Proof that Photos Don’t Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful
Posted by Dr. Cason on Sunday, August 24th, 2008
Are you too hard on yourself and getting that perfect photo? Are you too hard on your photos?
Once taken are you scrutinizing and discarding them too quickly?
I’m a big lover of crisp, sharp photos. I discard a lot of blurry, out of focused photos claiming they are flawed. When I first saw this photo I was bummed. It looked too warm and too blurry.But the more I looked, the more I accepted the inherent flaws as what made it lovely. I noticed the beauty in the unfocused and flawed.
So next time you are going through your photos take the blurry ones and see if you can work with it.
That’s the joy of photography. It’s not just about following the rules and creating a perfect representation of something you have already experienced. It can be art. It can show you what you haven’t seen before and become a new experience.
Gabby was in love with this balloon flower and kept smelling it over and over. I caught her quickly in the act. I’m so glad I did because now when I look back I can see the magic that she saw!
Filed in My Favorite Photos,The Joy of Photography | 18 responses so far
Veredon 24 Aug 2008 at 3:49 pm 1You know what? NOTHING has to be perfect to be beautiful.
Can you tell that letting go of perfectionism is one of my biggest goals?
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Carrieon 24 Aug 2008 at 5:16 pm 2You are right, that is a lovely photo and the ‘blurryness’ of it would be the thing I would think would make it different.
Glad I found you!
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Dr. Casonon 24 Aug 2008 at 8:22 pm 3Vered- So true.
Carrie- I’m glad you found me too! Everyone go check out Carrie! She’s funny!
Nikkion 25 Aug 2008 at 1:44 am 4Hey what happened to you not posting every day? Not that I’m complaining or anything!
Trishon 25 Aug 2008 at 2:39 am 5I really like that picture! I am glad you kept it.
I have found with a few photos that what doesn’t look perfect actually makes a better photo. I had some trading cards made up many years ago for Search and Rescue, and the picture was just out of focus (it was actually a problem with the lens, not the photographer using my camera) but I fell in love with the photo because it made my dogs seem some how fluffier and more inviting and beautiful, so we we used it. (I still have the lens and often love the photos I get with it…)
Keep shooting!
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Lisaon 25 Aug 2008 at 5:09 am 6I think photography isn’t about perfect, it’s about lines, contrast, symmetry or the combinations of images that make people feel. So even if there’s something blurry, it can be a great photo.
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Dr. Casonon 25 Aug 2008 at 5:23 am 7Nikki- I know…best laid plans you know!
Trish- I have this one of my girls when they were a baby playing together. It was a little blurry. Not too bad but I thought it was good. Man I hope it’s around somewhere!
Lisa- Exactly.
Kylaon 25 Aug 2008 at 7:04 am 8I helped photograph a wedding yesterday and my very favorite photo of the day happens to be just a tad bit blurry. The bride and groom were kissing and you could see the motion of them coming together and the slight smiles on their faces. It was lovely.
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Marelisaon 25 Aug 2008 at 7:21 am 9I guess when a photo is blurry we have to look at it a bit longer in order to be able to appreciate it. But sometimes slowing down to appreciate beauty is exactly what we need.
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vodkamomon 25 Aug 2008 at 8:41 am 10That’s it. I’m getting a damn camera.
Dr. Casonon 25 Aug 2008 at 9:44 am 11Kyla- Motion in action! Cool.
Marelisa- We all move a bit too fast most days.
Vodkamom- Keep it tucked with you all the time. You never know what will strike your fancy!
White Hot Magikon 25 Aug 2008 at 1:43 pm 12You make a good point about the picture and about life.
Oh and we can eat sushi rolls, drink whatever I am not too picky about that. LOL.
White Hot Magiks last blog post..Trying on a new dress.
Barbara Swaffordon 25 Aug 2008 at 5:40 pm 13Hi Dr. Cason,
I love this photo. Isn’t amazing how we can find beauty in something that isn’t perfect? It’s kind of like life. Our family and friends aren’t perfect either, but we love them just the way they are.
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Dr. Casonon 25 Aug 2008 at 8:19 pm 14White Hot- LOL. It’s a date.
Barbara- Hi!!!!Besides the older I get the blurrier they get as well!
John Hunter | Curious Cat Investing Blogon 26 Aug 2008 at 5:06 am 15Great post, I agree. This photo was a mistake. But it is better than if it turned out how I planned – I think.
John Hunter | Curious Cat Investing Blogs last blog post..Kiva Fellows Blog: Nepalese Entrepreneur Success
Dr. Casonon 26 Aug 2008 at 5:41 am 16John- Great photo! It really catches the momentum nicely!
Chrison 26 Aug 2008 at 11:59 am 17My eldest just came back from his trip in Denver and he wowed us with all the pictures he took with his cell phone. It’s amazing how powerful his camera phone is.
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Elizabethon 29 Aug 2008 at 1:58 pm 18Beautiful accident!
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