The Human Element

You always read “don’t compare your work to others”. It’s hard. And you see a lot of work by other people – old masters, emerging voices, exhibitions, social media, magazines, during photography meetups, the list goes on.

I find myself asking what exactly I shouldn’t compare. Technical details like exposure, depth of field, resolution? Or the impression (light, atmosphere, emotion)? Or the content? Or the impact on the viewer?

What about comparing my different own work? Wasn’t I a different person years ago? Wasn’t I in a different mood, when I took this picture, compared to that picture? How do I order the various things I photograph? What do I want? What do I want to say with my images? What do I want my photographs to achieve?

I think the HGB workshop started something, that’s slowly unraveling now. I ask questions. I recognize the difference between photographs with and without people in it. I have the feeling, that an image without a person in it, can only go so far. A landscape shot can be perfect, but there’s something still missing in it.

Or that’s all just a phase. Or a small step on the ladder to a more rich understanding of photography. Or I’m getting old and emotional. Or I’m just looking for something *else*, after taking images of things for years. Or I’m finally over some internal issues. Or or or.

As almost always: at the end, there are more questions than answers.