Perfect photographs do not exist.

Art is subjective.

People have different tastes.

Tastes evolve.

Skills improve.

Whether you’re a beginner or an old fart that’s been around the block, it’s hard to avoid comparing yourselves to other people’s photographs.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I know I have room for improvement. Like many photographers and artists, I look at other people’s pictures and think: “I’ll never be that good.” I frequently start to doubt myself and back away from sharing my own photographs.

The impetus to share my photographs doesn’t come naturally to me. But somewhere in my head, I have this notion that by sharing, it’ll not only help me improve, it might also help other people improve.

When I look at other people’s photographs, I try to to squelch that “I’ll never be as good” thought, and let these images inspire me. It’s often a conscious effort to ask myself questions like, “What elements do I like in this image?” and “How can I apply it toward my own photographs?”

And by sharing my own images and my thought processes in creation of my photographs, I hope that I too will inspire other photographers.

You’ve got doubts? You’re not alone.

I can’t tell you the doubts ever go away. I think they don’t, even for the masters and experts. These doubts can be a good thing, though. Use them to motivate yourself to improve. And get better at your crafts. Then maybe one day, they won’t be so loud and intrusive.

By making a conscious effort to pay attention to other people’s works, you will improve.

By applying your new knowledge to your artistic choices and allowing your tastes to evolve, you will improve.

By studying other photographs and applying it to your own photographs, you will improve.

You can do it!

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