Through The Barricades
When I woke up on the morning of 30th June 2019, the day had a totally different vibe to it, as it was the first day of officially being retired from the Fire and Rescue Service. Naturally I spent some time reflecting on my career and my accomplishments over the course the previous 30 years. That day marked the ending of a significant chapter in my life, but it was also the beginning of a new chapter, and one which photography would step into the newly created void in my life to play a significant part in it.
Today, I find myself reaching another significant milestone in my life, this time the crossing of the threshold from one decade into another. As I take my first steps into the realm of my 60s, I have been reflecting back on my photography journey over the last 9 years since my ‘awakening’, and in particular, the perceived internal and external photography barriers I’ve encountered along the way and how I break down these barriers from a position of being more informed.
Technical Perfection
When I started to take my photography seriously, I initially concentrated my development on the key fundamentals such as understanding the workings of my camera, the exposure triangle, using filters and compositional rules. I am not for a minute decrying these fundamentals as they are valuable tools for becoming more proficient in capturing an image, however they can quietly become a straight jacket over a period of time if they are the only things that matter.
It may also be contended that technical perfection masquerades as high standards which in turn can create a barrier to completion. Again, I am not against advocating against the pursuance of high standards, we all want to do the best we can, including, myself, but for me photography is not just about technical perfection, it is also about expression, emotion and being creative. If I capture an image or indeed process an image and I decide I want to leave part of the image deep in shadows or accentuate an area of light, or create a particular aesthetic look, then that’s my prerogative.
The sweet spot is to use the technical knowledge you have garnered alongside your creative instinct, as ultimately creativity doesn’t thrive within strict boundaries, it thrives when you stop chasing perfection and start chasing curiosity, experimentation and even being rebellious when you feel the compulsion. Imperfect images can still be meaningful otherwise; you’re accepting that technical perfection is always the end goal and creativity then becomes a hostage to the overall process.
Being Visible to Algorithms
When I started my photography journey back in 2017, I had zero visibility online. The main reason was due to the lack of a social media presence driven by the fact at that time, I felt I didn’t have anything of any real interest to share and also, as I was in the latter part of my professional career, I didn’t have the time to commit the energy to social media and it was easier to avoid anything contentious in nature.
Eventually, I began posting on social media platforms post-retirement, but I soon realised that I was now being sucked into the collective process of feeding the algorithms. The myth of posting daily or regularly, watching the number and type of hashtags being used along with an aesthetically pleasing grid in return for a more visible online presence, was eventually busted.
There’s no denying there’s a feel-good factor if you post an image and it is well received either through likes, comments or shares, but don’t let this become the raison d'être for posting your work and definitely don’t use it as a metric for gauging how good your work is. For me personally, the key to using social media is to use it as a means to connect to other people and to serve as a hub of interaction, not just for the purpose of sharing my own work.
Dismantling the algorithm barrier has ensured that when I do share my work, it’s done on the basis of being something that simply was an interest to me, not for the purpose of chasing a trend and certainly not for the intention of feeding the algorithm. Having this freedom ensures I can concentrate on the essence and the purpose of my work, rather than the noise surrounding it. Ultimately trends will come and go, algorithms will change to suit the platform provider, not the user, so therefore photography and creativity rooted in personal vision will always outlast the noise.
Adopting this attitude has also simplified my approach in that I create what I want, how I want and when I want. The satisfaction is derived from being in the moment and ending up with work I am content with and not how well it has been received should I elect to share it online.
The Weight of Past Work
Look back over the past 9 years, a barrier that I encountered at one point, was the feeling that every new image had to be better than the last. This resulted in putting unnecessary pressure on myself to constantly raise the bar. Some of this pressure possibly was attributed to the desire to constantly improve my editing skills as I tended to judge improvement on what I subsequently created as opposed to what I had captured and sitting as an unedited Raw file.
In time, this pressure has dissipated, as I now realise that creativity does not move in a straight line, it ebbs and flows, there is no constant in terms of progression. I’ve accepted that some work will be stronger than others and this is the natural rhythm of creative life and not every image will be a ‘banger’ as they say.
Having this viewpoint doesn’t mean that a previously perceived weaker image cannot be improved upon, as I had experience of this when I captured an image of the Statue of Liberty in New York back in 2016, which coincidentally is the oldest image residing in my Lightroom catalogue. Until last year it sat in a folder with only basic edits done to it, as the original edit was done well before I became more proficient in using Photoshop. As a challenge to myself, I decided to see what I could achieve as I now had more knowledge and experience in terms of editing and the result was I ended up creating one of my favourite images from 2025.
Comparison
I recall watching a photography video by Adam Karnacz (First Man Photography) and during his discussion, he made a comment that “comparison is the thief of joy”, a well-known quote which is attributed to Theodore Roosevelt. A similar quote said to have been made by Mark Twain referred to comparison as being “the death of joy”.
In the early stages of my creative journey, I very much encountered the barrier of comparison when I started down the black and white architectural route. The ability to view the work of others has shifted demonstrably from the traditional methods of seeing their work in galleries or exhibitions to the instant ability to see it within the context of a global gallery facilitated by the internet. Having the ability to have instant access to see the work of others can have both a positive and a negative influence.
The negative influence exerted by the spectre of comparison can distract you from your own creative journey and blind you to your own progress whilst introducing negative feelings towards your own work. The other negative impact derived from comparison; is it has the potential to generate a feeling of isolation as you don’t want to either engage with own work resulting in creative paralysis. It may also create hesitance in sharing your creative endeavours with others compounding the isolation further.
In contrast, for me one of the biggest positives of online visibility is being connected to others through the common bond of photography. In my experience, being part of a supportive community engenders the conditions for creativity to thrive and enables everyone to share in the collective success of each other’s work. As part of my own development, I use the process of self-reflection, and during these periods I will use comparison as a tool but only strictly in the context of looking from where I started to where I am now. I never use it as a yard stick to compare myself to others as I now realise we are all at different stages on our respective creative journeys.
Criticism
One of the most frequently encountered barriers in the creative journey is dealing with criticism and there are two distinct sources, the first being from within, i.e. the inner critic and the second being from external sources.
The inner critic is probably the hardest of the two sources to avoid as it’s more a natural occurrence when looking at your work. The critic in you will look for flaws, quietly posing yourself questions about whether the composition could have been stronger, is the image sharp enough, did I maximise the conditions, should I be producing better work by now or even, why am I capturing this if it has been captured before?
I learned over the years that you can’t avoid the inner critic, so to manage this reoccurring barrier, I’ve had to confront it, control it and quieten it down. I’ve concluded that the inner critic in me is not an objective authority, it’s simply a mental habit but rather than try to eliminate it completely, my strategy is use it to work to my advantage to prevent a negative influence taking root.
Yes, there will be times I could have done better and as I have said in a previous blog, I don’t regard these moments as a failure but see them as opportunities to learn. Being unsuccessful should not be cited as evidence of inadequacy, regard it as a process of discovery instead and use it as a means to seek improvement.
External criticism is a consequence for photographers who share their work. It is a fair assumption it is also unavoidable, for as soon as an image enters the public domain, it can be quickly judged and opinions formed and expressed thereafter. The expression of criticism can take on many forms and range from being supportive, insightful and encouraging to a point where they can be harsh, dismissive or downright destructive in nature.
Constructive criticism can be a valuable tool for growth. Thoughtful feedback from experienced photographers or mentors can highlight aspects of an image that might otherwise be overlooked. These types of observations encourage reflection and acknowledgment rather than adopting a position of defensiveness. Delivered in the right manner, constructive criticism will promote and encourage improvement without diminishing creative confidence.
In contrast, receiving negative or harmful criticism has the potential to inflict what can sometimes feel like as a deeply personal blow to your self-esteem and a devaluation of your work. Sometimes emotional turmoil might ensue, but from personal experience, it is important to reinsert context into the situation you’re grappling with as soon as possible.
Remind yourself, what you create is subjective, some will relate to it, others won’t. Ultimately, it’s your work, there is no wrong as it is your perspective on how you see the world in front of you. Only you can apportion the true value of what you have created.
Not every opinion deserves attention, so it’s important to differentiate between criticism that is useful and will help you to develop and criticism that is simply noise. The best response to dealing with noise is to show constraint, so don’t spend time and energy on someone who is only seeking to drag you down. Criticism will influence your creative journey, but it should never define it, so ultimately keep capturing images and creating what you want to and drown out the noise in the process.
Time
Time is another of the most common barriers that we encounter over the course of our creative journey. Whilst we all possess time in equal measure each day, the differential is how that time is perceived, prioritised and subsequently used. When variables such as work, family responsibilities, other personal commitments and priorities are factored in, the feeling of not having enough time can exert significant influence on our work
The barrier of time can delay projects, dampen ideas or travel itineraries under the cover of the “time not being right” due to a variety of reasons which in turn can grind down the momentum of the creative process.
In the end, the relationship between photography and time is deeply intertwined. Time can feel scarce, demanding, and occasionally overwhelming. It is down to each of us to determine the best method to maintain the relationship and to recognise that photography does not compete with time, it exists within it. Every image captures a fleeting moment that will never occur again in exactly the same way, the end result is presented as evidence of being within that moment, in essence confirmation of the alignment of you and time.
When you are younger, you view time as an infinite resource with endless opportunities, but as you get older you then start to see it as finite and to be treated as a valuable commodity. In concluding this blog, I know that time will naturally emerge as a factor as I move through the next decade, so my approach to my work will be even more determined and not let it be a barrier in my creative journey.
Rather than waiting for more time to appear, my approach will be to use the time already present—one moment, one observation, one image at a time.