Over the weekend, a friend and I walked through Paul McCartney’s photography exhibition in London. 

 

(Because, fun fact about me: I was obsessed with The Beatles as a teenager, and they still hold a huge soft spot in my heart.)

 

The exhibition features images McCartney took on flm the band was catapulted into worldwide fame. 

 

Having dabbled in some 35mm photography, my friend and I started talking about our resistance to imperfect shots (and, of course, our respect for the talent of photographers whose careers were built solely on film). 

 

We were stood in front of a large print that was technically ‘bad’: out of focus, but snapped in the recording studio with guitars leaning against something out of frame. 

 

“I’d probably have just got rid of that and thought it wasn’t good enough,” my friend said. Yeah, me too. 

 

But there really was so much magic in these photos. They felt raw and human, a glimpse into the real lives of people who have become music icons. 

 

The beauty in this exhibition was seeing how McCartney’s style and skill evolved – partly due to the influence of professional photographers he was working with for polished press features and record covers.

 

Image description: A photo of an exhibition wall featuring large-scale sections 

of film with five images per strip.

 

Photography, like writing and so many creative pursuits, is something you can only improve by actually doing. (Even then, you won’t always produce something you’re crazy-proud of.) 

 

It’s also inevitable that you’ll look back at work you once loved and find little things you could improve. 

 

 

And when it comes to marketing, I think the human sparks a more genuine connection than a perfectly crafted campaign. 

 

I’m not advocating you share work you’re absolutely embarrassed by – but it’s better to publish your ‘good enough’ version and keep learning than to hold off for a ‘perfect’ that will never arrive.

Because you can’t learn or grow or change without trusting yourself enough to actually do.

 

 

Hey there! I'm Michelle 👋 I combine marketing strategy with storytelling magic to write website words that nurture to help you connect with your dreamiest clients.