Playing Favorites
One of my favorites.
Recently I was interviewed and was asked which image of mine was my favorite. I stared at the question for a longtime before it realized I honestly couldn’t answer it. I felt like the question was akin to asking a father to choose a favorite child. It just was not fair. I’m sure you’re like me and that each image that you shoot has value for different reasons and appeals to different emotions. Many of your images are favorites for the day or the week, maybe longer. But then a new one comes along and speaks louder. But there is a few images that reach out, grab you and holds you. It does more than just appeal to you, it mesmerizes or it holds you. It becomes a part of you. But even that image has a life and one day may have to take a backseat to a new image. So what are my favorite images today may not have been what it was last week.
Even among my favorites there rarely is just one image at any single time. And those images speak to different emotions and for different reasons. My guess is that Steve McCurry loves the Afghan girl image. I bet it’s not his favorite photo ever taken. Now, I don’t know this, I’m just guessing. My guess is, he loves that shot for the story behind it and what it has done for his career. There is no doubt that this image hold a special place for him. But I’ll wager, there is some photo in his portfolio that the rest of us would look at and go, “Yeah, it’s great. But it’s no Afghan girl” But to him it means something special.
I think, this is one of the core reasons why editing our own work is so difficult. We have emotions and feelings tied up with an image that transcends and go beyond what everyone else sees. Let’s face it, it’s almost all subjective. Sure, there are rules and image can be technically right or wrong, but the real question is does it move us? When we take an image we see something in the shot that moves us to want to capture it. But sometimes those elements are so subtle and they were only a part of something bigger going on outside the frame. As the photographer, we remember that, we saw and experienced the whole scene. But the viewer didn’t, and they are left wondering what we see in this image. All of this can be very subtle. So an image may be a fine image, a moving image, but how do we as an editor of our own work distance ourselves from it and keep within the frame.
I’m not sure there’s one answer for this. I find it extremely hard. I try to look at an image, somewhat dispassionately and see it for all of its parts. I ask myself so what is it in this images that is drawing me? What are the emotions that are coming out? Does it speak to me? Does it talk to me? I ask myself is this a part of a series or can it stand alone? There are certain things that move everyone, conflict, struggle, compassion, love, hate and more. Does the image have any of these elements in it? The image that can communicate any of these things will often be a good image even though it may not be technically sound. But a technically sound image, one that follows the rule of thirds, one that has all the parts were supposed to be, but lacks emotion will fall flat.
I guess I’m rambling a bit today. But to bring this back to which is my favorite. I will admit to you, Jessie is my favorite child. But, as far as the favorite image? I can choose from among them. Maybe you have an all-time favorite image of yours. That’s wonderful. But to be honest I have to say I don’t. I have several favorites but not one stands above the rest… at least not yet. Not today. Oh, by the way- Jessie is my only daughter.
I've been asked the same question a few times and my stock answer is “My favorite image is one I haven't taken yet”. If asked to expand on that, I'll say tell the person that it changes depending on my mood, the weather, whatever.By saying my favorite is the one I haven't taken, I'm giving myself (and possibly the question asker) a reminder that I should never rest on my laurels, and should continually strive to get better, to see in different ways, to look with fresh eyes.When I edit my work, unless it's absolutely necessary to get it done ASAP for a client or I'm shooting a news event, I usually prefer to leave it at least a couple of days if not longer. I'll import into Lightroom, keyword/metadata and make backups right away, and possibly take a quick look through but that's about it. Occasionally though, something will jump out at me on that quick look and I'll process it then and there.
I've been asked the same question a few times and my stock answer is “My favorite image is one I haven't taken yet”. If asked to expand on that, I'll say tell the person that it changes depending on my mood, the weather, whatever.
By saying my favorite is the one I haven't taken, I'm giving myself (and possibly the question asker) a reminder that I should never rest on my laurels, and should continually strive to get better, to see in different ways, to look with fresh eyes.
When I edit my work, unless it's absolutely necessary to get it done ASAP for a client or I'm shooting a news event, I usually prefer to leave it at least a couple of days if not longer. I'll import into Lightroom, keyword/metadata and make backups right away, and possibly take a quick look through but that's about it. Occasionally though, something will jump out at me on that quick look and I'll process it then and there.
My favorite photo is always the one that I'm trying to figure out how to take.
I'm only an amateur photographer, thus my favourite photos are the ones catched by others. What makes them a fave of mine? Lots of things. But the most important one is feeling the soul in the image. As it happens in your beautiful photo of the girl. It's not only an image. It's a story. And I am grateful to all people like you, sharing such a piece of life.
I'm only an amateur photographer, thus my favourite photos are the ones catched by others. What makes them a fave of mine? Lots of things. But the most important one is feeling the soul in the image. As it happens in your beautiful photo of the girl. It's not only an image. It's a story. And I am grateful to all people like you, sharing such a piece of life.
a quite difficult question… with no real answer for me… or lets say it depend on mood, and as said it changes within the time… I like cfimages answer “my favorite image is one I haven't taken yet”, could become a motto or something 😀
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