Two fears of photography: which one do you have?

Monday 16 December 2019, 20:10 by Elvira Smit | 7,320 views | 8 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Sometimes I think all my creativity is swallowed up by finding yet another good excuse not to go out and take photos today. By now, I have come up with whole lists of excuses.

But it turns out they can all be traced back to two fundamental fears. And I definitely have one of them.

Photography sometimes feels like a dead-end, dark alley:

No inspiration, no motivation, the feeling that 'everything has already been photographed by someone'. And often better.

That is not very helpful, of course. Fortunately, I recently read a book, and it gave me a new insight.

There are two photographic fears

The book Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland is packed with sentences that I copy into my notebook. By now, that notebook has almost become a complete copy of the book itself.

Anyway, one of the things the authors examine is the cause behind the fear of making art or photographic work. According to them, there are two, each with a different consequence:

1. Fear of what you think of your work
2. Fear of what others think of your work

Fear type 1 means that you ultimately do not make your best work. You put it off and dance around your own ideas without giving them a concrete form.

Fear type 2 means that you do not make your own work. You are too focused on other people, and adapt your work accordingly.

My fear

I am type 1. Above all, I am afraid of what I think of my work. I take photos for myself, not for an audience.

I like the photos, my photos, hanging on the walls at home. I like hearing what other people think of them, but I am not hurt if they see nothing in them.

So I am not looking for photographic validation, at least not from others. From myself, though. My head is filled with countless photo series and ideas that have not yet been materialised.

Nice and safe, because that way it is mainly the potential that exists, rather than the reality of a finished product that does not live up to my idealised image. I often never get around to actually carrying out those ideas.

The authors of the book put it more beautifully:
"You have a choice between giving your work your best shot and risking that it will not make you happy, or not giving it your best shot, and thereby guaranteeing that it will not make you happy.

It becomes a choice between certainty and uncertainty. And curiously, uncertainty is the comforting choice."

So, enough of all those beautiful ideas in my head. They have to be materialised, because that is the only way to improve and find out whether I meet my own standards.

Which fear guides you? Once you recognise your own fear, you can do something about it…

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About the author

Ik heb een eigen fotografieblog, Kronkeling. Daar schrijf ik om de week twee artikelen. Over hoe je je blik kunt scherpen, je creativiteit kunt aanwakkeren, en over fotografen die mij inspireren. Geen technische zaken, wél over hoe je leert kijken. En dat blijkt nog een hele klus. Een mooi startpunt zijn de Kronkeltips, die vind je hier.

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8 comments

Frea Kroese wrote on Tuesday 17 December 2019 at 14:08 | reply
Quite recognizable, those two voices. It means that I always experience some tension before doing a shoot or session. Fortunately, it doesn't stop me from happily carrying on photographing, because as soon as I'm busy I have so much fun. If I have to deal with a dissatisfied client afterwards, it can stick with me for ages, but usually that can't be traced back to the image, but rather to the communication. And thankfully, you can grow in that. And sometimes it just doesn't click. That just happens. Thanks for your article, really cool to read.
Translated from Dutch.

Yolande wrote on Wednesday 18 December 2019 at 06:50 | reply
Usually I only find a photo beautiful after several days. But even then I am very critical of my photos, hence I am currently doing little.
Translated from Dutch.

Yolande wrote on Wednesday 18 December 2019 at 08:21 | reply
What I think of my photo is never satisfied. So fear 1
Translated from Dutch.

Elvira Smit wrote on Wednesday 18 December 2019 at 12:16 | reply
@Frea Kroese: Nice to hear that I'm not the only one with voices in my head Thank you for your nice comment!
@Yolande: It's recognizable that you can only properly assess your photos at a later moment. However, don't let your own criticism hold you back from taking photos! The only way to keep getting better is to do it a lot. So: just keep going
Translated from Dutch.

Trees wrote on Wednesday 18 December 2019 at 13:40 | reply
Indeed, all kinds of ideas in my head, complete images actually. But I keep circling around them and don't just do it. Imagine it doesn't turn out like what I have in my head, it'll be a disappointment, imagine that... so what... it won't be like I have it in my head, is that bad? Of course not because you learn from it and keep getting better. But yeah.... just “do” it, right.....
Translated from Dutch.

Elvira Smit wrote on Friday 20 December 2019 at 11:08 | reply
@Trees: Relatable, huh. And doing it "just quickly", that's indeed the big challenge. But think about it: it's such a shame that the ideas and images are now only floating around in your head. Get them out! Show them! I'm curious
Translated from Dutch.

Rob den Braasem wrote on Sunday 22 December 2019 at 10:18 | reply
"Fear is the mind killer"

Brook Shaden

So true.....

I don't care what someone else thinks, but that critic in my head.......
Translated from Dutch.

guest wrote on Sunday 22 December 2019 at 13:52 | reply
So nice to read that more people struggle with that. So many ideas but a fear that I will fail at it. And then that dark corridor, which can probably provide a lot of relief, if I have gone through it after all.
Translated from Dutch.

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