Embracing imperfect photography

If you read the photography press you could be forgiven for thinking that the only good photos are perfectly sharp, perfectly in focus, shot at ISO100, with textbook composition and correct colour balance. If you’re trying to win a popular competition then this might be true but if you are only used to blinkered camera club rules and condescending photography magazines you are missing out.

What is a good photo?

It’s up to you. If you like it, it’s a good photo.

If you’re going for a competition then you’ll need to abide by their rules and aesthetic preferences but otherwise you really are the only judge.

Stop seeing your images through other people’s eyes and start trusting yourself. Try the six ideas below.

DIY Creativity Workshop

Emma wrote a creativity workshop for photographers which you can buy on your local Amazon store. It builds on this idea of embracing imperfection and finding creative peace:

6 imperfect photography ideas

1. Out of focus

Switch to manual focus and deliberately focus either in front of or behind your subject.

2. High ISO

Do you miss shots because you don’t have your tripod and you’re worried about going over ISO200? Try shooting at very high ISOs for a week and see if you can come to love the result. I shot the image below at dusk in the woods in February: it was handheld and ISO 25600. I love it.

3. Banal and mundane

Find beauty in things that most photographers overlook. Read more in this post: Inspired by the ordinary.

4. Leave it to chance

What would happen if you didn’t plan your next photography outing; you don’t research the weather or the classic viewpoints? If you are used to being in control of every aspect of a shoot it can be difficult to let go and see what happens. Yes, you might miss some great shots; but equally you will find plenty of shots you otherwise would not have seen.

5. One camera, one lens

An extension of the previous idea: what would happen if you don’t bring all your gear? You will definitely see a photo you want to take but you will have the wrong lens with you. What will you do? Can you work through the annoyance and find some great alternative images?

6. Break the rules

How many “rules” of photography have you absorbed in your time? How many of them can you break? Try these for starters:

the rule of thirds
the horizon must be straight
the horizon must not be central
a landscape photo must have an interesting foreground
portraits must not be lit with on-camera pop-up flash
do not shoot under the midday sun
real photographers shoot on manual mode

The world isn’t perfect

The world really isn’t perfect and many of our problems can be traced back to visual media that pretends it is; whether it’s retouched Vogue covers or idealised landscapes. Would your mental health and your creativity improve if you stopped trying to take photos that are “perfect” only by someone else’s definition? Try some of the ideas above. If you’re on Instagram share your photos this weekend (25, 26, 27 November 2022) with the hashtag #WeekendImperfect. If November is long past you can find the current weekend challenge by searching for the hashtag #AYWMCWeekendChallenge and looking for the most recent photo with the hashtag overlay: