Bored. Sitting here and something prompted me to look back at my Favorites list. I call those somethings 'nudges'. I've had them all my life, they just seem to come out of nowhere. So I scrolled back to the very beginning, to when I first dropped in to this place. I was here quite a while ago, left for a time due to personal reasons and then returned about six months ago. I could not believe how many Favorites I had. What I noticed was....

The work to my eye seemed more creative back then. The subjects more unique. The technical quality more tuned in. Not that I don't see that now, but by reviewing my picks I really see a difference, fine as it is. Fine Art Nudes were much more fine art, not just nudity for for the sake of it. Every image I saved was one that I'd hang on my wall. That's how I pick them now too, but there just aren't as many going onto the pile.

They also piqued my creative side. Provided some thoughts on how I may utilize a composition idea or arrangement of color going forward. It's been very interesting. Look back at the stuff you've saved. All the way back. Treasure is buried there.

Brian,  

Thank you for that thoughtful post.  I had one of those 'nudges' myself recently, and looked to my '1X Favourites' folder - and also my 'Inspiration' folder where I've saved some 'classics' from the history of Photography. 

It is a good exercise, and it reminds us of what is possible for this craft and art.  Some photographs go beyond technique, beyond eye-candy, and can actually make you think or feel -  sometimes both at once.  They're like the bits of poetry that lodge in your brain and give you comfort by reminding you that there is some order and form to this life.  

. . . .  Steven T.

Hi. Gosh, I'm envious! This is very good advice generally but I'm swamped trying to catalogue all my photographs, organise them and consider which need original-processing - all for candidates, stretching-back years. So the idea of re-assessing older (already processed) images has to wait until I've developed all older images (and present ones). Just too much to process, alas. But, in a self-contradictory statement: some earlier, processed, images I have re-processed with better experience and new software (especially Topaz Photo AI for noise-reduction). OK, nose back to the proverbial grindstone...