{"id":609,"date":"2025-07-23T07:45:52","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T12:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lofgreenimages.com\/blog\/?p=609"},"modified":"2025-07-23T07:45:52","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T12:45:52","slug":"being-a-better-photographer-gets-harder-the-better-you-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lofgreenimages.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/creativity\/being-a-better-photographer-gets-harder-the-better-you-get\/","title":{"rendered":"Being a better photographer gets harder the better you get"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lately I have been frustrating myself with my work and it’s made me think about how I have grown in skill and my creative path forward. Sitting down and thinking about why my work wasn’t meeting my expectations was an interesting exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question to myself was, why am I not having the same enjoyment when I photograph as I used too? It seemed that often, I would go out to make some photographs and come back more frustrated than refreshed. Up until recently I would take my camera for a shoot, planned or impromptu, and would come back excited, refreshed and clear minded. This wasn’t happening lately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On Ramp<\/strong>. Pentax ME Super, 28mm f11, 125th sec. Ilford HP5+, Rodinal 1:50<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At first I thought it was my tools. Did I need a new lens to get the mojo back? What is wrong with my film process, do I need to change to a different film or developer? Maybe a new camera will help… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the obvious things many photographers look at to improve their work. In my opinion it’s a fools errand. When I thought about it more I realized all of my best work was made with the exact same cameras, lenses and process that I still use today. The tools haven’t just fallen apart, it was how I was using them. More importantly how I was seeing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest realization I have had after digging deep on why I was feeling frustrated about my work was that, as I have improved with my photography my expectations for results has increased. When I first started to take photography seriously as a form of expression I would get a photograph I was happy with one out of maybe fifty exposures. Looking back at them today the keepers are not up to my standards now. So I didn’t have much consistency when I began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Holes in the Water.<\/strong> Pentax ME super, 50mm f8, 500th sec. Kodak TriX400, Rodinal 1:50<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now that my consistency has improved and I can make photographs that I see in my head before pushing the shutter, my expectations for results are much higher. I found myself taking less photographs because the scene before me wasn’t perfect. I would make excuses for the bad light or cluttered scene etc. I lost my spontaneity when looking at the world around me. I unintentionally put myself in a creative box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I have learned after spending some time thinking, looking back and examining how I work today is that I need to :<\/p>\n\n\n\n