I’m new to the hobby and I thought this would be an interesting discussion question. Greatness is subjective, of course, so I’m not talking greatness in terms of being ranked against all photos taken in the world (unless that’s personally the benchmark you choose to rate yourself on). What I’m really asking is how often do you personally feel fulfilled with your photography? Whether you go out daily on photography walks, take your camera everywhere all the time, or just do a ton of professional gigs, what I want to know is how often do you think “Wow, I got a great shot there. I’m really proud of this one.”? Do you have several every time do take photographs, maybe one a day, or is it few and far between for you? How do you feel about coming home from a photo session and feeling that you didn’t really get anything good? For those that do professional client work, how do you feel if you finish a pro gig and don’t feel like you got anything all that special (even though it may be good enough to warrant your professional standards)? On a second note, if you do professional gigs like weddings and such, do you ever aim to get something unique and original or are you more focused on making sure you get everything on your standard checklist of photos your clients expect to have?

  • MalevolentlyInformed@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I do occasional professional work and a lot of photo walks. And a photo trip somewhere a couple of times per year when possible. I’m rather addicted to photography. It depends on how good “great” is…I’ll get a few shots that make me really happy each week as I shoot quite a lot. That might be a shot I post on social media or share with friends, like a great street portrait. But something truly great for the portfolio?..Probably 10-20 per year? Less? I haven’t counted but it’s not super high.

    I do feel very fulfilled with my photography, though I also have so much more to learn. I can see my style even in my oldest images and I see it becoming more refined with each year. Because I snap every time I go out. Sometimes I just snap because I’m curious to see how my camera renders a patch of light or I want to play with a different aspect ratio. Each snap helps me better understand what compositions and subjects best match the feeling of inspiration that first caught my attention. It really is about just shooting more and more and more. Like any other skill.