Attention to detail

Spurn Point sea defences. Click on the image to see the larger version.

Sometimes you see a great shot on the net. You know instantly the moment you see the thumbnail. In anticipation you click on the thumbnail and as the larger version displays you get hit by a feeling of intense disappointment.

The picture is not sharp in the right places, there are dust bunnies or some areas have been badly cloned or manipulated. And you think, damn it! What a waste. This has got potential. If only the photographer loved their image as much as I like it. If only they had put a bit more care into the way they worked on it and paid attention to every detail.

We've all come across people doing their jobs who have that, "I can't be bothered, I don't really care, it's not worth the effort" attitude. I don't understand it. My motto is, "If it is worth doing then it is worth doing properly."

In my experience one of the biggest differentiators between an average and a brilliant photographer is attention to detail. If you get all the small things right then the big things take care of themselves.

If you as a photographer feel the slightest niggle about something in your image that is not working then you'd better do something about it because that's what people are going to see and lock on to. That tiny problem in your image is all that they will see.

Go for perfection every time. Make each image better than the one before it.

I sincerely hope that I've inspired you to take even more care of your images.

Cheerio,

Paul
www.indigo2photography.co.uk

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