My photos rarely come out how I want them to (because I don’t take enough pictures), and that puts me off taking any more photos because they all seem ‘bad’ to me. It’s a sort of reinforcing cycle.
I try to take pictures of interesting subjects, in interesting lighting etc., but find myself putting the camera back into the drawer for another 2 months before I pick it up again and go through the same cycle. It’s almost like I’d rather take no pictures than bad pictures.
Is this normal, or am I just insane? I neglected taking my camera on my last trip abroad because of this feeling.
There is no perfect in photography (debatably any art). All you’re doing is capturing the world around you in a way appealing to you.
Worrying so much about “perfect” aperture, speeds, filters, lenses, etc can get in the way. But if you know how these fundamentals (f-stop, speed, focus, ISO) work and work together, you can discover your own style.
Lighting is only a fraction of the battle, you also have the composure itself which is what most non-photographers will notice before thinking about imperfect lighting or focus. Just keep shooting and figuring out what you like, don’t worry so much