Today I'm going to share some bad photos I've taken over the years and some of the things I've learned from taking them.
I've just had a thought about analog vs digital while writing this post. Normally I don't care about the analog vs digital debate because whether you like one, the other, or both, it doesn't really matter, it's mostly just personal preference and each medium has it's own pros and cons with neither side ever coming out on top. I've chosen analog photography simply because it has cheaper starting costs, I mean, if you're lucky (like I was) your first 35mm camera could be given to you for free, then all you have to pay for is a cheap roll of film and developing costs once the roll is filled. But that's beside the point.
The thought I had was that with digital photos, if I take a bad photograph I simply delete it and never think about it again. But analog photos are far more permanent, especially if they've been printed, and this means I'm more likely to look at them again and again, contemplating what exactly I've done wrong and how I can do better next time. This, for me, is a great benefit, because how am I going to learn from my mistakes if I can just delete them as soon as I make them?
Anyway, let's get on with the show.
This photo, to me, is the perfect example of a good subject with terrible composition. My excuse for taking this bad photo is that it was Amsterdam, I was stoned on good weed, and my friends were going into some shop and I didn't want to be left on my own as I had no phone to contact anyone if I lost them. What I've learned from this experience is that I need to take my time, focus, frame, and shoot, instead of trying to quickly take a shot and move on.
This is another decent subject this time with alright framing, although it would be much better if I just tilted the camera a small few degrees anti-clockwise. The real issue with this image is the lack of focus. Moving targets are often harder to shoot than stationary ones, especially when the are moving directly towards you. What I learned from this is that I need to practice quick focusing, something that I am still really bad at.
Even though it's not a good photo I do like this one. Obviously the problem with this one is that it is woefully underexposed. What I've learned from this is to never trust auto exposure. What can I say? I was young, lazy, and not yet familiar enough with the sunny 16 rule at the time of taking this photo.
This is the last photo I'm sharing today, it's not terrible but it's still pretty bad. There are quite a few problems with this one, from exposure to focusing and everything in between. However, the main takeaway from this image for me is that I need to make sure to get closer to the subject I'm photographing. If I had been brave enough to get closer to those deer this would have been a better image. Alternatively, I could buy a telephoto lens, but that costs money.
Well, those are some of my photography fails and a little bit about how they've (hopefully) made me a better photographer. There will be more in this series once I borrow a scanner and scan some more of my failures, and I have quite a few of them. Even my most recent batch of photos from a couple of months ago have some good fails, but that's to be expected (and half the fun) when you are learning the ins and outs of a decades old camera you've never used before.
Hopefully you've enjoyed this post, let me know what you think in the comments.