Progress

Internet photography forums are a constant source of bemusement (and amusement) to me. People asking which lenses they should be using as if there is a hard and fast answer. People seeking advice on what to photograph -I wonder why they bought their cameras in the first place, it's as if they like the idea of owning a camera but don't have any reason for making pictures. People asking what to do when they get 'stuck'. This last one is very common.

There's a misconception that progress follows a constant curve. You struggle along gradually improving as a photographer.

In reality progress is made in steps. Some people make one step and imagine that's all there is to it.

Anyone who really wants to improve does so in a series of steps, some being higher than others. Between these steps are periods of satisfaction. These last varying periods before disillusion sets in and in the ease with which the next improving step is made.

It's a constant swing from satisfaction to frustration with what you are doing.The only way to move on is to keep banging your head against the wall until you break through. You might keep on doing the same thing until suddenly you do something differently, or you might try doing different things until you find the one that works. There's no set path. The only certainty is that you won't find the solution on a forum - you have to put the effort in yourself.

My head's hurting, but I feel like the mortar in that wall is loosening.

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