Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Seems to me Cartier-Bresson was simply saying that it takes an enormous amount of practice to consistently produce good photographs. True enough. The creative muscle is like any other — you need to exercise it to develop it.
There maybe are those gifted few who turn out fine work right from the start, but they are the exception, not the rule. Most of us need to spend considerable time and effort at it. I’ve been making photographs for years, and am finally starting to see that practice take root.
