Time to reflect - annual reviews and goal setting

[DanK]

Max,

An interesting thread. thanks for starting it.

I too am a perfectionist, and I think one key to progressing while being happy is learning to channel that impulse. When I first switched to digital, I felt as though I had to learn everything. Every time, for example, I stumbled on a different way to sharpen, my reaction was 'OMG! I need to master that one too!' Well, no, I didn't need to.

There are certain things about which I am still very persnickety. For example, I do a lot of macro, and I needed really to put time into stacking. The basics are simple, but the details aren't, and I am still learning more. In contrast, my use of flash is fairly rudimentary, and I don't feel much pressure to make it more sophisticated. I do a lot of candids of people, and for that, I often need flash. I'm now quite comfortable with my basic setup, which is one flash, either on camera or on a bracket, often with a bounce card and a diffuser. It works fine for my purposes, so I have put off multiple-flash work and all the rest off for another day.

I still have as a goal improving my postprocessing, but I've grown accustomed to the idea that the progress will be intermittent and not terribly fast and that people will often refer to things I can't do.

Re genres: I am always open to new genres, but one really grabs my attention only infrequently. For example, I first tried night photography a few years ago and quickly got hooked. I also know what I don't do well. One genre I don't do very well is (unfortunately) landscape. I keep doing it, and my goal is to get better gradually, but I don't expect to get very far with it.

Like others who have posted, I often look at older images of mine and grimace. However, a few of my early ones still compare favorably to many of my new ones. The difference is that the good ones were much less frequent then and involved a lot more luck. For example, I think this may be one of the first half-dozen flower macros I ever took, and it is still hanging in our hallway:



So, my approach is to give myself a kick in the pants to improve gradually in the areas that matter most to me but to accept that there will always be a very long way to go.

Dan

[Mike Buckley]

this may be one of the first half-dozen flower macros I ever took, and it is still hanging in our hallway

It deserves a much more prominent position.

[DanK]

Thanks, Mike. Very kind.

[Max von MeiselMaus]

That is a beautiful shot, Dan.

And there are two, good signs that you have succeeded in your goal to improve. You grimace at many of your early shots and the ones that remain appealing were unpredictable. That sounds as though you have made great strides.

Yes, we have to keep our goals realistic or they fail in their role to motivate and direct us. I don't feel I need to know everything, even on the technical side, as that would be impossible. But I do admit to trying out most sharpening techniques I come across (current winner is frequency separation. Sorry if I have given you another one to investigate).

So much to learn, so very little brain with which to do it! And that's me, not you. I am confident your brain is up to the task.

[DanK]

Uh-oh, Max. You've done it to me. I had to google frequency separation sharpening. I'd seen it used for touch-up, but not for sharpening. Some long winter evening...

[Max von MeiselMaus]

Hahaha! Uh-oh indeed. It is the dog's doodahs. It sharpens the details without crisping up the high contrast edges. And I am now starting to use it for touch ups too, and that works great as well. So, my sharpening method of choice, until I discover the next one...