Perfectionism Is the Silent Killer of Photography

At the beginning, when most of your photos don’t turn out as you’d hoped, it can feel like you’ll never reach that level of skill. I think this feeling is one of the main reasons many budding photographers give up. You can get caught up thinking that every single shot needs to be perfect. Ironically, that quest for perfectionism kills photography.

Max Kent discusses this issue in his recent video. He argues that we need a shift in our thinking. Max believes that taking “bad photos” isn’t a sign of failure. It’s actually a vital step in becoming a great photographer. He also points out that being overly perfectionistic can silently kill your photography.

Stop Trying to Be Henri Cartier-Bresson Overnight

It’s easy to think that top photographers are always capturing stunning shots every time they snap a picture. You might believe they are luckier, more observant, or just naturally gifted in ways you aren’t.

However, Max suggests a different view. He states that the best photographers get those exceptional images because they are very dedicated. They take thousands of average photos to find the great ones eventually. The key is that putting in the amount of work leads to higher quality.

Taking less impressive or even bad photos is part of the creative journey. It can help you get in the right mindset and warm up for the day ahead. This process allows you to learn what works and what doesn’t in a specific setting. According to Max, it is only then that you can discover those special moments. You have to sift through a lot to find the gems.

The Secret Confession of Great Photography Contact Sheets

If you think that even the best photographers didn’t take lots of average shots, Max encourages you to check the records. You can actually see contact sheets from many famous photographers.

These sheets often show that for one standout, stunning photo, the photographer might have taken 20 or more shots of the same scene. Only one of those pictures was picked as the ultimate favorite.

Take Saul Leiter as an example. Max says what if Saul had been too scared of taking a bad picture and skipped snapping his famous newsstand shot. He suggests that Saul might have worried about the disappointment of a mediocre photo and decided not to take it at all. If he had let that fear win, we wouldn’t have one of the most beautiful images. Perfectionism would have killed his photography.

To capture an excellent photo, you need to be okay with taking a lot of average ones.

Developing Your Inner Goal-Scoring Photography Mindset

Max sees a strong link between photography and soccer. Just like top strikers, photographers shouldn’t fear failure. They keep taking shots because they know that eventually, one will hit the mark.

It’s the players who doubt themselves that stop trying. They start overthinking things, which leads to a downward spiral. Sometimes, you have to push through challenging moments with what Max calls “brute force.”

I really connect with this idea. As photographers, we’re like athletes in our field. We need to practice and work through our mental blocks, just like they do. When you feel down, remember to keep “shooting” because that’s how you succeed.

[Related Reading: Stop trying to chase (or fake) perfection in your photography – It’s ruining your work]

Learning the Thousands of Ways Not to Take a Photo

I was thinking that talented photographers take better photos than I do, so it makes sense that they get more great shots. Max agrees, but he explains why they’ve reached that level. It’s a crucial reason why taking bad pictures can actually enhance your skills as a photographer.

Max points out that experienced photographers know “thousands of ways to avoid a bad shot” because of the many mistakes they’ve made over the years. They have gathered a big collection of errors and unproductive attempts.

According to Max, this experience allows them to edit themselves even before snapping a picture. Their trained eye can often tell, just by looking through the viewfinder, when a shot is “worthless.” They quickly understand that they need to shift their focus or try another angle. This quick decision-making is a skill developed through practice, not simply from reading books or watching videos. It comes from having taken all those failed photos first.

The Deadly Perfectionism Trap: Your Worst vs. Their Best

You’re out there snapping all those not-so-great photos, and when you get home to review them, it can feel a bit disheartening. As Max points out, this often happens because of the harsh comparison we make with others. This shows how chasing perfectionism kills photography.

If you could view all the pictures taken by your favorite photographers, even just the ones they capture every day, you’d begin to see how many of them aren’t that great. Typically, photographers share only their standout shots, leaving out the less impressive ones.

What happens? You notice only your poor photos, while all you see from others are their best captures.

This might lead you to think, “I hardly get any good shots,” but Max assures us that this is something most photographers experience. Your not-so-great photos are crucial for your growth as a photographer, and he encourages you to embrace those moments. Many people give up when they see their bad photos and assume they’re not skilled, forgetting that photography is all about practice. It’s not just about the final results. It’s about enjoying the process and the learning journey.

The Final Shot: Just Hit Publish

Max warns that if you aim for perfection every time, then you’ll never create anything. Perfectionism kills photography. He shares his own experience, noting that if he waited for his video to be a “10 out of 10,” he wouldn’t publish it at all. It might feel like a seven to him or even a five to someone else, but what’s key is that he made it, shared it, and moved on.

You should adopt the same mindset with your camera. Don’t get caught up in perfecting the composition, stressing over ideal lighting, or fine-tuning your settings. Focus on capturing what you see, learn from your errors, and then go out and shoot again. Forget about chasing that unrealistic perfection and sprint as fast as you can in your journey.

Your growth as a photographer relies on it!

[How Perfectionism Can Kill Your Photography I Max Kent; Image credits: Envato]

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