Reflections of an Artist: Fine Art Photography with a Splash of Prose (77) – To be Perfect or Not to be Perfect

Jul 17, 2015 | 2 comments

A magnolia petal that's not exactly a perfect specimin, with jagged edges.

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My struggle with perfection is a constant battle.

That’s why the last magnolia petal I’m sharing with you is the odd one. While there is something beautiful about it, it’s still my least favorite. I’m a walking oxymoron… in so many ways. One minute I’m talking about snowflakes and how beautiful the imperfections are and the next I’m tossing away petals with creases, and petals with rot and wrinkles.

I’ve been struggling in my podcast with this too… it’s so hard for me to let that very 1st episode go. It was even harder to do my very first unscripted episode.

I don’t have time to be perfect in this post today. I’m letting it go to you quicker than ever – barely edited.

I have a podcast to launch in 2 weeks, a pet photo session to edit, more “Life’s a Blur” images to edit for you, and suddenly we’re moving to THE perfect house the day after my (already revised) podcast date! I’m so excited about everything that’s happening, but let me just say: my plate is loaded, I feel like my eyes are bigger than my stomach, and it’s time to chow down baby!

 

What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!

 

Reflections of an Artist: Fine Art Photography with a Splash of Prose (63) – Seeking Perfection

Apr 10, 2015

Crystalline to Crusty

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When I discovered Kenneth G. Libbrecht’s exquisite snowflake photography, I felt I could settle for nothing less in my own.

Then, I read this: “Near-perfect, symmetrical snow crystals are fun to look at, but they are not common.” He wrote. Part of me sighed in discouragement and the other part inhaled a breath of confidence. I would just keep looking until I found perfection.

I almost swept this snowflake off my set and moved on when I saw the crusty edges. Something stopped me, though, something told me to make the image anyway. I could always Photoshop it to beautiful perfection later, I thought.

No two snowflakes are alike, I considered later on in front of my computer, that’s part of their beauty. This tiny ice sculpture formed and it’s the only one of its kind. No one will ever see it again, and I was about to hack it up in Photoshop and mold it into my culturally programmed idea of beauty.

How could I change anything once I realized this? So, in the end, I altered very little but the color.

There’s nothing unique about perfection. Whether it’s beautiful or not… that’s for your eyes to decide.

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