My sincere, informed advice for new comers to this sub. Based on decades of experience as a working photographer. Photo Lab professional from the film days. And experienced visual artist, period.
When it comes to responses to your posts in this sub:
- Unconditional praise: accept it with a smile, and take it as a sign that you should keep going.
- Generic insults: if negative feedback doesn't come with any useful advice? Ignore it completely. Don't feel bad, or even defiant. It's useless noise, and treat it as such.
- Actual informed opinions, that come with specific advice, and recommendations for improvement. THIS! This is the reason to post here. As long as you continue practicing, you will continue to get better. If you have a creative soul, and a good eye, you will produce images that people like, and praise. That's all fine. But in your lifetime goal of being an artist, and mastering this specific art form... NEVER take the praise too seriously. You never want to just relax in the feeling that you've "arrived". Because now you are "good", and can just sit back and enjoy the praise, right? No.
- There is always a new level to reach. There is always a breakthrough in knowledge and skill that will open up new perspective.
- Your next great masterpiece will always be out there, waiting to be uncovered and birthed into this world. But you have to constantly be willing to learn a new technique, to shoot the same subject again and again until you've captured it perfectly. And again, and again as long as you have life.
- And if this is too long to read... or sounds too pretentious... then these words are not for you. Laugh at them, downvote, or whatever. Fine.
- But for the true artists whose souls are yearning to find that that next plateau... keep going. Never be satisfied.
u/lyunardo — 5 hours ago
