Experience is merely the name we give our mistakes. A quote attributed to Oscar Wilde. Assuming Wilde did make that quote, it is a quintessential Wilde. But the question I have been pondering is that why we compel to sugar coat our mistakes. What prevents us to admit that we made a mistake, or we are envious of our colleagues and friends’ successes? I am deliberately using the word envious rather than jealousy. Though both the words have negative connotations, in my book, jealousy has resentment for the successful as a component while envy has admiration for the successful and discontent about the self not achieving it.
I went on a photography workshop to California coast with a dear friend of mine, who shares my enthusiasm for photography but is a far better visual creator than me. Yes, I am envious of him. There, I said it. :-). The focus of the workshop was long exposure photography with water as main subject. The idea is to learn how to take sharp long exposure images with water has a creamy look to it.
I (thought) knew what accessories are needed, what should be the camera setting and the workshop coordinator is an expert and is available to assist and despite all these available, I took terrible pictures. I made some inexcusable mistakes.
The image above lacks drama and has no story to tell. The composition (my Achille’s heal) leaves much to be desired. While the water looks creamy enough, it is a pyrrhic victory, if at all. I was disappointed with myself, and sure was envious of fellow photographers, not jealous but just envious, I hasten to add. I would not have argued if someone at that moment time said I was afflicted with Dunning-Kruger effect ( Dunning–Kruger effect – Wikipedia ).
Few months later, my wife and I were on a long trip to British Isles (Wales not included) and the image below was taken at Torc waterfall in Killarney National Park in Ireland. I took out my tripod for the first time in that almost a month-long trip. I applied all the learnings from my aforementioned trip and have taken the image below.
I admit this image is very close to how I imagined it will be and am very happy with the results. I leave it you readers to decide which one appeals to you more, and for those who are familiar with long exposure photography, if the latter fits the bill better than the former.
This article is triggered by one of those random thoughts that why couldn’t I admit my mistakes and to acknowledge the learnings even if it is to myself. As I am writing this article, I realized that experience and learning are two sides of a coin and though the outcomes result in better experiences than previously, the way they affect us quite differently. Learnings seem to make us better at a doing certain things therefore make us more knowledgeable, and experiences teach us what NOT to do, and hence make us wiser. Of course, an event can make us both more knowledgeable and wiser at the same time.
So may I also add Learning is merely the name we give our mistakes. After all, both experience and learning are outcomes of our mistakes.
