It's not often that people in the photography community share the pictures they think didn't turn out well, it's usually just the hand selected few good ones that end up on display. I try to remind myself, and you lot too, that everyone takes shitty pictures, even the best of them, it's just that the great ones are very hard on themselves and are very selective of what works they show to the public. I think one of the most important tools for a photographer is their ability to be very critical of their own work.
I do a lot of photography, almost daily, and I'm the biggest critic of my own work, I know what is good and what is not, and I don't much care about what others think of them. I try to showcase the kind of pictures I like myself. I've done photography for quite a while already, and I'm beginning to be a lot more mindful about what I shoot. I generally know if the shot is worth taking, before I take it, but of course there are misses, some that I only catch after I put the pictures onto the computer. I do have a tendency to hurry and not pay attention that well, which I regret every damn day. I could have done better, and I make stupid mistakes.
Yesterday evening there was major skyporn in the countryside and we went on a little drive with my dad just as the sun was about to dip below the horizon. We arrived to lakeside and there was a fishing boat just about to come to the shore, and I ran out of the car to try and take a picture before it touches the sand.
I recently got a new lens, which I bought used, the Sigma 35mm f/1.4, and I was testing that out. To my disappointment, the autofocus does not work, which is really bad for me. It only turns on once every blue moon it seems, and that's not enough, I need to be able to trust my gear. I already contacted the company and they suggested I try to update the firmware of the lens, and if that does not work, then I can return it. So I ordered the Sigma dock because I've been meaning to get it anyway because I have so many of their lenses and plan on having more.
So as I was running to the shore to capture the image I wanted yesterday, the autofocus did not work and I tried to manual focus in a hurry. A complete fail! Even at aperture value of 10, they are sooooo out of focus there is no fixing it, and the moment was already gone. I hate manual focus on a modern dslr, I can never get it right! I really wish all the cameras had the same kind of viewfinder as the old film cameras, they are sooooooo much easier to nail the focus with.
Unless it's not clear to you, the first shot is the okay one, the two below are the bad ones. Please let me know if this is the kinds of posts you'd like to see from me more. I assure you for every good photo I post, there is three that are fails and are left to dust on the hard drive.