I came to photography when digital imagining was well established. In learning digital photography, I was led to believe that I should strive for technical excellence, with an emphasis on the best camera, greater megapixels, sharpness, technical perfection and quality printing. These were the goals others encouraged and that I would set for myself.
 
Striving for the elusive perfection promised by the digital process has become a hindrance in my pursuit of creative images that show the emotion within the work. Perhaps, being a digital photographer, I have missed the opportunity to accept imperfection that was commonplace in the era of film. Letting go of perfection has allowed me to consider more creative ideas, emphasising character and feeling, within the compositions. 

I now accept that creativity is messy and an unpredictable pursuit. The end result is important if it is what I am looking for, however, process is also important.  In fact, I would argue process is essential in the creative endeavour. This is not to suggest that I should avoid trying to perfect my skills but rather, to recognise that in order to be creative, I might need to be more relaxed, less rushed and less concerned with the end product. 

The final images are not perfect. Nor should they be. They are not sharp but rather soft and dreamy, yet this is what makes them aesthetically pleasing.  Paradoxically, it is the very imperfect quality of the images that gives them an aesthetic value and an artistic appeal.
These sepia images maybe compared and contrasted with a series of black and white images taken with a different Holga.

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