Perfection in photography plays a role, so here is my question for y'all today. What is the role it plays in your work?

 I know for me that the idea of perfection started out as a form of escape hatch.  By this I mean, I could tell myself, “as long as my print is perfect in every way, I will get beauty points regardless of the content of said picture.”  My idea was as long as the technical aspects were well sorted then nobody could throw shade on my work. This worked well for me at the beginning because it allowed my work to develop and become more meaningful to me and I trust, my audience. My confidence to make and show photographs based on perfection allowed me to continue my journey, 

Because I do some teaching and mentoring, I have witnessed folks who become so blocked up with wanting everything to be perfect they have a hard time making pictures, I ended up learning a few things about this topic from them in a strange role reversal that comes from my interest in mentoring honestly and openly. I learned to let go.

 This does not mean I am not trying to make quality prints, I totally am, as best as I can while accepting them exactly as that, the best I can do today. This emotion is currently helping me along this new letterpress journey I am on.

I have friends who seem to have known all of this from the beginning of time, and I greatly admire them.  I find the work they make to be honest, invigorating and beautiful. The concepts and feelings they infuse in the pictures they make are strong and interesting, They see the imperfections in a way that gets my attention and helps me with my own picture making.