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White River

            A while back I changed my answer to the question "Who is your favorite photographer?".  Historically that answer shifted quite a bit for me, depending on the day or the mood or which books I had recently flipped through or gallery shows I had seen.  It was kind of a complicated question to answer.  But then I simplified it and changed the answer to "myself".  It came in a moment of inspiration, really.  I was fielding that question, one of the countless times I have answered it, and thought to myself, "You know what, with no disrespect to the many amazing photographers out there, my favorite really ought to be myself."  Sure, maybe this answer is implied in the question, as in "Who (besides yourself) is your favorite photographer?"  But if so, I think it might have become so implied that many of us don't even consider it as a possible answer.  Have you ever considered yourself as your favorite photographer?  And why shouldn't you be?  I would argue that many of the struggles that photographers go through internally stems from them not thinking highly enough of their own work and it is a lesson I try to impart when I can.  Learn to love your photography for if you do, you will do it longer, harder, and more frequently.  And if you do those things, success will come naturally.  But still I think many struggle with the concept of liking their work, or being their favorite photographer.

A couple of points on that.

First, being your own favorite photographer is not arrogant.  Arrogance is when you think you are a better photographer than others.  Or a more important photographer.  Being your favorite photographer doesn't have to involve thinking you are better than another, it just has to mean you like your own work the best.  Since favoriting is a matter of opinion and personal taste, shouldn't your own work match your own personal taste the best?

Being your own favorite photographer doesn't mean you necessarily think your work is good, it just means you like it the best.  Maybe your work is good and you like it the best, or maybe you know it isn't terribly good but you still love it anyway.  Separate the enjoyment of your work from the evaluation of how good it is or isn't.  Then you can focus on enjoying your photography and worry less about how good it is or is not.  Because as I said above, if you focus on enjoying it, you will tend to approach it in ways that cause it to get better.

Get over yourself.  Usually we think of this phrase in relation to photographers who are too full of themselves.  But you know what? I know more photographers who err on the opposite side of that spectrum, who are not full enough of themselves, than I do photographers who are too full of themselves.  The opposite of arrogance I suppose is insecurity, and I know many more photographers who are unjustly insecure about the merits of their work than I know who have over-inflated opinions.  Many of this former category shy away from recognizing the qualities of their photography and they do so for a variety of reasons.  Some are afraid of being seen as arrogant or full of themselves.  Some are blinded by the proximity to their own work that they cannot see it for what it is.  Some struggle to accept recognition, even when that recognition originates from themselves.  This may be easier said than done, but get over yourself.  To do that you will have to make a conscious effort.  It will take work.  But it starts with little steps.

Start by thinking of yourself as your own favorite photographer.  Just try it.

Pentax 67
Fuji Acros

Taken on: January 24, 2020

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Pentax 67

Fuji Acros 100

White River

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Sets appears in: • Oregon • Required reading

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Camera: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 9000 ED (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 9000 ED
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 21.0 (Windows)
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