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On Failure

January 23, 2021 in journal

You can't fail when you go out to take some photos. You only fail when you don't.

Someone messaged me recently about their adventures in the fog: they tried once but failed; the second time was a success. I saw the work they created and it is indeed beautiful.

Those images weren't made on the second day, though. By exploring a location first1, we know what to expect and where to go to make the most of the conditions.

Most times, we will come back empty-handed. We need to learn to fail and embrace it as part of the process. If we don't, we'll eventually stop trying.

The key to making good images is perseverance, and realizing that we will fail many times before we can succeed.

1 This is not scouting: scouting implies you are exploring an area for future photoshoots. I prefer to explore with my camera in hand and try to make images right away. It makes it easier for me to see the potential of a location. Always carry a camera with you.

Tags: scouting, failure, fail
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