Creative Competition


I’m not a big writer, and for the most part I like to keep my mouth shut because I’m not about instigating or debating, but hey this is a blog and one can speak their peace from time to time. I have been thinking about this for a while and realized I’m bummed by the obvious truth. Creative Competition in 2008 is at an all-time-high, and I don’t see it getting much easier to deal with.

I’m 26, I realize I haven’t been on this earth for a long time, and in retrospect, barley made a mark in comparison to all the things that have transposed through history. Everyone wants a legacy, something to be remembered by. Just like Dane Cook who wants to steal ice cream from children (because they’ll remember him). Well, maybe not just like Dane, but you see where I’m going with that. I’m no fine artist, I can’t paint/sketch/draw for the life of me. I’m not an engineer and figure I’ll never patent anything that will make it into the As Seen on TV stores. And I’m not the biggest risk taker, so Discovery channel will probably never interview me just before a crazy jump or dive. I am however a photographer that has not found his true passion for art. The scary part, is at the rate technology shifts in my medium, I wonder how long it will actually take.

These days, everyone is a photographer. You probably own a digital camera, and if you think you dont, check your laptop, phone, or even your PDA, you most likely have some sort of way to take a picture or video. I’m no exception, I probably have 6 or 7 cameras of various types. But where does that leave me in terms of posting shots on the web for feedback not trying to sound vain.. attempting not to digg them so I can avoid the ritualistic “Meh, yawnz” comments.. avoiding all the forums where they get lost and buried in the midst of everyone’s flower and sunset and cloud shots.. or other less fulfilling ways to loose all that time in the day? It doesen’t leave much. But it does let me realize that some the be best shots I think I’ve taken weren’t with my expensive camera and thousand+ $ lenses, they were with a $45 rig, a $50 50mm lens and a $4 roll of film.

Now I’m not looking for sympathy, or someone to hold my hand and lead me to the top of popularity, I know I have to work for it just like everyone else trying to make a name. I already have one photo published. Is it much? Nah, not really, but at least i have bragging rights. And again I took this with my old Sony 717, not my DSLR and a super color capturing lens. I think the answer to all great artwork with meaning is in simplicity. Remembering where your medium came from, and embracing what you do best in it’s true form. Painters still use canvas, Sculptors still use clay, engineers still use sketches and math.. hell, I think I can still use film.

Competition today is by no means easy, and I think that rule has always applied. I suppose when someone wants something enough, they’ll eventually get there, but why is it that in this day and year of technology we have to look back to do it? It seems that for every friend I have on myspace, all 190 million of them, shouldn’t I be able to benefit from that technology friendship and ask them what they think of a photo? Oh I forgot, I’m not in their top 8 so all you see are the pictures of them on HCWDB on friday night, you know, real photography.

Yah, competition is tough, I guess I just need to step up my game and deal with it.


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