Most of your photos will be bad. That is not a failure; This is the price of progress. Every missed focus, awkward composition, and flat performance teaches something that can’t be learned from tutorials. The images that frustrate you shape your instincts, and instincts are what separate mechanical shooters from true image makers.
coming to you from max kentThis thoughtful video breaks down the inconvenient truth that taking bad photos is the foundation for great ones. Kent points out that even greats like Henri Cartier-Bresson shot hundreds of forgettable frames for each masterpiece. It’s easy to assume that professionals simply have a magic touch, but they have developed a greater tolerance for failure. They shoot constantly, learn quickly and make their bad work disappear quietly behind the scenes. Kent argues that this invisible process, the unseen contact sheets and deleted raw files, is where real skill is developed. You begin to see how each mistake shapes your eye and how creative perseverance builds your confidence over time.
Kent’s video draws unexpected comparisons to football. A striker who stops taking shots because he has missed too many shots will never score again. The same thing applies to photography. If you hesitate every time you pick up the camera, waiting for perfection, you’ll get stymied. Bad pictures are warm-ups, the visual equivalent of stretching before a match. They loosen up your instincts, help you find a rhythm, and prepare you for those moments when everything finally falls into place. Kent reminds you that when this happens it’s not luck; It’s the result of showing up, overcoming mistakes, and learning what doesn’t work.
He also talks about the quiet skill of self-editing that develops through repetition. Over time, you learn to recognize when a shot is not worth taking before you even press the shutter. That ability only comes from picking up bad enough guys to be able to identify what “off” looks like through the viewfinder. Great photographers are not immune to mistakes; He has spent years training his eyes to anticipate them. Kent mentioned how someone like Saul Leiter would have been hesitant to shoot an incomplete scene and in doing so, he missed one of his defining images. The point is not to glorify imperfection but to normalize it. Every photo you’re proud of stands on a pile of failed experiments you’ll never post.
Kent keeps it honest until the end. He admits the video is probably a “seven out of ten”, but that’s the point. If he demanded perfection, she would never have existed. Creative work does not mean achieving success every time. It’s often about creating enough that you eventually do. He encourages you to get out, take bad pictures, and keep moving even when everything seems normal. Because only by trying, by pressing the shutter again and again, you get there. Watch the video above for the full details from Kent.
