The Quest for Perfection
It often strikes me, in the modelling and art photography industry, that most folks usually try too hard. They are always looking for the next best thing. Art photographers look to perfect their lighting, their technique, they are always dissatisfied with their work. They aren’t happy until they get the “killer image” in a shoot, the perfect shot that makes it all worthwhile. The one that is "real art". If they can’t create that, for whatever reason (and there may be many), they are unhappy with their work. Similarly most photographers I know spend inordinate amounts of time browsing online, constantly comparing their photographs to others – is someone else’s better? If so, why? How can I get better, dammit? I wanna be the BEST!
Likewise models are constantly and desperately striving to look thinner, more toned, more beautiful. They hone their posing, their technique, their makeup. They shoot with only the best photographers, and compete to get the best ports. They need to be better and cooler than other models - how else can they be a famous model? How else can they get to the top of their profession, get the big bucks, and be a STAR?
Now don’t get me wrong. Striving to improve oneself (whether you are a photographer or model) is a good thing. It’s human nature, after all. How else can you improve, and better your craft and your artistry? More importantly, how else can you support yourself financially? But the problem here isn't to do with earning a living. It's to do with the pressure in modern society, and in the art industry in particular. The unrelenting pressure to be better than your best. The never-ending quest for fame and glory. The constant nagging doubt that you are inferior in your craft, that you are inadequate when compared to your peers, and the inner craving to fit in with the best (and most popular) photographic creatives. This industry feeds off insecurity, and this is not a good thing.
“You know,” says Rich, “If only I could shoot as well as Sascha Hüttenhain, then I’d be happy with my photography.”
“Well, no you wouldn’t,” says I. “Nothing would change.”
Even photographers who are of Sascha's calibre, are constantly dissatisfied with their work. They are permanently striving to improve, just as fast as they can. The relentless pressure is still there. They are constantly pushing themselves to achieve a photographic utopia which exists only in their imagination. (Note, I’ve no idea if this applies personally to Sascha or not – I’m generalising wildly after spending way too much time observing professional photographers and models. Sascha may be deliriously happy with his art and think he's the bees' knees, for all I know.)
Although a certain amount of professional competition is generally healthy, I never understand with people, just why the compulsive need to compare oneself with others. And exactly what is the damn rush to improve so fast? By trying to cram in as many shoots as possible before Christmas, by staying busy, busy, busy, by entering goodness knows how many photographic competitions, by relentlessly pimping your art – exactly how does this help YOU, the person? How will driving yourself so bloody hard, actually give you a healthy working environment in which your creativity can flourish?
And why the rush to get to the top? Why is everything so urgent, so pressurised? Why do you constantly crave more and compare yourself to others? Why do you work so hard, and yet find yourself constantly wanting?
Because you’ll feel guilty if you stop, is my guess, because being in a constant whirl of competitive activity in modern society has now become a habit, a compulsion. It is considered “normal.” Shame, guilt and fear of inadequacy have won the day. You’re either constantly busy, constantly feeling you must create unique top notch art, or…or what?
What would happen if you simply stopped? Turned off the computer? Took a breath? Chilled out? If you stopped comparing yourself to everyone else in the industry, if you stopped browsing Model Mayhem, or the photography blogs? What would happen to your art then?
Go ahead. Step off the treadmill. Give yourself permission to chill. Try just doing nothing.
In the words of the wise Bishop Stephen Cottrell, "Learn to nurture your inner slob."
And I bet your art improves all by itself.
Likewise models are constantly and desperately striving to look thinner, more toned, more beautiful. They hone their posing, their technique, their makeup. They shoot with only the best photographers, and compete to get the best ports. They need to be better and cooler than other models - how else can they be a famous model? How else can they get to the top of their profession, get the big bucks, and be a STAR?
Now don’t get me wrong. Striving to improve oneself (whether you are a photographer or model) is a good thing. It’s human nature, after all. How else can you improve, and better your craft and your artistry? More importantly, how else can you support yourself financially? But the problem here isn't to do with earning a living. It's to do with the pressure in modern society, and in the art industry in particular. The unrelenting pressure to be better than your best. The never-ending quest for fame and glory. The constant nagging doubt that you are inferior in your craft, that you are inadequate when compared to your peers, and the inner craving to fit in with the best (and most popular) photographic creatives. This industry feeds off insecurity, and this is not a good thing.
“You know,” says Rich, “If only I could shoot as well as Sascha Hüttenhain, then I’d be happy with my photography.”
“Well, no you wouldn’t,” says I. “Nothing would change.”
Even photographers who are of Sascha's calibre, are constantly dissatisfied with their work. They are permanently striving to improve, just as fast as they can. The relentless pressure is still there. They are constantly pushing themselves to achieve a photographic utopia which exists only in their imagination. (Note, I’ve no idea if this applies personally to Sascha or not – I’m generalising wildly after spending way too much time observing professional photographers and models. Sascha may be deliriously happy with his art and think he's the bees' knees, for all I know.)
Although a certain amount of professional competition is generally healthy, I never understand with people, just why the compulsive need to compare oneself with others. And exactly what is the damn rush to improve so fast? By trying to cram in as many shoots as possible before Christmas, by staying busy, busy, busy, by entering goodness knows how many photographic competitions, by relentlessly pimping your art – exactly how does this help YOU, the person? How will driving yourself so bloody hard, actually give you a healthy working environment in which your creativity can flourish?
And why the rush to get to the top? Why is everything so urgent, so pressurised? Why do you constantly crave more and compare yourself to others? Why do you work so hard, and yet find yourself constantly wanting?
Because you’ll feel guilty if you stop, is my guess, because being in a constant whirl of competitive activity in modern society has now become a habit, a compulsion. It is considered “normal.” Shame, guilt and fear of inadequacy have won the day. You’re either constantly busy, constantly feeling you must create unique top notch art, or…or what?
What would happen if you simply stopped? Turned off the computer? Took a breath? Chilled out? If you stopped comparing yourself to everyone else in the industry, if you stopped browsing Model Mayhem, or the photography blogs? What would happen to your art then?
Go ahead. Step off the treadmill. Give yourself permission to chill. Try just doing nothing.
In the words of the wise Bishop Stephen Cottrell, "Learn to nurture your inner slob."
And I bet your art improves all by itself.
Labels: Art, Pirate Maiden
posted by Lin at 6:59 PM
5 Comments:
As much as I hate to admit it, you've been reading my mail. And if I'm smart, I'll take your advice.
Or is this just an evil plot to lure the rest of us into complacency while Rich takes over the world?
I think to me, it's not about perfection or competing, or anything else along those lines. It's about evolving, being the best you can be for yourself, and enjoying what you do. I personally don't care what other people shoot, and who they shoot it with. I don't really care what people think of my work, except for the people I care about. I shoot what moves me, what inspires me, and I try to challenge myself to do it as best as I can. I shoot at the pace that makes sense to me. The motivation has to come from within. There is no other way. I don't understand people who wallow over what others shoot. I just want to be me and express myself in a way that makes sense to me.
Wow! You freakin' nailed it, Lin. Personally, I'm guilty of just about everything you noted. I am an obsessive "road to Photo Nirvana" traveler. Is there truly such a place? does it really exist? Will I ever arrive? Or is it like one of those dreams where you're running as fast as you can but not actually moving forward.
Tell your man he CAN shoot like Huettenhain. It's one of those not-so-secret, secrets of the pros: All he has to do is hire the best models, MUAs, stylists, assistants, and photo-processors/retouchers. With the photography skills he already possesses, his work will be as standout as Hoot-n-hane's. (if that's how it's pronounced.)
Love it.. and agree whole heartedly.
It is why I am shooting less, and am happier then I have been since mid 2005..
It works out, and I shoot with who I like, not the name..
Competition is for sports. The fear of measuring up to others work, or the fear of what others do artistically and how it may effect our work OR how others view our work is the absolute death of the creative process for self. If we have not the confidence in our work to stand on it's own merit, and we have the fear that others work may in fact overshadow what we do OR that we may fall short of their watermark in some way, ....PERHAPS we are not creating anything noteworthy after all and are simply fooling ourselves. But quite frankly, who cares who is "better" than who? There will always be someone "better" (totally subjective anyways)! Does it really matter to our personal work what photographer "A" does? Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with admiring the work of others. But by comparing ourselves to their work, OR aspiring to shoot like them will erode any originality that we may have. Once we get out of this mindset, unfettered creativity flows.
Ahh..I'm so full of shit..don't pay any attention to what I say.
WARNING!!! I must stress a disclaimer that if you subscribe to the above, you may in fact ultimately "suffer" from complete and total confidence in your creative output, all at the expensive of having absolutely no fear of any artistic inadequacy. Kids, this is about YOU and your creativity...not about others. Champion yourselves.
bt
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