Re-Editing: A Progressive Indicator

So lately i have been asked by fellow photographers, friends and family... How do i know i am getting better?

Well is this not the REAL question we all ask ourselves? Am I getting better at what I do?... Have i progressed at all since i started, or have i progressed from last month. How do I even know for sure that i have gotten better?

There are a few ways to understand and figure out if you have gotten better. One of the ways i like to test myself is to do what i call Re-Edits. This simply means what it says. I go back to past shoots, take the RAW file from scratch and Re-Edit it. I then compare it to the original final copy and see which one is better. Now this is only a skill that involves the editing process. if i wanted to see if i have gotten better with lighting, i would simply Re-Shoot the photo if i can. Would i add more light? add more diffusion, Move the subject this way, move the subject that way. The same can be said for pretty much anything. 

The Key is to Re-Do what you already did, and see which one comes out better. If your new image comes out better then you have improved your knowledge. If it does not come out better then chances are your original shoot was just a lucky test shot, and you still have some learning to do. 

Here are 2 images from over a year ago i went back and Re-Edited to see how much difference my new knowledge could have made. 

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