Winning in photography, I hope it's not like in sports

With the NFL playoffs in full swing, I get very tired of hearing how players who have achieved so much and get paid so well complain that the only reason they play is to win the Superbowl. This is sad to me, but I fear it is not a sentiment restricted to sports. I would hope that athletes enjoy what they do enough to focus on more than just winning, but I rarely hear any of them say they play because they love the game and if they don't win, well that's ashame but I can rejoice in what I've achieved and enjoyed the ride. To me this sends a bad message to our kids and has to be a lousy way to live.

I try to keep that perspective when I think about my work to create and sell photography. If I enter a competition, attend a show, or submit to a publisher, I hope for a positive outcome but never lose sight of the bigger goal. That is to continue to do what I enjoy and to achieve as much as my hard work and desire can bring me. I will not dwell on failures, be disappointed by not winning first place when an Honorable Mention is achieved, and hope I never feel that "winning" is the only acceptable outcome. I very much define my success by being able to "play" in the "game".

That said, ***GO EAGLES***

Paul Grecian

Paul, I agree about "winning" not being the goal. I believe that if you don't have passion you can't have vision. Without true vision (not eyesight) you can't produce good photography. So I think that each time we go on a shoot we are developing our vision.

If our vision produces "winning" images that is great. If it doesn't then we need to accept the fact that on that day our personal vision produced images that represented our emotional state at the time. If "winning" is the driving factor in our photography then it also represents an extremely competitive aspect or our personality.

Some may find this drive positive for the development of their personal photographic vision. However, for me at least, it is a negative. If I try hard to produce a "winner" I seem to fall into the trap of duplicating previous winners - mine or others'. If I just relax and let the true feeling of what I am photographing take over my images are far superior - to me at least!

BTW - I agree GO EAGLES

Guys,

I am a veterinarian by profession, and am blessed because I never feel like I'm going to work. Every day I get paid to do something I'm very good at, and enjoy immensely. I have no plans to ever truly retire.

I take photographs because I enjoy this immensely as well. I don't really take photos for recognition, or because I want to "win." That being said, I'd like to win at least once. I'd like to be recognized at least one time for producing an image that supercedes others of its kind in quality or composition. Without acknowledgement of some sort, there is no drive to improve, mostly because I am not the most impartial judge of my own work. Yes, I would like to "win" at least once.

Guys,

I am a veterinarian by profession, and am blessed because I never feel like I'm going to work. Every day I get paid to do something I'm very good at, and enjoy immensely. I have no plans to ever truly retire.

I take photographs because I enjoy this immensely as well. I don't really take photos for recognition, or because I want to "win." That being said, I'd like to win at least once. I'd like to be recognized at least one time for producing an image that supercedes others of its kind in quality or composition. Without acknowledgement of some sort, there is no drive to improve, mostly because I am not the most impartial judge of my own work. Yes, I would like to "win" at least once.

For professional athletes winning is the goal; that is their "job". In football, the Superbowl is the ultimate goal.

I compete only with myself when it comes to my photography, always striving to improve. My goal was to be published at least once and to see if my work could sell. I accomplished that. I consider that a "win". I haven't published any for a long while and that doesn't matter. My goal had been reached. My work can sell which is very gratifying but I am not obsessed with making sales. I think that will take all the fun out of photography. I shoot for the joy of it first and foremost. I believe once the joy and the passion for photography is gone then the selling aspect of it will soon follow.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

I guess it all depends on your definition of winning. Winning to me means living a good life, raising a good family, and trying to do my best. It isn't defined by how much money I make, how big a house I own, or awards on the wall. All that stuff will do nothing for you in the long run, nor will it enrich society or your fellow man. Winning is wonderful, as long as it's the right kind of winning. Sadly, today, winning seems to be equated with selfishness, self promotion, and the "how great I am" attitude of celebrities and sports figures.