Critiques and Confidence

I’m trying to get over my fear of letting other people see my photography. I fear being judged when I share my work. I remember the first time I entered an image for a group to critique. It was a photography club that I belonged to, and it was supposed to be to help one learn how to improve one’s techniques.

I had been learning, on my own, for about 1 ½ years and I needed feedback on my images. I didn’t really know if I was on the right track or had totally derailed with how I was taking photos. Up to this point, I hadn’t shared any of my images with anyone. I worried, ‘what if they don’t like it?’ And ‘what if I make a fool of myself?’

Hiding behind the fact that my image would be submitted anonymously, I decided to share my image with the club. It was a picture of a flower. I made sure that I followed the rule thirds. It was properly exposed. I made sure that there were no distracting objects in the frame that would take away from the photo. At the time, I didn’t know what else to focus on.

Well, the club did NOT like it. They called it a “snapshot” and offered NO constructive criticism. They just moved on to the next person’s photo. They had completely ignored my image. I was crushed, felt like I failed and had learned nothing—except that I would keep my photography to myself, in the future.

I waited years before I started this website. I promised myself that I would not open myself up to be judged by someone for my art. First, I needed to realize that “I” was not being judged. In my club example, it was anonymous. “I” couldn’t have been judged. They didn’t even know who submitted the image. Secondly, I’ve decided to try to be more “choosey” about whom I’d allow to help me with my photography.

Although my confidence is still low, and I fear being deemed a failure, I try to share my work. I dropped that club and have since joined a great local club. I’ve been a member for two years now, and although I’ve not shared any photos with this group, I’m learning a lot. That, in my opinion, is what is important.

I’m sharing this flower photo with you. It is from my first attempt at using off camera flash. I’m learning about directional light, what’s considered harsh/soft light, etc… Let me know what you think. I’m learning to be open to CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

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