Own Worst Critic

[ChristopherBarrett]

I'm in the middle of retouching this job I just shot in Boston.  Really nice job.  I got to this one view that was sort of an alternate of the shot we really liked and lit and everything.  This alternate was more descriptive of the same space just not as interesting compositionally.  It's a fine shot but we didn't light it much and I shot it with the Canon. 

As I was reviewing it at 100% I was looking at areas that needed some extra work and found myself thinking... "well this was just a quick shot for documentation... do I really wanna retouch that?"

The answer was, "Is this a Chris Barrett Photograph or isn't it?"

Note to self: Continue to be your own worst critic!

[Craig Lamson]

Or maybe the other interpretation could be: gift the Canon to a crew member so she/he can film making-of and we can all (guys like me who are learning) benefit of the videos?

My wife asks all the time why i'm spending the time i do on post.  She always says...the client will never see all the additional work.  I ALWAYS answer...I will.  My name is on the photo even if the original client cannot see the difference...others who see it might.

[fredjeang]

That's damn true.

I have been wondering many times about that in the recent weeks as my move to a personal work is happening and this is a legitimate question. And the answer is what both Chris and you where pointing.

I like those threads, non gear orientated but really talking about key points.

Is the morality that the wife's photographer has to be really patient and that her apetite will be frustrated by the time spent at night on post producing?

[ChristopherBarrett]

yeah... my wife kept prodding me to find a retoucher.  One actually found me and he's really good... BUT.

The first time I took him a job, we spent a full work day going over the 20 odd images.  Later, when he was done working on them we spent another half day reviewing his work and tweaking.  Then when I got the images home I spent about three hours making my own tweaks.

So, did I save any time? 

I put the same amount of time and effort into my commercial work as my personal work... I just can't let it go out the door being "good enough"  because truth be told, I never feel like it's good enough.

[haefnerphoto]

yeah... my wife kept prodding me to find a retoucher.  One actually found me and he's really good... BUT.

The first time I took him a job, we spent a full work day going over the 20 odd images.  Later, when he was done working on them we spent another half day reviewing his work and tweaking.  Then when I got the images home I spent about three hours making my own tweaks.

So, did I save any time? 

I put the same amount of time and effort into my commercial work as my personal work... I just can't let it go out the door being "good enough"  because truth be told, I never feel like it's good enough.

Chris, I was too busy retouching a project to comment this afternoon.  I work with retouchers in my automotive business all the time but I've never turned one of my architectural projects over to someone else.  The subtle nuances and corrections that need to be made (from my point of view at least) makes it difficult and like you experienced, by the time you discuss the project in depth you spend just as much time or more.  Granted the more someone works with you the easier it should be.  The other factor is my architectural clients don't have the same sensitivities to what should be done as my advertising clients.  Art directors and creative directors have worked with retouchers their whole careers.  They can explain to the retoucher what they have in mind, thus taking me out of the mix (which is fine, believe me).  But on my architecture I spend an incredible amount of time putting together these images, even when it's not expected, I can't do it any other way.  Jim

[Kirk Gittings]

I think I have the same disease. I've got a show coming up in Santa Fe this fall. It is a high profile group show at a museum and will be up for a year. My contribution is 5 16x20 b&w Piezography prints from drum scanned 4x5 negatives. 5 measly prints.......At this point I have almost 2.5 months in those 5 prints.....they need to be perfect......one of them is stiiiill---not quite right......I am now a few weeks past the hard deadline delivering them......but that one print still bugs me a little........

[Kirk Gittings]

I finally delivered the prints yesterday-6 weeks beyond the hard deadline! I just couldn't let them go till I was satisfied. Last night I received this note from the curator:

Thanks so much for bringing the photographs this afternoon. We looked at them when you left & they are stunningly printed – just beautiful. Thank you for taking the time & making the effort to do this work – it’s really OK that they were late – it was well worth the wait!

IMO, In the arts it pays to be your own worst critic.

[Patricia Sheley]

I finally delivered the prints yesterday-6 weeks beyond the hard deadline! I just couldn't let them go till I was satisfied. Last night I received this note from the curator:

IMO, In the arts it pays to be your own worst critic.

But after their wait, you did not fail to deliver ...the really satisfying part is their appreciation and recognition of the result...great news!
(can't seem to pull up their response to you, but hope you've got it framed...)

[ChristopherBarrett]

Very Cool.  Congrats on the show, Kirk!

[fredjeang]

So, if I understand the all process:
1) The wife is obset because of our self-demanding we spend more time in the post-prod area than in the bed (and don't tell me that some are actually PPing into the bed itself...)
2) Because of the rewarding effect delivering a good product, the wife finally recuperates the lost admiration
and the cycle goes on again.

[ChristopherBarrett]

Well, I don't know about the edge of divorce...  But there is a bit of wisdom I can pass along; when the long hours and hard work finally pay off take the family on a really nice vacation.

[fredjeang]

Well, I don't know about the edge of divorce...  But there is a bit of wisdom I can pass along; when the long hours and hard work finally pay off take the family on a really nice vacation.

Like skiing for example 

[dchew]

Like skiing for example 

Where ever she wants to go, or whatever she wants to do!  ;-)

I have a good friend who whenever asked about how to make marriage last says, "You can be right, or you can be happy..."

Dave

[Craig Lamson]

So, if I understand the all process:
1) The wife is obset because of our self-demanding we spend more time in the post-prod area than in the bed (and don't tell me that some are actually PPing into the bed itself...)
2) Because of the rewarding effect delivering a good product, the wife finally recuperates the lost admiration
and the cycle goes on again.

In other words, being a photographer is constantly being on the edge of divorce ?

Or I got it wrong?

My wife is part of the process so she has a stake in the outcome other than the cash it brings in the door.  She understands...sometimes   Of course making the  bank deposits helps her a bit too.  Both of us working together changes the dynamic a bit.

But yes being happy beats being right most of the time.

[Kirk Gittings]

Spouses can be an issue in the crazy and demanding life of a photographer. For a transformative experience have him/her assist you for a day on a difficult shoot. Prior to that experience (she had no clue what I do she is a professional chef) I think she thought I just wandered around a site snapping photos and drinking coffee. I also routinely show her the before and after results of my Photoshop efforts.

[Rob C]

Mine was always supportive, even when she hadn't a clue about what it took. The thing is, we were together for fifty-four years because we met at school; she even helped me buy my first camera on our pocket money and always was fully aware that I wanted to work with models in fashion and related work. There were no hidden, post-marital shocks.

When she eventually became a partner in the business and we could afford to travel and work on shoots together, I think she came to dislike photography. Perhaps it wasn't so much photography as the creepy business side of it; she found it hard to accept the roundabout way that some British males had about getting down to business. For example: a printer was doing a calendar for me down in England and we went there to check out the machine proofs; he had already mentioned that his company was negotiating a shoot for a client of theirs (they also did stock business calendars bigtime) and they were keen that I take on the photography. Anyway, we all went to dinner and after much food and wine they came down to the guts of the thing: money. My wife could hardly keep a straight face thinking about how they had thought to wine me up before geting to the nitty gritty; she couldn't understand why they couldn't have simply opened with that right away and got it over with, sober. Anyway, we did agree a price but the job fell through - it was supposed to be shot on a boat in Antibes, but the boat owner got in touch and demanded that I shoot 4x5. Turns out he wanted the shoot to provide him with images to sell the boat. Yeah, right; I'll shoot a girlie calendar on 4x5 to suit the location owner. So in the end, the entire thing had been nothing but a good dinner with lots of pent-up giggles from my wife. Boy, do I miss her; not a lot of giggles around anymore - pent-up or open. It all feels like a crock of shit at times.

Rob C

[Craig Lamson]

Boy, do I miss her; not a lot of giggles around anymore - pent-up or open. It all feels like a crock of shit at times.

Rob C

I'm so sorry for your loss Rob.  It's been 38 years here, the last 15 working and being side by side 24/7/365. I simply can't imagine going it alone now.