{"id":27969,"date":"2025-06-29T18:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T16:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wieland.n4w.at\/?p=27969"},"modified":"2025-07-15T08:06:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T06:06:24","slug":"perfect-pictures-unfortunately-often-soulless-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/perfect-pictures-unfortunately-often-soulless-part-3\/","title":{"rendered":"PERFECT PICTURES? UNFORTUNATELY OFTEN SOULLESS – PART 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

When technical perfection makes a picture better – and when it destroys it.<\/h2>\n

\"Closer\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After the first two parts dealt with why perfection often bores and why mistakes often make a picture more interesting, we now turn to the crucial question: When does technical perfection make sense – and when does it destroy emotional photography?<\/p>\n

Perfection is not fundamentally bad. It can enhance an image, make it clearer, more precise and more impressive. But when it becomes an end in itself, when a photo is nothing more than a demonstration of technical skill, then it robs a picture of exactly what makes emotional photography. Because it does not live from flawless technology, but from real moments that cannot be calculated. Technical perfection can support emotional photography – but it can just as easily suffocate it. <\/p>\n

Technically perfect – and yet meaningless<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Perfection alone is not enough – but sometimes it makes all the difference. The point is not that a technically perfect image is automatically boring. The point is that perfection is no substitute for content. <\/p>\n

A picture can be perfectly exposed and still look cold. It can overcome every technical hurdle and still not sparkle. But there are moments when perfection makes the image really strong – when it doesn’t dominate, but supports. <\/p>\n

That’s the point: technology can enhance an image or render it lifeless. The trick is to know when perfection helps – and when it destroys. <\/p>\n

The work of Herb Ritts is a good example of how technical perfection and expression do not have to be mutually exclusive. His pictures are flawless – but they always have feeling. They convey something. <\/p>\n

And then there are photographers like Davide Armando, who do the opposite: motion blur, extreme contrasts, light that breaks every rule – but that’s exactly what gives his pictures their raw energy.<\/p>\n

Both are completely different – and yet their pictures are effective. This shows that it’s not about whether you work perfectly or not. It’s about whether a picture triggers something. <\/p>\n

An exciting article on PetaPixel shows why the concept of perfect photography is a fallacy and how mistakes can enrich an image. You can read more about it here: The Failure of the Perfect Picture<\/a>.<\/span> <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Why I decide on technical perfection depending on the situation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I don’t plan my shoots with light setups, fixed poses or meticulous sketches. No such thing. I make situational decisions – because I react to the moment, not to a template. <\/p>\n

But that doesn’t mean that technology doesn’t play a role. I make conscious decisions about what I control – and what I don’t. My white balance? I never do it in the camera because I know that the light is constantly changing anyway. I often work with an open aperture – and my most important decision is always where the focus is. <\/p>\n

For me, perfection is not an end in itself. It is a tool – but only if it makes the image stronger. <\/p>\n

The gaze is captivated<\/strong><\/p>\n

A picture that is not technically perfect can be effective for precisely this reason. Because it feels different from the usual uniformity. <\/p>\n

Motion blur draws the viewer into the image instead of just letting them look at it. Grain gives a shot a texture that “feels”, even if it is only visual. And unconventional image details break up viewing habits – which is precisely why they stick. <\/p>\n

These are not mistakes. They are deliberate stylistic devices. Because a picture doesn’t have to be perfect to get it just right. <\/p>\n

Take a look at my Collector’s Edition<\/a><\/span> where you can see many shots that revolve around emotional photography.<\/p>\n

Why technical “mistakes” often make better pictures<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A slightly blurred image, a deliberate use of motion blur, unconventional lighting – these are all stylistic devices that can make an image more intense. Technically imperfect shots can convey real energy because they appear alive and thus convey emotional photography. <\/p>\n

Motion blur gives the image a sense of speed and dynamism. Grain breaks up the sterile smoothness of digital images. Unusual image details direct the eye where it is not expected. <\/p>\n

These are not “mistakes”. They are conscious decisions. Because a picture may not fit 100% technically – and still be exactly right. <\/p>\n

\"Watergames\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When perfection was demanded – and I knew it was useless<\/h3>\n

I remember this exact moment in the Graphische in Vienna. A whole series of pictures – motion blur, oblique cut-outs, harsh contrasts. I was convinced that this was exactly my thing. <\/p>\n

The result? A stain. “Not enough.” <\/p>\n

The teacher was as creative as a roll of pudding – but that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that he only had one grid through which he judged photography: technical perfection. And that’s when I knew that if I stuck to it, I would never take pictures that really interested me. <\/p>\n

I have no idea what the teacher is doing today. But I know that my pictures wouldn’t fit into his evaluation scheme – and that’s a good thing. <\/p>\n

Perfection is a tool – but not a goal<\/h3>\n

Technical perfection can make a picture stronger – or soulless. The difference? Whether it serves the image or whether the image must serve it. <\/p>\n

Emotional photography does not live from measured values or perfect setups. It lives from what happens when you let the moment happen instead of controlling it. <\/p>\n

Because in the end, it’s not how perfect a picture is that counts. It’s whether you forget it after ten seconds – or never get it out of your head again. <\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd38 SIGNED.FRAMED.ICONIC.<\/strong>
Fine art photography, limited, hand-signed – a new motif every week.
\ud83d\udc49 To the series<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd38 Collector’s Edition<\/strong>
Exclusive collector’s items, large format, strictly limited.
\ud83d\udc49 To the Collector’s Edition<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd38 The Book & An Other Book<\/strong>
Two books, \u20ac70 saved, one hundred pages of photographed truths.
\ud83d\udc49 To the book bundle<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd17 Subscribe to our free newsletter now & never miss a thing!<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":28065,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martin-wieland-arts.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}