Review, Review, and Review Again: The Art of Knowing Your Best Work

There’s a hard truth in photography (and in life): You are your own worst critic. And that’s not a bad thing—it’s a necessary thing.

Why? Because you know your weaknesses best.

You see the small mistakes that no one else notices. You recognize the flaws that others might overlook. And if you’re serious about growth, you know that what seems great today might be trash tomorrow.

I learned this the hard way—by skipping the one step that separates a beginner from a professional: REVIEWING MY WORK.

The $2500 Lesson in Humility

Years ago, I was still in the military but deeply invested in becoming a better beauty and portrait photographer. I wanted to learn from the best, so I dropped $2500 (not including airfare) on a five-day seminar taught by industry pros—people who had worked with Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Victoria’s Secret, and Sports Illustrated.

The setting was straight out of a dream—rolling hills, forests, ravines, pools, and beautifully staged photography sets. Best of all, we had 30 to 40 professional models ready to work with us, allowing us to practice and build our portfolios.

Before we even picked up our cameras, the lead instructor set the tone with one simple truth:

"You will learn more from each other than you will ever learn from us."

I didn’t quite get it then, but I would by the end of the first day.

REVIEW, REVIEW AND REVIEW AGAIN!

The Rookie Mistake: No Review, No Filter

On day one, I was assigned a male and female model to shoot. I went in guns blazing, snapping away, adjusting my camera settings, playing with angles. By the end of the session, I had taken about 300 photos.

After the shoot, we reviewed our work on a monitor. The female model, full of excitement, turned to me and asked:

"Can I have them?"

And without thinking, I handed over every single photo from the session. ALL THREE HUNDRED OF THEM.

What I didn’t realize was the problem wasn’t her asking—it was me giving.

The Internet Doesn’t Forget

That night, another photographer approached me with a look that was somewhere between amusement and concern.

"Did you give all your shots to the model?"

"Yeah… why?"

"Oh boy. Check online."

I pulled out my laptop and—there it was.

Every single photo.

✔️ Blurry ones? Up.✔️ Overexposed ones? Up.✔️ Mid-blink, awkward pose, bad lighting? ALL UP.

And worst of all? My name was attached to every single one.

Now, here’s the thing—the model did nothing wrong.

She loved the photos because, to her, they were all great. But a trained eye sees what the untrained eye doesn’t.

The fault wasn’t hers. The fault was mine.

The Power of Reviewing Your Own Work

A seasoned photographer wouldn’t have made that mistake. Why? Because they know the value of review.

✔️ Review your shots. Look at them with a critical eye.✔️ Review them again. Step away, come back with fresh eyes.✔️ Then review AGAIN! Because what you thought was amazing an hour ago might already look off.

You can’t rely on excitement or emotion. You have to rely on your ability to separate what works from what doesn’t.

“Your Brain Isn’t Big Enough Yet”

Growing up, my brothers would say, "Your brain isn’t big enough yet to understand what I’m saying."

At the time, I thought it was just them messing with me. But now? I get it.

You don’t know what you don’t know—until you do.

Every great artist, musician, and athlete looks back at their earlier work and cringes—not because it was bad, but because they’ve grown past it.

Mozart didn’t write his greatest pieces on day one. Michael Jordan didn’t walk onto the court already being the GOAT. And as a photographer, you don’t start with a perfect eye—you train it.

It takes:

📌 Study📌 Time📌 More study📌 More time

And always pushing to be better.

You Can Always Better Your Best

That’s the beauty of ANY process—you can always better your best.

I used to think I had a “final” style, a “perfect” shot, a “best” work. But looking back, I realize—I was only at the beginning of what I was capable of.

Now, before I ever deliver photos to a client, I make sure that:

✔️ Only the best make the cut.✔️ Every photo reflects my best work.✔️ I am in control of what represents me.

Because at the end of the day—you are only as good as the worst photo you let out into the world.

Lessons Learned

✅ The fault isn’t in what the model shared—it was in what I gave her.✅ You don’t grow without critical self-review.✅ You are always learning. What’s great today might be cringe-worthy tomorrow.✅ You don’t just “become” better—you work to get better.

So if you’re ever tempted to skip the review process and just hand over all your raw work—STOP!

Your future self will look back and say, "What the hell was I thinking?"

And that’s a good thing. It means you’re growing.

So keep studying. Keep improving. Keep reviewing, reviewing, and reviewing again.

Because the best version of you is still ahead.

Have you ever looked back at old work and cringed? What’s a lesson you learned the hard way? Let’s talk in the comments!