In the ancient days of Socrates, there was a concept of a “daemon” — a little inner-guide which gave you wisdom. That voice is also known nowadays as our conscience or our “gut.”

The problem in today’s society is that we don’t listen to our inner-voice anymore. We listen to “rationality”, and the opinions of others.

Nobody knows anything

Honestly when it comes to photography and art, there isn’t much “rationality” or “objectivity.” Our judgements whether a photo is “good” or not is based on the opinions of a few.

When it comes to your photography, trust your inner-voice. Know that you are the most important person to impress.

If you look at the photo, and you don’t feel that it is that great— why would you publish it? Why would you even ask for the opinion from others in terms of what they think about your work?

If you are certain of your own opinion of a photograph, don’t ask anyone else for their opinion. Trust your gut. Trust your own conscience, and inner-voice.

However in the situation that you are a bit unsure, it is good to ask for an outside opinion. Or better yet— just let your photos sit and “marinate” for a long time, before you decide how you feel about a photograph.

How to ask for an outside opinion

Of course there are times that our inner-voice isn’t always right. In these situations, it is a good idea to ask for an outside opinion when we are unsure of ourselves.

For example, I am unsure about many of my photos. I kind of like them, but I don’t know if I really do like them. In these situations, I will ask Cindy (my ultimate editor) in terms of her opinion and thought.

The benefit of asking Cindy is that she knows me. She knows my aesthetic, my preferences, and my style. So she gives me a combination of her unfiltered opinion, while also knowing mine. This helps me gain a little more knowledge about how I feel about a certain image.

When it comes to asking for outside opinions on your photos, only ask people who are close to you, who know your style, who know your history, or aesthetics. They will give you greater insight than strangers on the internet.

How to let your photos marinate

I have a love-hate relationship with social media. I love how I can publish my photos easily and have tons of people look at my work. I hate how social media encourages me to not sit on my photos for a long time. They talk a lot about social media as “feeding the beast” — to always upload and publish work (even though you think it might not be great).

I’ve found that I gain the best insight into my work when I spend the least amount of time on social media, when I don’t upload as many of my photos online, and when I let my photos sit on my hard drive a long time— before I decide how I feel about them.

I constantly do this— to both my current and past work.

I often have emotional connections to my past work, but I try to ask myself, “How does this project stand in my eyes as of now?” If I still like the photos now, they stay. If I no longer like the photos, I remove them from my website portfolio.

As you continue to evolve as a photographer, know that you must create new work that pushes your boundaries. You need to increase complexity in your work, and challenge yourself. Or you will find photography boring and monotonous. Everyone wants a challenge, and especially a creative challenge.

Things I want to work on

So friend, at the end of the day — listen to your inner-voice before listening to the opinions of others.

One method I will try in my own photography is this: let my photos sit and “marinate” for longer periods of time, before asking outside opinions (even from Cindy). Because if I don’t please myself, what is the point of pleasing others?

Always,
Eric