Photographers and videographers tend to pursue perfection (no matter how elusive it may be) in so many ways, ranging from technique to the gear they buy. But there is a lot more to life than perfection, and a lot of the most worthwhile creative pursuits can be found by embracing imperfection.
Coming to you from aows, this excellent video essay discusses the importance of embracing imperfection in your work. This is something I have recently started to think about quite a bit. I look back on my first attempts at serious photography, and while they are flawed in plenty of ways, they also show a lot more creativity than a lot of my newer work in that I was unafraid to be adventurous with my edits and push things to extremes. Over time, as I gained more skill and technique, some of that adventurousness fell to the wayside, replaced by a pursuit of technical perfection. Of course, one needs good technique, and embracing imperfection is not about excusing a lack of skill. Rather, it is about having a willingness to experiment and to push boundaries for the sake of creativity and personal style. Check out the video above for some thought-provoking points on the matter.