I could use a little advice here.
Self Portraits are hard. Daily Self Portraits are even harder. Here’s the dilemma I’m running into.
There just isn’t enough time in most any 24 hour period to think of a personally valid or appropriate idea, determine how to photograph that idea, set up that shot, photograph it, edit it, and post it. So, I have two options.
1) Post less often.
That’s what I’m doing now, by default. As often as I come up with an idea, I’ll photograph it and post it. If that’s once a week instead of once a day, then so be it. This is what I’m doing now, by default.
Posting less often means that I’ll put more attention on creating interesting images, instead of just any old image. IN the past 19 days I’ve posted at least eight self portraits that I consider to be valid, purposeful, and interesting. That’s not too bad. Of course, new ideas are harder and harder to come by with each new day. But, more than likely, this means a good, well planned, well thought image once a week. Maybe more often than that. Quantity will be way down, but the quality will be greater.
2) Post less interesting images.
The focus will be on taking a portrait of myself. Period. Sure, it’ll be well lit, cleanly produced, and photographically valid, but it’ll just be a portrait. If all else fails, it’ll be on a black or white backdrop. If I happen to have a good day, it’ll be an environmental portrait in my house somewhere. If I have a really good day, it might even be an environmental portrait outside of my house. Of course I’d still work on interesting ideas too. I’d give them time to develop, photograph them when I have a bit of extra free time, and give them extra production attention.
Posting less interesting images means there will be a new self portrait nearly every single day. This means that I’ll be forcing myself to work every day and try something every day, even if it’s the same basic something I did the day before. This means quantity. However, posting every day also means that I’ll be less inclined to experiment and develop more interesting ideas.
*So which do you think, overall, is the more interesting result? Which do you think will help me grow more as a person and as a photographer?* Your input is greatly appreciated.
The interesting thing here is that you have asked two questions, and in my opinion each question has a different answer.
“So which do you think, overall, is the more interesting result?”
I think having less quantity with greater individual quality would be the more interesting result. I think, as a viewer, I would rather see one really good photo a week than seven simple portraits a week. Heck, I would even rather see one good photo a week than six plain photos and one good photo a week. It would help to make your work seem consistently better, and I would still have the rush of excitement I currently get when I see you have posted a new photo.
Which do you think will help me grow more as a person and as a photographer?
I think the answer to this question is the second option. I would not believe this to be true of any photographer, as many people would simply let themselves take the easy picture and that would be that. I know you well enough, however, to know that in your case you would put thought and effort into the less interesting pictures. You might not put as much effort into them as the interesting pictures, but you would still try and make each one good.
This means, not only will you continue challenging yourself everyday, you will also get more experience in trying to make things interesting that aren’t inherently interesting.
So, in the tradition of the Elves from Tolkien’s writings, I suppose I am saying yes and no at the same time.
You could also look for a third option. Maybe you take a self portrait everyday, but only post one every other day? This way you would still be putting in the work, but you could decided which photo (of at least two) makes the cut? Anyway, I hope at least some of this helps.
well, I can’t tell you if you should choose quality or quantity, but I can give you my input and hope it at leaves gives you another angle to think on. I don’t know if it works the same way in photography that it does in writing, but sometimes quantity is important in getting to quality because it’s just the process of keeping the creativity flowing. I post a lot of things I write, and some of it’s complete shit, but I keep writing it and posting it b/c eventually something good will come out. If I quit writing altogether waiting for something better to write about, then sometimes I just run dry and it’s hard to start again.
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