Street photography in Paris, revisiting the old
Here is an image from a few years ago, moments after France beat Croatia in the World Cup Final. How did I never post this before? It's interesting when you go back through past images and something jumps out at you that you had overlooked multiple times before. Why is that? It could be that you were burnt out looking through a ton of almost perfects, goods and flat out "why did I take that"s. It could be that you had a certain thing/aesthetic in mind then and the current standout image didn't hit that mark. Another option that I think applies is growth in our vision. Let me expand on the last one.
When I was a younger person who had seen and experienced less of the world and viewed fewer works of art. I had a narrower view of good and bad. I looked at things I marvel over today with a different sense of wonder. I wondered how can anyone like that? I loved the easy stuff such as Rembrandt and Norman Rockwell (not at all similar) for painting. I didn't know anything at all about Picasso or Pollock. I loved Leibovitz and Karsh's photography and didn't understand the work Frank or Fink. I liked mixed drinks but couldn't understand why anyone would drink scotch on purpose. What changed? I did. I kept an open mind and tried new things. I met new people, read new books, viewed more art and I even determined to learn more about scotch to see why it was so well regarded. The result is I like a lot more things than I used to. I stay curious and continue to learn and grow. There are many people in the world who stop being curious early. They pick a few things they like and never change. I know they think of it as a virtue but I can only feel sorry for them (my opinion). They miss so much.
Look back at images you created over the months and years. Look at them with fresh eyes. It is almost a given that you will find something you missed before. What is interesting of course is that you noticed it and photographed it in the first place. You subconsciously knew it was good but consciously you weren't ready to embrace it. It was an acquired taste that you hadn't yet acquired. I feel almost embarrassed when I think back on my view of many things that I currently love. None of this of course is to say that the attached image is a masterpiece. It's just to say we all miss things early and should go back and re-examine the things we didn't like in the past. You may just discover some of them are your new favorite things.
