We all know that person (if you don't, it's you) who thinks they are amazing and are completely useless at photography. Chances are that we have all also been that person, but why?
Although photography is subjective, I am going to put it out there that some photographers are simply bad. Be that due to technical abilities, poor execution of concept, or just bad taste, they suck. And I was certainly one of them. I was useless at photography for the longest time imaginable. I nearly gave it up because I was so bad. However, during that bad patch, there was a period where I thought that my work was amazing. Looking back at it now triggers some sort of anxiety mixed with shame. I was utterly delusional.
However, you mustn't be disheartened. It turns out this is really common and actually completely normal. In this video, I look at why this is, as well as offering some test that you can take to work out where you really sit in the grand scheme of things. I also look at ways in which you can help people who are currently stuck in this rut.
This phenomenon is not only related to photography. It is no mistake that more than 50% of drivers think that they are better than average. Have you fallen victim to the Dunning-Kruger effect in the same way that I did when starting out?
I enjoyed this video it is very eye opening to look at my own work differently.
Dunno... 'bad' and 'good' are kind of relative. Not absolute. But like the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court once said, "well, we can't define porn, but I sure as hell know it when I see it".
Rather than say "I am a good photographer, and here's why", it is perhaps more convincing to say (honestly), "I've been told by many that my photograph portfolio is pretty impressive, and many have purchased prints from it". Money kind of talks, when vapid opinion's of one's self ... well just blithers.
Mostly tho', it seems patently obvious that most-every "bad photograph" is a combination of 'dumb framing', accentuated by 'stupid lighting problems', along with 'point of focus wackiness' and lastly 'just not appealing subject matter.' If I take a picture of a perfect sunset, just seconds before Sol sinks below the horizon, AND there are banks of clouds picking up all nature of high-light-value colors and contrasts, shadows and highlights, and compare that to a handful of dirt and an upside down box of eggs ... well, it is pretty obvious the sunset wins the competition.
But the eggs CAN win, if the lighting is exquisite, if the seemingly random position of the eggs falling out of the box is arranged to be visually striking, if a carefully dead ant is invisibly glued to one of the eggs, and if the dirt is slightly moistened to make it much darker. Shot in black-and-white, or colorized to sepia, and taken with a marvel-of-a-macro lens, tripod, ISO 50, 80 or 100 ... such a photograph can win a competition. There are endless awesome sunsets. Very few eggs that verge on abstract art.
Similarly, my dear wife takes horrible snapshots. Enthusiasm, 11 on a scale of 10!!! Framing, 2. Lighting and composition, 3. She's not a technician here, but a warm hearted memories 'taker'. Almost no amount of Photoshopping will fix up most shots. And there are so many.
She marvels at how my shots of exactly the same people-and-events, taken with my rather old D90, with nothing more sophisticated that a 34 / 1.8 pancake, look just awesome. ... Framing, composition, lighting, angles. Well chosen focus. (I hardly ever use 'auto'). Knowing when to cut total exposure, or kick it up a bit. Finding faces that have momentary flickers of ironic emotion, and waiting ... to catch them.
Really awesome photography though is also kind of like panning for gold. you can (and really, must) go thru a LOT of sand in order to sequester a few scintillating flecks of the gold stuff. Even on a productive stream, it takes a week or more to acquire a few ounces. The point is, reasonably good photograph is almost exclusively NOT about equipment, special lenses, fiddling with EFX, massive post-shoot Photoshop processing; it isn't about boxes of fancy lights, stands, reflectors, doodads. Its about composition, lighting, 'craft' and a sense of 'seeing' interesting subject matter.
Lastly, beware dissing 'smart phones' as causing bad photophgray (not that anyone here has, right?). I've seen absolutely masterful photographs captured by lowly last-last-generation iPhones, equal to or better than even my good days of shots. But I've also seen both good compositions ruined by murky (dirty) lenses. Marred by not being terribly square (skewed), not being aware of the evils of 'hot' lighting. It all comes down to CLEL ... composition lighting exposure, luck.
just saying...
There is nothing wrong with being a "bad" photographer as long as you are trying to improve.
I think the issue/problem is that too many people are not open to constructive criticism and really only want to hear "good" or "wow" or "amazing" comments when they show their photos.
I literally came across a photographer/compositor recently that had posted a photo on a public forum, who then lambasted me because I gave some constructive criticism. I was polite with a "great job mostly, however, I think next time look into trying x,y and z." He then pointed out he had written in the description "no CC please" which I glossed over.
I personally couldn't understand why somebody would post a photo on a public forum, and straight out ask for no constructive criticism. Again, there are people who just go in guns a blazing to throw negative feedback without elaboration "this picture sucks" which is just as bad as saying "wow". But some people must think their crap don't stink for them to not want constructive criticism. This will never help you to improve.
I am at that sweet spot right now, where I know enough to not fall for the Dunning-Kruger effect and make an ass of myself (anymore), but still am ignorant enough to not get all depressed because of the imposter-syndrome.
None of a person's friends or family wants to be honest with them about their photos, or they don't know better. They get offended at any critique, so they go to forums where people will ooh and aah their photos. It's not hard to figure out.