The nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!

[Guest Peter Kelly]

Generally, throughout my life, I suffer from what many people will appreciate to one degree or another. That is, on the one hand, I'm sure I know what I'm doing and that I'm very intelligent, on the other, though, I hate almost everything I do and feel it is almost shameful, despite people telling me otherwise. I absolutely agonise over every set of pictures I hand over to clients and wait with certainty for the damning criticism.

 

So the other day I was quite overwhelmed to make a welcome discovery.

 

Like many people, I have a presence on social media and one of my friends there was a previous client, as I shot her wedding. She now runs her own photography business (covering newborns mainly) and takes really lovely pictures. I thought it only right to tell her so and was deeply humbled when she told me that her principal motivation to become a photographer was how emotional she had been over the pictures and wedding album I gave her. It certainly wasn't an off-the-cuff remark to me, as it transpires she has the story on her website (I'd looked at ther pictures, but never thought to read the 'About me' bit).

 

I don't think anyone has ever made me feel so fulfilled in my business life. Seriously, even if I don't get much in the way of positive feedback in the future, just this one occasion will be enough.

Perhaps the best bit is that I think she takes better pictures than me!

 

I hope people don't mind me posting this here. I'm not looking for discussion as such, but please feel free to add your own self-affirming stories. It's often the way with the creative arts that we are filled with self-doubt. It's really good to know, just once in a while, that it's not all in vain.

[JonathanStewart]

Positive feedback is always nice, especially when it's so heartfelt like that.  The best thing is to accept the criticism as constructive.  Even though people sometimes can be jerks in the way they put things, listening to them can make you a better photographer.  They may be right.  Don't take it personally - anything beyond constructive criticism is the problem of the person offering it.  Maybe they've had a bad day, their boyfriend cheated on them, their boss gave them a huge pile of work.  It's not your problem, it's theirs. 

 

At the same time, while praise is great, humility is so, so important.  As the Romans used to say, glory is fleeting. 

[Pierre]

Thinking, and feeling happy, than someone inspired by you ends up taking better photos than yourself : for sure you're a nice and wise man.

[Lioneye]

I think many photographers look through their viewfinders with their brain, but I think you must look through your viewfinder with your heart. Well done!