Left
I asked Twitter followers yesterday about a potential image for a desktop and received ample “yes please” replies to turn the image into a wallpaper. The two maybe’s I read had fair criticism attached though. One mentioned that the image felt too similar to my last photo of a boardwalk which is a favorite among many. He suggested I change the mood a bit with some post work. The other suggested it was simply not as strong as other images I share on the site stating the composition did not seem strong enough. The reason I asked was not only for personal affirmation that I had created something worth sharing but also to look for opinions such as his on weather or not the image worked and it was nice to find a spark of honesty make its way to my eyes.
It lead me to revisit the images taken the day of its shooting and see if perhaps I had a better shot that I maybe overlooked on my first pass. I ended up choosing the above image over the one shared through Twitter because the criticism confirmed my own doubts that the composition felt off and not as strong as my usual fare. This brought to mind a reminder that expectations have grown considerably over the years of running a website such as this. To keep things interesting and fresh I have to look harder and harder into my own abilities to come up with posts and images I can feel proud of. It’s a steep terrain to navigate sometimes.
While of course we all share different perspectives based on our own taste and desires I still strive to offer the best possible content for everyone. Unfortunately, sometimes this sort of pickiness leads my mind to hold back more than I should leaving too much room for doubt to sneak in. I look through my drafts of articles and images and find a lot of great things that should have been published but were held back because of that nagging in the back of my mind that it was not quite up to the virtual expectations of everyone visiting the site. This, of course, is utter nonsense.
You can’t let yourself get bogged down with excuses when it comes to sharing your work online and I should know better by now. The only way to grow and continue to develop with anything is to jump in regardless of fears or potential missteps because, in my experience, failure teaches us much more than success. Some say words are cheap and its true, so are excuses. Actions, however, no matter the risk involved, are what helps things move forward. I realize I am being a little too honest here letting out a venerability of mine so candidly but it’s not an attempt to garner sympathy, rather it’s in effort to reach out to others who may also hold back too often out of fear of expectation. We can’t let our imaginary projections of how others will react to something dictate the risks we may or may not take. It’s just not worth it and in the end it leads to an entirely different waste of potential positive energy and momentum, regret.
In the end this may not be my favorite image ever but it feels pointless to hold back something based on an imagined negative response. I have hundreds of photos that I love which I still have yet to find a proper home for due to these reluctancies and I realize it really isn’t worth all the internal strife. There is no time like the present when it comes to taking action. At any rate, before I start sounding too preachy I will leave it at that.
Yeah i’m a fan of the slightly different angle the path takes in this version, it just seems to work better, and that darker tone gives it a whole new vibe.
Its great that you string lessons like this into your photo posts, I can totally relate to those words. Thanks for another great desktop.
Like :)
I think it makes a lovely set alongside “Walk with Me” and “Heading Home”. The serenity is captivating.
While we should be selective about showing our best work (and I think we are our own harshest critics), the reason one person’s work stands out from another is that it is their and not formed by committee. Go with your heart – it’s why I keep coming back.
When I see this, I think.. serene, peaceful.. Thank you for that.
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