The Mona Lisa in the Louvre. That is really all I am going to say, because before I went to Paris I knew of the Mona Lisa. It is perhaps the most famous painting ever. It is legendary. The hype surrounding it is incredible. What more do I need to say along those lines? Contrarily I had also heard quite a bit about how disappointing it was to see this legendary painting in real life, for all sorts of reasons. It is too small, the room is too crowded, it is overrated and over-hyped. What more would I possibly want to add to that?

The only thing I will say is ignore all of it, the good and the bad. Set it all aside and go see it for yourself, with your own eyes as fresh as possible.

(Personally, seeing the Mona Lisa was a bit magical for me)

I will jump in late on music Monday. I am not usually a participant for it, but I got introduced to a new band tonight that has completely captivated me. They're a lot of fun. Peter and the Wolf is their name and the song for tonight, Chemistry Set, seemed to fit well in an odd way with this image. So enjoy.

♫

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Even a great performer needs an audience, but that is something the Venus de Milo never has to worry about. Like the Mona Lisa, Venus is never alone. The two most popular women in the Louvre, I imagine. ;-)

Funny thing, considering that this is the most famous piece of Greek sculpture in the world, I wonder how unrecognizable it would be in its original form, with both its arms, painted and bejeweled. Just yesterday at work we were trying to decide if we would prefer a camera that photographed into the future or one that photographed into the past. Most of my co-workers wanted future cameras, mainly so they could photograph horse races and such. I think I would prefer the past camera. Would be pretty cool to see this statue as it was originally displayed, whole and in color.

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The front of the Venus de Milo. I was lucky to catch this one woman all by herself standing behind Venus, as the crowd never typically left any gaps in the ring they built around her. I don't know who this lady was, and I am willing to bet she didn't know who I was, but for a few moments while she was lost in her audio tour she composed an interesting little scene with Venus.

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Ok, I have a bit of a torch to burn tonight. This one has been smoldering for a little while now and I have been lately trying to put it into words in a number of different venues, such as last night during class, or today talking with Larissa at Blue Moon, or with various other friends and acquaintances.

If I was going to suggest to photographers, both budding and otherwise, the one most important thing that they needed in order to succeed at photography (whatever success happened to mean to them) it would not be talent, nor creativity. It wouldn't be better equipment or education. I think one of the most important things you can possess as a photographer is confidence. And it is confidence that I think is the most common thing missing from photographers I meet. Specifically it is confidence in their own abilities, confidence that they have everything they need already to be or become great photographers. Confidence to trust their instincts, experience and hunches. I think confidence is terribly important in so many ways and it is so often so terribly lacking, even when the photographer in question is incredibly talented. It is a strange thing to know a photographer who is creative and capable, makes wonderful images, yet has little to no confidence in their own abilities. Sounds impossible, but it is far from it.

I think a lack of confidence comes from a variety of sources. I think part of it is our equipment. Our cameras get better and better, smarter and smarter. They do everything these days for us just shy of cooking breakfast and getting us dressed, and look out for the day that that happens! As our technology gets more advanced we don't have to trust our own abilities as much, so instead of developing confidence in ourselves, we develop it in our cameras instead. I have a friend who has been at photography even longer than I have. They own a number of cameras ranging from Holga to pinhole and many in between. They know exposure and how to meter even in tricky light. They recently upgraded to a DSLR and a year later they are afraid to make a single exposure without checking feedback on the LCD screen. When pressed about it, they offer some version of the excuse, "But what if I'm wrong?". In this case, the camera has taught them how to not trust in their own knowledge. Likewise I get a number of students who come to me after class and ask me how I can ever use film, or they mention that they would like to try film but wouldn't know how to use it. I usually point out to them that they know shutters and apertures, ISO and exposure, that they know how to use their meters, and after that film is no different than digital. And they usually respond by asking me how they could ever know they were doing it right without seeing it on the back of the camera.

That is how subtle the shift from confidence in ourselves to relying on our cameras can be.

I think the other reason some photographers are afraid to develop confidence is that they are afraid to become arrogant. They know arrogant, egotistical photographers out there and have told themselves they won't be anything like that, so they go the opposite direction. There is a distinct difference though between confidence and arrogance. Confidence is the belief in one's self. Arrogance is the point where you think you are better at it than anybody else, even if that is just one other person out there. The moment you think you are better, you are developing arrogance. The ironic thing is, arrogance is often a disguise for a lack of confidence, not too much of it. We inflate our egos artificially by telling ourselves how much inferior someone else is. But this has nothing to do with confidence really.

I am confident in myself, see. I am confident I know how to use my cameras effectively. I am confident that when I guess at something, I will be close. But I am also confident that when my guesses are wrong, I will learn from them and be that much closer next time. I am confident that if you give me enough time in a spot I will find a photo to make. I am confident that I will go through dry spells and struggle at times, but I am also confident that I will work through them. I am confident in the nature of my photos before anybody else ever lays eyes on them. I am confident that not everybody is going to love every single picture I make, and that is ok with me too. I am also confident that not every photo I make is perfect, or even all that good. But I am confident that each photo holds something that is important and dear to me, in some fashion or another.

I am confident that if I just have fun doing what I am doing, everything else has a way of working itself out given time.

In this sense, confidence isn't the belief that you will always be right. It is the belief that you know what you are doing.... even when you don't. Heh. And it is the continuation of that into the belief that even when you don't know what you are doing that you have the capability to figure it out, learn from it and grow.

Now, I don't say all that as a declaration. It isn't for me at all, I am confident enough that I don't need validation from my audience, even while I enjoy greatly the interaction and participation with them. Rather, I say all that as an example, a mindset to strive for. You should be able to not just tell yourself many of these same things, or other similar statements, but to believe them too. And I agree, this is not easy, but it is important.

Confidence is a pair of strong legs to stand on, a foundation to build your photography from.

So if you want to work on one thing with your photography, make it confidence. Practice photography and get better. Try new things and learn. But more importantly, learn to trust yourself. It is the best thing you can do for yourself. And remember, don't look to anybody else to give you this, believing in yourself is something you have to do, not wait for somebody else to do for you.

Be your own proof of concept.

Tags:   Paris France Louvre museum Venus de Milo Nikon FM2 film 35mm b&w Kodak Tri-X statue sculpture Greek historical essay confidence Europe traveling The last of my little Venus de Milo triptych People get so fixated on their cameras you can sneak right up on them I used this trick later on with a certain tower too. ;-) Blue Moon Camera

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Running out the door on my way to teach a class and after last night's word-a-thon, I figured I would let you all off easy this morning. ;-)

This, by the way, is the famous glass pyramid of the Louvre. I only spent part of one day in the Louvre (a laughable effort to see the place) but I did spend several nights wandering its courtyards. It was a good place to spend the evenings.

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