Shutter Sisters

my to-stop-doing list

By

Using the excuse of waiting for one hundred percent of acceptance of myself in order to shoot.

Letting my preconceived notions about what is remarkable blind me from seeing myself clearly and prevent me from delivering my most authentic work.

Feeling guilty every time I pull out the iPhone instead of the big camera (aka my Canon 5D).

Comparing my journey with someone else’s.

Today tell us. What’s on your to-stop-doing list as a photographer? And share with us an image that brings you joy, and celebrates who you truly are.

Comments

  4. these words make my heart sing today…as i read through your list, i found myself agreeing with each new point you made. also on my list… doubting myself and my vision, believing that it will be wrong or simply not good enough. over thinking the decisions that need to be made with the heart and under thinking the decisions that actually do need thought. wasting time with meaningless tasks to avoid doing the harder work. avoiding the things that make me feel fear.

  11. Stop comparing myself to others. I want my vision to be my vision, influenced by the least amount of people possible. Then my art will be my creation only and not inspired by someone else.

  15. To stop procrastinating until I have "more time" and just pick the camera up and start shooting! To stop comparing what myself to other photographers. To stop waiting for the photographic event or planned activity and remember that all moments are worth photographing!

  19. I want to stop comparing myself to others…including letting myself have camera envy every time I see another persons camera. I'll have my day too.

  20. To stop feeling guilty about my processing choices too and above all to stop feeling guilty to love photography at least so much as I love my real job. This to-stop-doing list allows me to affirm something I already knew. If only one person understand my fascination for language at its paroxysm, even in imperfection… especially in imperfection (I could discourse for hours about blur), that's ok for me. Photography is not my job, it's just a part of me…

    http://www.blog.chjaraematteu.com/?p=735

  22. I think my most authentic work happened when I first picked up a camera, had no idea what I was doing but was thrilling in the wonder of it all. That was when I had no one to impress because no one had ever heard of me, I wasn't for hire and I expected nothing of myself either.

    My JUST-STOP-IT! list as a photographer:
    * Putting off being trained in aspects of photography that intrigue me
    * Printing photos of my work for my walls (I have never printed one of them to hang for me)
    * Looking for validation from others when what I really want is to photograph life (even in it's imperfections and disaters)

    This is one of the first images I took. I see so many things I could do with it and to it now (5 years later), but I don't, because it touches me – just the way it is. http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepdish/217631751

  24. To stop worrying about what my "thing" is. Is it people, food? I have no idea. I need to stop that crap and just take pictures.

  27. my to-stop-doing list…

    -thinking my photos have to mean something big, deep, life-changing or world-affecting in order to be post-worthy.

    -feeling i am not a purist if i add words to my photo.

    -wondering if my photos have any meaning or purpose, when clearly they must, because i took it in the first place… for some reason or another.

    -obsessing over whether or not my photos are perfect {technically or otherwise}… i guess i don't really do that, but i sometimes think i should be picky about that, and that is actually what i obsess about. =)

    here is my photo:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/5437066819/

  29. for some reason I found this today and it hits home! I feel "good" that a lot of people compare themselves to others, I am guilty of this and I hate it! My desire to improve as fast as possible makes me compare myself, instead of taking it constructively, I start to doubt myself and it is on the top of my "stop doing list"!

  30. I MUST STOP
    -comparing my work to people who've been doing this a lot longer (to make myself feel crappy)
    -comparing my work to people who've been doing this a lot shorter (to make myself feel superficially better)
    -thinking that the "rules" of photography are written in stone.
    -listening to people who want me to charge a zillion dollars for my work, just because THEY do.
    -spending all my spare time with a camera in my hand. I need my hands to put stickers on construction paper, hold flash card for math practice, and give hugs. The people on the other side of the lens need me, not their photograph.

  31. I long sometimes for the days when I set up careful still life images, composing each shadow and highlight. Now I find myself snapping quickly to capture a little slice of not-still-at-all life. They aren't great photos. But they mean the world to me. I hope someday they'll mean a lot to my son when he is grown. So these are the photos I need to be doing. I need to stop comparing then and now so I can just enjoy now.

    http://journeyleaf.typepad.com/journeyleaf/2011/01/scoop-and-pour.html

  32. I love your photo — and your post. To be honest I can't think of anything to put on my "to stop doing" list. I'm likely too old because I've been around nearly 60 years and am entirely comfortable with myself and how my life is. What I can do is leave a photo of one of the things that brings me joy:

    http://tinyurl.com/6hbttyr

  35. To stop comparing. To stop questioning my choices that I make. To feel good about what I 've done. I'm sooo terribly tough on myself. To stop telling myself I need CS5, I need a Mac, I need this, I need that- Wonderful post!!