We all love to look back at our best shots. The ones that nailed the moment, the ones you're genuinely proud of. The ones that went from the picture in your head to the back of the camera. Still, I'd argue you learn far more from the ones that didn't work — if you're willing to actually look at them.
We live in a culture of highlights. Social media, photography groups, even the way we talk about our work — it's all curated. Nobody posts the shot where they forgot to change their white balance from tungsten before stepping outside. Nobody writes a caption saying "I loved the light here, shame I completely missed focus." We celebrate the wins and quietly bury the losses.
