Every photographer takes bad photos. Even the big-time pros don’t get every shot perfectly composed, lit, and in-focus; it usually takes a few bad shots to get one good photo. The thing to understand is that part of becoming a great photographer means learning how to pick out your best images and knowing what to show and display for others to see.

When I choose which images of mine I want to share online I am very selective, and only show photos I am proud of and truly love. I want to focus my viewers’ attention on the photographs that I think are the best, and show them what I am fully capable of. It’s very possible to have several “great” images from any given shoot, but even out of 10 or twenty images there are still going be some that stand out and are favored over the others.

This doesn’t just apply to sharing your photographs online. If you are a portrait or wedding photographer and go through your images, pick only the very best images to show your client, even if it means trimming your “keepers” down to 50% (or more) of what you would like to have. Trust me – if you like them, then they will love them. If you were to show them every photo you take and their “favorite” happens to be one that you know is not great, would you want that photo out there to represent your work?

As photographers we are also artists, and being an artist means that we should know what looks good. So be selective and very picky about what you share – hand-pick your images and only show your best work.