Nice work. We share the same points of view. I think of photography — and writing, for that matter — as similar to the game of golf. You'll never be perfect; all you can hope for is continuous improvement and if you're lucky, at least one hole in one.
how would you recognize your own masterpiece? and what in your mind is missing from that? big question, I know. Mostly rhetorical. But curious how you could recognize a masterpiece in your portraiture?
Hey Mark! That’s a big question, you’re right. I think there are 2 kinds of masterpieces. One represents those creations which are universally recognized as that. Be it for the message, for the originality, for the creativity, for the technique or just because they are perfectly executed in every aspect.
Another type of masterpiece is the best creation of each artist. Their own masterpiece. It’s not universally recognized, however a wide audience consider those creations as the best representation of an artist body of work.
I can fairly say I haven’t reached any of those goals so far. And I’m ok with it. I know I still have so much to learn. When you ask what I’m missing in my shots, I can tell that I’m not 100% precise on my retouching. I don’t always have a specific message to send. I don’t always use original techniques and I’m not always technically perfect. And I don’t think I’ve yet managed to put all of these into a single shot.
Your distinction between a "universally recognized" and "personal" masterpiece is what I was missing. That distinction makes perfect sense. Always striving for a personal masterpiece should be a daily goal, I think, for any artist; striving for a universal one is a fool's errand, in which only a minuscule number of artists succeed at. There is Too much far beyond your control to think you can reach that goal. Thanks!
Yep. That goal involves also a certain dose of luck, which is, by its nature, unpredictable. One can only try the best to be ready when it happens, if it happens 😊
Nice work. We share the same points of view. I think of photography — and writing, for that matter — as similar to the game of golf. You'll never be perfect; all you can hope for is continuous improvement and if you're lucky, at least one hole in one.
Thanks a lot, Glenn! And yes, I’ve never played golf, but I get the point. It’s so true.
Have a fantastic weekend and Happy Easter!
Same to you!
Thank you very much, Emma! Glad it resonates with you 😊
I couldn't agree more with your point of view. Beautifully phrased.
Thanks a lot, Gery! Happy this resonates with you!
Perfectly imperfect is the best way
Absolutely agree! ❤️
how would you recognize your own masterpiece? and what in your mind is missing from that? big question, I know. Mostly rhetorical. But curious how you could recognize a masterpiece in your portraiture?
Hey Mark! That’s a big question, you’re right. I think there are 2 kinds of masterpieces. One represents those creations which are universally recognized as that. Be it for the message, for the originality, for the creativity, for the technique or just because they are perfectly executed in every aspect.
Another type of masterpiece is the best creation of each artist. Their own masterpiece. It’s not universally recognized, however a wide audience consider those creations as the best representation of an artist body of work.
I can fairly say I haven’t reached any of those goals so far. And I’m ok with it. I know I still have so much to learn. When you ask what I’m missing in my shots, I can tell that I’m not 100% precise on my retouching. I don’t always have a specific message to send. I don’t always use original techniques and I’m not always technically perfect. And I don’t think I’ve yet managed to put all of these into a single shot.
Does this make any sense?
Your distinction between a "universally recognized" and "personal" masterpiece is what I was missing. That distinction makes perfect sense. Always striving for a personal masterpiece should be a daily goal, I think, for any artist; striving for a universal one is a fool's errand, in which only a minuscule number of artists succeed at. There is Too much far beyond your control to think you can reach that goal. Thanks!
Yep. That goal involves also a certain dose of luck, which is, by its nature, unpredictable. One can only try the best to be ready when it happens, if it happens 😊
Hey Carlos! Thank you very much! Greatly appreciated!