Exhibiting Work

I've just been reading a discussion forum over on PhotoSIG where the author of the topic talks about having a fear of showing his work to other people. This is perfectly understandable - artists from all backrounds and disciplines show an innate insecurity and desire for perfection, from the classic "stage fright" of actors, to the "never quite finished" attitude of a film director. However, there comes a point where this insecurity actually stops creativity altogether, as seems to have happened to this unfortunate person.

As a photographer, my aim has always been to capture images for enjoyment - both mine and others. Fortunately, my dad was also an amateur photographer, and I was able to show him my early efforts without fear. No doubt many of them were rubbish, but it encouraged me to keep going. I'm comfortable enough now with my skills to show lots of other people too - even though I know there are millions of photographers who have far better skills than I do. I get great enjoyment from developing my knowledge and putting it into practice, but I get even more in producing a final print and displaying it. I believe that if you're passionate about your image and you really enjoy it yourself, then you can convey that to others. If you're too afraid to show any of your images, then ask yourself - why is that? Do you not enjoy them? If not, why not?

It must surely be better to "get things out there" than to cover them up for fear of not being perfect.