Mixed messages

I am always striving to improve my photographs and where possible that is in the camera rather than in post processing. I know that some post processing is always going to be necessary but if I can achieve the image I want in the camera I am always happier with the outcome. I share some of my better images so that I can get feedback from those who view them. This reinforces to me that I am on the right track with what I am trying to achieve.

So I get really confused when I post to different places and get way different responses. On Facebook there are a lot of photographers who's opinion I respect and many of whom are also friends. When they tell me they like an image I believe them because I trust that they are going to be honest with me. On another site there are some excellent international nature photographers who are of a standard that I doubt I will ever get to. Sometimes I feel I am close, and then I will post an image to their site and they will find lots of negatives about it in their critique, then add a tiny positive to encourage me to do better.

In the beginning I felt I was learning a lot from them but now I just get depressed when my best image of the week or month is just knocked down. I paid to be a member on the site too, I won't be renewing my membership when the time is up. There is just so much negativity a person can take. I am learning so much more just from picking up my camera every single day and using it than I have from reading lots of articles and looking at other peoples work.

I learn by doing, by making mistakes and finding solutions to the mistakes. I don't show you the mistakes here but I am happy to say there are a lot less than there used to be. So thank you to all who read this blog and comment on my photographs both here and on Facebook, I am grateful for the feedback. I am learning more every day and I think I am just going to delete the links to that other site.