedback, leaving responses like "Wow!" or "I went to Denver once too!" It was really annoying because we had to read all of the comments, and try to respond, but these didn't help at all.

In contrast, the people who made specific suggestions - even if I didn't agree with them - were helpful. They let me know how the photo struck someone else, and perhaps something I might do differently. It was easier to take their "fix this" feedback when they also included "this is the part I like."

I had a photo I really liked - thought it was just great - an everyone else said, "huh, it's okay." I couldn't figure it out. Two years later, the development office at my monastery asked to feature it all through one issue of the newsletter - and they were among those who hadn't seen anything much in it before. So even opinions are fleeting...

[smenzel]

Feedback is a tough thing. I divide feedback into two baskets -- useful and useless. 99% of all feedback falls into the latter.

Someone else said it quite well. There's a certain amount of art in photography and a lot of it boils down to taste / style. I worked in a photo lab for a few years doing custom enlargements and kept bumping heads with the store manager about my work. Turns out his and my tastes are diametrically opposed. I like very fine grain, sharp detail and high contrast while he likes high grain, soft detail and low contrast. Realizing this helped me immensely.

Useful feedback can often be hidden in otherwise useless feedback. The fact that someone likes an image enough to leave a comment (regardless of what they said), is useful. The fact that some images get viewed a whole lot more is useful (to a certain extent). Granted, neither of these are incredibly useful but it's a glimmer of usefulness in otherwise useless feedback.

One of the more useless pieces of feedback I received (and this for an image submitted to a 'feedback group' on Flickr) was, "I don't like that car anyways."