# How Gifted do YOU think you are at photography???



## Peeb (Dec 16, 2016)

I just looked at a local guy's flickr page, and in virtually every category of image that I have attempted, he seems to have a similar effort that is objectively better than mine.  Makes me feel pretty lacking.

AND YET, when I share my images with non-photographers, they think I'm awesome.  Really awesome.

The truth typically lies somewhere in-between.  A lot probably depends on what you think of as 'average'.  Given the proliferation of cell phone photos, I don't think the bar for average is overly high.

Votes are not public, but I'll share that I rated myself as the first tick-mark above average.

How would you rate YOU?


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## Overread (Dec 16, 2016)

Above average but not quite good enough to be very good yet - still I'm at least decent at this photography thing.


However as the poll has no bacon option I find it somewhat lacking


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## Peeb (Dec 16, 2016)

Bacon!

Very nice...


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## jcdeboever (Dec 16, 2016)

I am not even a tick, I am working towards way below average. 

Sent from my XT1254 using ThePhotoForum.com mobile app


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## Desert Rose (Dec 16, 2016)

Gifted? No. Learned and experienced, yes. Its the old nature vs nurture thing, I have a decent eye for composition and can frame nice images but most of my skills come from just doing it for over 30 years. I learned a lot with film and have learned volumes more since digital was introduced, it makes learning a lot easier and more fun for me.


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## snowbear (Dec 16, 2016)

I like turtles.

And polar bears.


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## Peeb (Dec 16, 2016)

snowbear said:


> I like turtles.
> 
> And polar bears.


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## SquarePeg (Dec 16, 2016)

I think I'm average at some things (like landscapes), below average at others (portraits) and above average at some stuff  (florals, abstracts).  However the "average" is as compared to a total amateur, not to someone with skills.  Of course my family and friends think I should quit my very lucrative day job and become a pro photographer hahahahahahahahaha!


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## minicoop1985 (Dec 16, 2016)

I AM GOD'S GIFT TO PHOTOGRAPHY. ALL SHALL BOW AND WORSHIP AT MY FEET. MY VERY PHOTOGENIC FEET.





lol I've been doing this way too long to suck as much as I do.


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## zombiesniper (Dec 16, 2016)

I can shoot wildlife okay but may as well forget most other forms of photography without a lot of practice. 

In short. average.


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## tirediron (Dec 16, 2016)

Not nearly freakin' good enough to justify the amount of money I've spent on gear!


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## Peeb (Dec 16, 2016)

zombiesniper said:


> I can shoot wildlife okay but may as well forget most other forms of photography without a lot of practice.
> 
> In short. average.


Dude, your TOWERING skillz in wildlife shooting alone are plenty to skyrocket you SEVERAL rungs above average!


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## 480sparky (Dec 16, 2016)

I'd rate myself somewhere between Tony Rockwell and Ken Northrup.


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## cherylynne1 (Dec 17, 2016)

I'm about average with the technical side of photography, maybe even above average considering the amount of time I've been doing it. But I'm well below average when it comes to the artistic side. I have no natural talent for photography. I don't have original ideas. The best thing I have is good taste when admiring what others have done, and enough skills to emulate some of them.


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## Vtec44 (Dec 17, 2016)

I'm a decent photographer, but people seem to like my work enough to pay for it.


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## JonA_CT (Dec 17, 2016)

SquarePeg said:


> I think I'm average at some things (like landscapes), below average at others (portraits) and above average at some stuff  (florals, abstracts).  However the "average" is as compared to a total amateur, not to someone with skills.  Of course my family and friends think I should quit my very lucrative day job and become a pro photographer hahahahahahahahaha!



This is how I feel too...comfortable with some things and still a lot to learn on others. 

But it is funny...people seem to think photography could replace my day job. I wouldn't call teaching lucrative, but I still can't see a way to make the same amount of money as a photographer any time soon (or probably ever).


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## snowbear (Dec 17, 2016)

Gifted?  No, I have to work at it.


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## robbins.photo (Dec 17, 2016)

snowbear said:


> I like turtles.
> 
> And polar bears.


I like polar bears eating turtles.  Especially ninja turtles.  Just get a kick out of it every time.

Could just be me.

Sent from my N9518 using Tapatalk


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## Gary A. (Dec 17, 2016)

480sparky said:


> I'd rate myself somewhere between Tony Rockwell and Ken Northrup.


LOL ... you are much much better than that.


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## limr (Dec 17, 2016)

Meh, depends on the day. Some days I think, "Hey, you're pretty good!" Other days, I wonder how I'm even allowed to have a camera.


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## Gary A. (Dec 17, 2016)

Average compared to my peers.  What I lack in technical skills I make up for in enthusiasm. (Like Vtec, good enough to make a living.)

Interesting enough, when I started at the Times, it was a transition period between the Old Guard and a bunch of young kids all starting at about the same time, about a dozen of us.  The old timers were still wearing sport coats, ties and sometimes hats to work.  When I see them, I see them in B&W and they saw and called us smarta$$es. All the young smarta$$es, photogs and reporters, would party and at one of the first parties we introduced ourselves and spoke of our backgrounds. (One guy came from the National Enquirer, which got a pretty good laugh.)  Collectively and individually, we felt that there were better writers and photographers out there much more deserving of working for a major newspaper than ourselves.  We felt hat the luck of the draw, being in the right place at the right time, was as important in landing at the Times as skill.


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## SCraig (Dec 17, 2016)

It's also very subjective.  I don't know who selected the top 2 options, although I could venture guesses, but I would likely disagree with their opinion of their abilities.


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## ZombiesniperJr (Dec 17, 2016)

i think i am just above average


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## robbins.photo (Dec 17, 2016)

ZombiesniperJr said:


> i think i am just above average


I think your screwing up the grading curve for the rest of us... 

Sent from my N9518 using Tapatalk


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## chuasam (Dec 17, 2016)

If I'm hanging out with regular folks, I am god's gift.
Thankfully, many of my friends are amongst the top photographers in their field and they keep me humble.


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## MSnowy (Dec 17, 2016)

Heading towards average when I compare my images to the images I'd like to take someday


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## alexis.alvarez (Dec 17, 2016)

Compared to my non-photographer friends, I am God's gift -- in their eyes and mine! Compared to my photographer friends, very good. Compared to my professional-photographer friends, I'm just a talented wannabe ...


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## Peeb (Dec 17, 2016)

alexis.alvarez said:


> Compared to my non-photographer friends, I am God's gift -- in their eyes and mine! Compared to my photographer friends, very good. Compared to my professional-photographer friends, I'm just a talented wannabe ...


I'm not to the level you describe but the concept is dead-on!


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## Overread (Dec 17, 2016)

What I find interesting is that this poll is actually doing what I thought it would if people took it seriously here on the forums. 

The bulk of the weight around greater than average; with a small number at the upper and lower ends with a weighting toward the upper end. 

Indeed the one person thus far, who has ticked that they suck at photography can likely boost that score significantly with some critique from members and some posting of their work seeking crits. Which is broadly speaking where things should be on the site if its working well - people advancing beyond beginner and beyond average with some making it as far as great.


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## DanOstergren (Dec 18, 2016)

According to my peers, I'm really good. According to myself, I could be much better.


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## Frank F. (Dec 18, 2016)

My talent is small but I work hard to compensate for the lack of gift. Some are gifted some have to work hard. That is life. Some are born beautiful and work hard to stay beautiful. Some are gifted and work hard to reach a level us earthlings will never reach. But working hard and never stop to learn will bring you a long way.

I am a working professional and have proficiency in architecture photos, food photos and people photos plus science writing and presentation in words and I believe also in poetry


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## pixmedic (Dec 18, 2016)

im fabulous. 
not quite Gods gift to photography though...im no Ken Rockwell.


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## Peeb (Dec 18, 2016)

As of this morning:  26 votes and not one vote for 'considerably worse than average'.  Not sure what to make of that, but I find it interesting.

Makes me fear that I voted incorrectly for myself.  I mean, SOMEBODY has gotta be considerably worse, right?


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## Frank F. (Dec 18, 2016)

I did not vote. No option seems to be an answer to your question, depending how you define "gifted"


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## Peeb (Dec 18, 2016)

Frank F. said:


> I did not vote. No option seems to be an answer to your question, depending how you define "gifted"


Exactly!  It's all context and perception, isn't it?

Among my "normal' friends, I am a genius.

Among you guys, I'm grasping for "just OK".

Among the best of you, I'm a hopeless case.

I struggle with trying to get in touch with where the real truth lies.  I think a lot of it depends upon your personality, really.  I recall many years ago, one of my kids was involved in various sports teams, and regardless of the sport or his ACTUAL skill level, he would accurately locate the best talent on the team, identify that person as the best, and then announce that HE was the second-best.  On the other hand- one of my other kids would consistently rate himself as the worst on the team despite the fact that he was actually pretty OK.

I just find the whole phenomena of self-perception to be pretty interesting.


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## limr (Dec 18, 2016)

Peeb said:


> Frank F. said:
> 
> 
> > I did not vote. No option seems to be an answer to your question, depending how you define "gifted"
> ...



Well then, if you haven't already, you need to read about the Dunner-Kruger effect (the "unskilled and unaware" effect.)


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## snowbear (Dec 18, 2016)

It's all relative.  I can be any of three middle choices (below/average/above) depending on the comparison.  Within this forum, I place myself at the lower end of that scale while among fiends and family, I could be at the upper.  Either way, it's something I have to work at, not a natural gift.


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## The_Traveler (Dec 18, 2016)

limr said:


> Well then, if you haven't already, you need to read about the Dunner-Kruger effect (the "unskilled and unaware" effect.)



*Dunning–Kruger effect - Wikipedia*


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## Peeb (Dec 18, 2016)

limr said:


> Peeb said:
> 
> 
> > Frank F. said:
> ...


 I haven't – and I will!


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## Frank F. (Dec 18, 2016)

Gift is IMO something you got without working for it

Achievement is something you gain by working hard for it

IMO I got next to no gift but a lot of achievement

Your question asks for the GIFT but you answers relate to the "current skill level" which is the result of gift and achievement over many years IMO


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## photo1x1.com (Dec 18, 2016)

I hope I'm not that bad, when it comes to talent, but I am pretty sloppy at times, finding mistakes as soon as I check the images on the computer. Also when something doesn't work as planned I go with what I've got too quick instead of trying to get exactly what I had in mind. 
Sometimes I still get some nice images despite these deficiencies, that has to be that little talent for photography in me.


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## OGsPhotography (Dec 18, 2016)

Dunning Kruger.


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## photo1x1.com (Dec 19, 2016)

OGsPhotography said:


> Dunning Kruger.


Thanks if it was a reply to my post


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## Frank F. (Dec 19, 2016)

Intelligence is the natural ressource that is distributed just fine: No one complains he/she does not have enough of it.


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## photo1x1.com (Dec 19, 2016)

Frank F. said:


> Intelligence is the natural ressource that is distributed just fine: No one complains he/she does not have enough of it.



It is the same with humour. Everybody easily has enough of it


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## astroNikon (Dec 19, 2016)

Is this thread asking us to turn in our cameras and change hobbies ?


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## Dean_Gretsch (Dec 22, 2016)

That Dunning-Kruger link is a real bummer!


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## Frank F. (Dec 22, 2016)

The_Traveler said:


> limr said:
> 
> 
> > Well then, if you haven't already, you need to read about the Dunner-Kruger effect (the "unskilled and unaware" effect.)
> ...






"High-ability individuals may underestimate their relative competence and may erroneously assume that tasks which are easy for them are also easy for others."


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## snowbear (Dec 22, 2016)

limr said:


> Well then, if you haven't already, you need to read about the Dunner-Kruger effect (the "unskilled and unaware" effect.)


AKA the Fauxtog syndrome.


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## smithdan (Dec 22, 2016)

Gifted,

Well, pretty dang good!  My brother gave me his 500C, a Pentax auto bellows with the 100 Bellows Takumar, a couple of serious light meters and lots of other neat stuff.

(   oh - you mean  )

mostly average then.


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## Frank F. (Dec 22, 2016)

I got myself a 105E Nikkor as a chistmas *gift*. Instead of listing price 2419 Euros I only paid a bargain of 1865 or such. The lens is awsome although the AF is slow. The lens loves the D600 and takes her to new heights.

Now I am GIFTED!!!


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## NellsPhoto (Dec 26, 2016)

I can't vote...  I am not sure how to classify my skill level...

I have a horrible time understanding things like f-stop, etc... it is like math to me.  I also have yet to conquer the issues I have with backlit subjects, and macro.

All I know is I can tell a bad photo from a good one.  Composition is KEY.  My photos are generally of ITEMS, things like cars and trains.  There are some railfans who take amazing photos.  I have ALSO known PERSONALLY local railfans who own $$ cameras and matching lenses, and their images are NOT that great.  I am just about the only one left who uses a point-and-shoot camera... and yet, to toot my own horn a little, my photos are far better than most of theirs!

So, as far as most of you are concerned, I have little talent because I don't photograph stunning vistas or people.  But, some of my photos have been published in Railpace Newsmagazine, so I can't be THAT bad!  ;-)


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## Samuel.z (Dec 26, 2016)

I picked up photography about 6 months ago and i'd rate myself as just below average.

 i learned the basics pretty fast and did a lot of experimenting. The most important thing i told myself was that i can make anything look good in a picture if i framed it right. so i challenged myself and tried to make an interesting picture of the first thing i saw. Sometimes it was grass, sometimes a wall but most of the times i ended up with an interesting image otherwise i still felt like i learned more about my camera. 

My downsides even today is that even though i shoot in manual mode 90% of the time i still haven't touched the menus that much. I've only dared to play around with a few settings.
By writing this i realized that i should read the whole manual for my camera and not just the chapters that sounded interesting.

I've just started selling my work privately to family and friends and might expand it soon. Wish me good luck. No dream is to big....right...

So challenge yourself people! Find the most unattractive thing around you and try to make it attractive.


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## Vtec44 (Dec 27, 2016)

Samuel.z said:


> Find the most unattractive thing around you and try to make it attractive.



Well, I gave up on selfies a long time ago.


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