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Don't Give Up
By Steve Simon
It was an important lesson that would stick with me and help make me a better photographer.
During the many years that I worked as a photojournalist, I developed the habit of taking time at the end of the year to look back and pull out my best work to enter into various contests. Now, as a full-time freelance and documentary photographer, I continue this practice, which gives me my contest entries, as well as a critical look back at the year that was. It's kind of a photographic road map from which I can update my portfolio; track my progress and spot weaknesses that I can work to improve.
The merits of entering photography contests are often debated, but for many it's a way to raise one's profile and see the level of work that is out there, which can inspire and motivate. It's a very subjective game, and even if you don't get picked, your work will be seen by influential people on the jury of the competitions.
It's a good idea to use a cataloging software for organizing and tracking your best work, making it easy to see all the 2006 images you gave the prestigious "five star" designation, for example. I use Aperture, and because I know that at year's end I will be going through this ritual, I make a separate album or folder titled "Contests" as insurance, adding the keyword "contest" to those diamond images I think have a chance for glory at year's end. This can save you an enormous amount of time accessing your year's best work.
But the somewhat surprising and ultimately disappointing reality I find after completing this exercise, is that when I pulled out the best of my best from the year--those truly special, magical moments when something extraordinary happens in front of the camera; there were just not that many of them.
All the more reason I think, to make an effort to recognize "the magic", when it happens during the shoot, to make sure you maximize the opportunity. The picture of the young boy with the painting will illustrate my point. It was taken in Krakow, Poland and I remember following the two boys each carrying a painting, with their Dad lagging behind. I have to say that I'm not unhappy with the resulting photograph, but the experience taught me a lesson.
When the boys turned the corner, and they were moving fairly quickly, I stopped and went the other way. Why did I stop? Well, I figured I had a decent image. But to this day, the fact that I didn't continue following and shooting, nags at me and reminds me not to take anything for granted. I won't give up on a moment, on a potential great photograph if I don't have to, even if I think I may have it. I pledge to follow it through till it goes away, the light fades, the subjects are tired or the moment is gone. Photography is a passion and it's fun, but I feel it's important to push limits, work a little harder and see where it takes you. I didn't have to stop when those kids turned the corner, and though I had taken a picture I thought I liked, the great photographs missed, I will never know.
Steve Simon Bio
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