Complacent Blindness

Lately I have been dissatisfied with the quality of the photographs I produce. While looking at the work of other photographers of the same age, I felt as if their abilities outweigh mine. I began questioning myself, wondering if I could really obtain a successful career as a photographer. Do I have what it takes? How will I ever be able to support myself, or a family of my own? Such questions painfully resided in my mind.

     As I mull this over in my head, I am starting to see some positive results of my current state. I am not truly disappointed with my own work, rather I long to further improve and cultivate the skills that I currently posses. I now see that I have been complacent with my photographic work, and such a state of mind will not take me very far. I am happy to say that now I am grateful for this occurrence that freed me from the blindness that spews forth from a complacent man. How will I ever get better if I am not pushing myself to try new techniques?

Reminisce

     I can say with confidence that after cultivating and pursuing my passion for the medium of photography a little more than 3 years, I have come a very long way. I've delved into dozens of books on the topic, as well as hundreds and hundreds of articles online, and a myriad of videos on the topic of photography. While I still feel that I have a lot to learn, along with an immense amount of growth which I must undergo in order to be a professional photographer, I take pride as I look back at how far I've come.

     It's important to reminisce on the past, but dangerous to get buried in it. I think that we as humans often hurt ourselves by not congratulating ourselves and giving ourself a pat on the back for what we've accomplished, whether big or small. By acknowledging personal triumphs and learning from our mistakes, we are chiseling out an otherwise shapeless piece of marble into a defined and emotive sculpture called Character. When we fail to learn from the past, we might as well be blindfolded, aimlessly striking a chunk of marble, disillusioned as we hope for something gorgeous to emerge; conversely, by asking ourselves, "What have I learned?" after we undergo any sort of hurdle -whether good or bad- we are delicately and beautifully chiseling a figure like that of Michelangelo's David.

Taken with my iPhone 3G, while sitting in the passengers seat. Edited with Camera+.

Taken with my iPhone 3G at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Edited with Camera+.