Good enough isn’t good enough

I was recently asked in a survey if I aligned more with my photography work “always has to appear to come from a professional or if good enough was enough”. I’m not like this with everything I do, unfortunately. I always try to do my best, but in many tasks, good enough is good enough.

I can take the photos and do good work then when I get home and the photos are downloaded to the computer they aren’t good enough. I spend time working on the images in post-processing. If I revisit those images months or years later I think, “What the hell. Why did you do that?” Maybe I’m overly critical of my work, but I also hold the work of others to my standards. I have stopped giving unfiltered comments to others.

I understand that many believe that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” but I also believe that some essential traits are commonly recognized as “beauty”, especially in works of art and photography. I work to be better today than I was yesterday. I also work to constantly improve and love to see how others improve. I am not critical of the style of others. I understand that we each have our own styles and preferences.

Let me give you an example. I was reading a forum where several people commented on an overexposed series of photographs. The photographer responded in a rude and condescending manner stating things like, “Maybe, it was done on purpose” or “Just don’t look”. I have heard the old saying, “Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and they all stink except our own.” To me, this is a very narcissistic way of thinking. Oftentimes, opinions can be the result of knowledge of a topic. While I create art to fit my own needs I do realize that others may have an opinion on the work. If I’m consistently creating work that no one or few people understand and relate to then I have missed the mark and maybe I should pay attention to the feedback that I have received. Regardless, good enough is never good enough for me and I would encourage you to feel the same way about your own work.