What you create is more important than the perfection by which you create it. In this episode, we talk about how shooting with your heart creates more meaningful images than shooting with technical precision.
When is a flawed photo a keeper?
I want to share an experience from about a year and a half ago that underscores the importance of valuing content over quality in photography. I was sitting at my dining room table, importing images into Lightroom. My friend and I had just returned from photographing American dippers at one of my favorite spots. We had captured some fascinating behavior: a pair of dippers defending their territory from a third one, complete with calls, posturing, chasing, and flying around while feeding.
As I waited for the images to import, I was excited to see if any of the shots of the dipper running across the creek had turned out well. When the images finally loaded, I found the moment I had been hoping for—but the best shot was technically imperfect. The dipper was running out of frame, the image was underexposed from panning between light and dark, and it broke several “rules” of photography. My heart sank.
I showed the photo to my boyfriend, who insisted it was a great shot. Despite his praise, I was hesitant. But the image had a unique quality: the dipper was in mid-leap across the water, its head up and bill open, capturing an unusual and dynamic moment. Eventually, I decided to keep the photo, cropping it tightly into a vertical format.
To my surprise and delight, that photo ended up in the hands of an editor at Audubon Magazine. She loved it, and it was featured in their winter issue. This experience reaffirmed a fundamental belief I hold: the soul of an image matters more than technical perfection. And I’m not alone in this perspective. National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry once shared with me how some of his most iconic images were almost considered junk due to their technical flaws.
Why Content Over Quality?
As photographers, we need to remember that what we create is more important than how perfectly we create it. Authenticity, empathy, creativity, and vision are the driving forces behind powerful images. It’s about what your photos say, much more than their technical perfection. I’d rather see a compelling photo essay with imperfect but engaging images than a single technically perfect yet soulless shot.
Recognizing a Keeper
How do you know a flawed photo is worth keeping? It boils down to the emotional reaction it evokes. When evaluating images, I ask myself if the content overcomes technical imperfections. Here are some key points to consider:
- Direction and Quality of Light: Even if not perfect, does the light add to the image’s mood or story?
- Composition: Does the composition draw the viewer in, even if it breaks traditional rules?
- Movement and Emotion: Does the subject’s movement or expression convey a powerful emotion or story?
Photos are more than the sum of their parts. Noise, blur, lens flare, and exposure issues can be overlooked if the image has soul. For instance, a technically flawed image might still captivate viewers because of its unique moment or emotional depth.
Two Ways to Measure Success
- Does it Sing to You? You’ll know when an image resonates with you. It’s a gut feeling. Even if a photo isn’t technically perfect, if it moves you, it’s worth keeping.
- Does it Sing to Others? This can be harder to gauge. Sometimes an image you love doesn’t resonate with others, and vice versa. But if others react positively, it’s a good sign that the photo has that special spark.
Editing with Your Heart
Editing sessions should be approached with an open mind. Don’t be too quick to delete images. I recommend multiple review sessions to see photos in different emotional states. This method has helped me avoid discarding images that later turn out to be gems.
Brian Skerry once told me about one of his most recognizable photos that almost didn’t make it because an editor didn’t care for it. But the emotional impact of that image eventually made it iconic. I’ll share his full story farther down, as it’s truly inspiring.
The Importance of Emotional Connection
A successful photo evokes an emotional reaction. Even if it only speaks to you, its value is profound. These personal images fuel your creative spirit and drive you to keep photographing. They remind you why you pick up your camera in the first place.
Breaking the Rules
Many photographers stress the importance of technical elements like low ISO, using a tripod, or ensuring tack-sharp images at 100% zoom. But sometimes, capturing the moment means breaking these rules. High ISO, handheld shots, and slight blur can be acceptable if the image’s content is strong. Post-processing can fix many technical issues, but it can’t add soul to an image.
Trust Your Gut
When shooting and editing, trust your instincts. If a photo feels right to you, it has value. Content over quality should be your guiding principle. Aim to create images that move you and others, regardless of technical imperfections.
Final Thoughts
Valuing content over quality allows you to create images with heart and soul. Remember, what you create is more important than how perfectly you create it. Make sure your photos change people, make a difference, and resonate on an emotional level. Technical perfection can follow.
If you’re interested in hearing more about Brian Skerry’s story, check the show notes for the full quote. And remember, trust your gut, and shoot with heart. Happy photographing!
Brian Skerry’s Story
Brian Skerry has just about the best story I’ve ever heard on this topic. His most recognizable photo nearly never saw the light of day because one editor didn’t care for it. This is the story he told me several years ago during an interview:
“Probably my most iconic picture is of the southern right whale and the diver. I was down in the southern Antarctic in winter time on an 80-foot sailboat for three weeks, dealing with all kinds of bad weather and diving in a dry suit. These whales had never been photographed before. It was a very speculative trip; the Geographic really rolled the dice when I convinced them to charter the boat and send me down there. I had this new experience, I had all these whales around me and I had these great pictures. I came back to the main island of New Zealand after three weeks and I had to fly to Honolulu where I was doing a three week reef expedition, so I was in my hotel room getting ready to leave for the boat. I got an email from my editor who said, ‘So Brian, how did you do with the whales?’
I was all proud of myself, and wrote back, saying I think we did really great and we have stuff that’s never been seen before, and I attached a jpeg of that picture with the diver and the whale. I needed to check out of the hotel and get to the boat but I was very anxious for this email that I was sure was going to come back with just heaps of praise telling me how great I was and how wonderful it all was and I was the greatest thing to ever happen. And I got back this cryptic sort of reply that just said, ‘What else do you have.’ That was it. Five words. I was crushed.
That photo has since become a life of its own. They made a little video about it that’s on YouTube that’s had 23 million views. Geographic has used it on their flag, they’ve used it in their exploration issue years after it was published. But I had to lobby when I was doing layout with [my editor] and the layout designer to get that picture in there. Fortunately, the number two person at the magazine in charge of layout loved it and he said, no that’s got to be in the magazine. But the point of the story is that my editor, whose opinion I value so greatly — she’s a dear friend and a wonderful, wonderful editor, and in 17 years of working with her I’ve maybe once or twice had a disagreement about a picture — but there was a picture that was my most iconic, most famous picture of all time and it almost didn’t get into the magazine because she thought it was redundant and she liked another one that I had that was similar that was just the whale by itself. It is very subjective.
You know I used to believe when I first began that a picture had to be perfect. The fish had to be within the four borders of the frame and I couldn’t cut off a tail or I couldn’t cut off a fin. I’ve learned that those things are less important in terms of a good photojournalistic picture if the photo has energy, or if there’s some grace or gesture in the picture. If it speaks to you or it speaks to people then it’s okay if you don’t see the whole animal, if the tiger is cut off and you only see a blur of him running through a field or something. Those things are alright because it’s about that energy. Photography is about truth to a large extent, it’s about your experience out there in nature in the wild and if a shark kicked up a bit of sand as he swam over and it’s off to the side of the frame or wherever it is it’s alright. We publish those pictures all day long because it’s real, it’s the way it happened. It is about content over quality.
I firmly believe photography for the most part is subjective. Understanding light, how light works, and how you can use it as a photographer, understanding composition, knowing that 50 photographs with the subject smack in the middle like a bull’s eye isn’t particularly interesting. Understanding the fundamentals of photography is essential if you want to be a serious photographer. Knowing those essentials means you can also break them.”
