Skip to main content Digital Camera World Digital Camera World THE HOME OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY Search Digital Camera World View Profile Accessories Buying Guides The Photography & Video Show Digital Camera Australian Camera Australian ProPhoto Photography Magazines Why subscribe? Issues filled with product reviews, latest updates, expert advice and more Delivered to your Android or IOS device Every issue is packed with photo tips, kit reviews and inspiration From$12View Camera news Camera rumors Photography & Video Show Prime Day deals Photo mag deals Cheatsheets Recommended reading Photography Photographers used to be witnesses, now they’re just influencers Photojournalism Every Frame Is a Goodbye - make it count: the bitter truth of photographing the people you love Photo Editing Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst, so stop putting watermarks on them! Photography Photography education is a scam - I never studied it, but still got to the Olympics as a professional photographer Photography How Photography is great for your wellbeing when it’s just for you and the camera Photo Technique Has shooting RAW made me lazy? Why a JPEG detox could do my photography a world of good... Want the secret to better photos? Get a camera that makes YOU smile Photography Once I start creating perfect images, I’m quitting photography. This is why Hillary K. Grigonis 13 July 2025 Ignorance can be fixed, but arrogance is far more deadly as an artist When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Hillary K Grigonis) I’ve made too many mistakes as a photographer to count them on one hand. I’ve wasted money on crappy gear, over-edited photos, forgotten to pack an SD card, crashed a drone, shot with my shutter too slow, and – my personal favorite – missed a stair step and fell and scraped up my arm in the middle of a wedding ceremony with everyone watching. But, here’s the thing: if I become a perfect photographer, I’m quitting photography altogether. Perfection isn’t a goal for photographers to reach for, for two main reasons. One, once you think you’ve reached perfection, you stop learning and growing. Two, photography is how humans share our view of the world – and if there’s something that all humans have in common, it’s imperfection. You may like Photographers used to be witnesses, now they’re just influencers Every Frame Is a Goodbye - make it count: the bitter truth of photographing the people you love Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst, so stop putting watermarks on them! I’m quitting photography once I become a perfect photographer. The good news? There’s no such thing as a perfect photographer, so I have about as high a chance of becoming a perfect photographer as pigs do of flying. Photographer Jerry Uelsmann once said, “It is the illusion of knowledge, not ignorance, that keeps one from growing.” Ignorance can be fixed, but arrogance is far more deadly as an artist. I’ve been a photographer for nearly 20 years, and I’m still learning new things. It would have been easy to get my camera off auto mode and think that I’d learned everything there was to learn about photography, but that’s simply not true. There’s far more to learn about photography than just manual mode. Mastering the right autofocus settings. Creating beautiful light with artificial lighting. Creating special effects. Adopting new photo editing tricks. The list is endless. Get the Digital Camera World Newsletter The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. I think there are certain things that a photographer should know before adopting the “professional” label, but even pros should still keep learning. Once the technical aspects of photography are mastered, there are still new ways of thinking, new perspectives, new hacks to try, new props to experiment with. Some of my favorite images came from shots that I took not knowing at all if they would turn out. The other reason that I will never become a perfect photographer is that photography is inherently human, and humans are inherently imperfect. This is also why AI will never replace true human-created photography, because AI tries to be too perfect. I was getting ready to take some summer photos of my children a few days ago, and I was worried about things like stained dresses, unbrushed hair and scraped knees. But, then I stopped and realized that stained clothes and scraped knees from playing outside are exactly what I remember about childhood summers. How dare I think about airbrushing those memories away! The camera is simply a tool for humans to share with other humans their view of the world. This world is far from perfect (and lately feels rather like a dumpster fire). Capturing those imperfections on camera is how we discuss them, remember them, and even work to change them. Look at the photojournalists who are taking images that are uncomfortable to look at, because it’s the uncomfortable images that are going to start conversations and maybe even spark change. Have I taken photographs that I’m incredibly proud of? Sure, but these images aren't among my favorites because they’re perfect, but because they capture the moment in a memorable way – even when that means capturing and remembering the imperfections. Growth should always be the goal, but never perfection. There’s no such thing as a perfect photographer – and that’s the point. You may also like Still learning photography? Good, photographers should never stop learning. Browse our photography cheat sheets for on-the-go learning. Hillary K. Grigonis Social Links Navigation With more than a decade of experience writing about cameras and technology, Hillary K. Grigonis leads the US coverage for Digital Camera World. Her work has appeared in Business Insider, Digital Trends, Pocket-lint, Rangefinder, The Phoblographer, and more. Her wedding and portrait photography favors a journalistic style. She’s a former Nikon shooter and a current Fujifilm user, but has tested a wide range of cameras and lenses across multiple brands. Hillary is also a licensed drone pilot. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Photographers used to be witnesses, now they’re just influencers Every Frame Is a Goodbye - make it count: the bitter truth of photographing the people you love Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst, so stop putting watermarks on them! Photography education is a scam - I never studied it, but still got to the Olympics as a professional photographer How Photography is great for your wellbeing when it’s just for you and the camera Has shooting RAW made me lazy? Why a JPEG detox could do my photography a world of good... Latest in Photography The Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2025 Shortlist reveals the epitome of photographic storytelling If you want to learn street photography, you need to study the work of Louis Stettner Ever seen a 300,000-mile solar prominence eruption? 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Here are 9 side hustles to make some money with it – and they're actually good ideas! This is the camera that "Canon accidentally made too good" I shot these photos with my favorite diffusion filter – it seldom leaves my camera lens for portraits, and it's 33% off right now Will OM System develop an advanced compact camera? I asked OM execs about compacts, the PEN line, and cheap mirrorless – and what they said surprised me Emeet Pixy Dual-Camera PTZ 4K Webcam review: keeps you in the picture at all times Digital Camera World is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Terms and conditions Contact Future's experts Privacy policy Cookies policy Advertise with us Accessibility Statement Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Please login or signup to comment Please wait...