Here’s How to Stop Being Disappointed by Your Photos

Photography Tips

Enthusiast and amateur photographers often complain that they are unable to capture great images. They despair that their images are nowhere near the quality of images that they often see in magazines and commercials despite the fact that they have some of the best gear. Mike Browne shares some helpful tips to help you avoid disappointment and be happy about your photos:

Browne’s advice?

“Please don’t despair because great photos are completely achievable, but at first you have to give up your attachment to shooting amazing images.”

Sounds completely ridiculous, doesn’t it? Have patience and read the remaining paragraphs.

Browne’s explanation is both simple and insightful. Most often we feel disappointed not because of physical aspects but because of our high expectations, which more often than not don’t get fulfilled. This is not just with photography but almost everything in life.

Rarely in life do things match up to our expectations. When they do, the feeling is great, but when they don’t, we feel disappointed. To avoid these feelings of disappointment, start by giving up unrealistic expectations. Accept the work that you do as it is—especially if you’re a beginner.

“Would you buy a saxophone and expect to play sexy jazz after just a week or two? Or an airplane? Would you expect to just jump in it and fly off to Brazil? I mean that’d be crazy. So why do you expect these kind of things from your photography?”

Photography, just like any other profession, requires your utmost dedication and hours and hours of hard work. Just looking at a video or occasionally taking a walk with your camera won’t do any good. You need to practice hard enough so that the equipment becomes a part of you and you can take great images even if someone wakes you up at the middle of the night and thrusts the camera in your hand.

When you make comparisons between images that you took with images taken by a serious and hardworking professional photographer, you are being unrealistic. That photographer may have spent hours practicing her work. She may have spent hours to get that one perfect shot. She may have even visited the location a number of times and she may have failed a hundred times. You only see the pinnacle of that photographer’s work.

“So, please, just be kinder to yourself. Cut yourself some slack and be honest about your abilities right now. Set some realistic goals, give up the expectation and attachment to stunning images just for a while and let your photography be what it is, right now. There is no shame in that.”

How to Be Happy With Your Photos

1. Be honest with yourself about your abilities and skills as they are now.
2. Stop comparing your photos with the work of experienced photographers.
3. Set realistic goals.

Browne advises that you practice the basics of photography and the many techniques. This you can do everywhere, whenever you get a chance. As you do this, slowly but surely your photography will start to improve.