Comedians get validation when people laugh. Politicians get validation when you vote for them. Street photographers get validation when you see their work and don’t complain too loudly.

Among the many definitions of validation is one from the Oxford Dictionary: “Acknowledgment or affirmation that a person or their feelings or opinions are valid or valuable.”

I love the way “or” is repeated four times in that sentence! It’s like one of those vague recipes that says “use chicken, or beef, or lamb or turkey.”

However, if you think about it (and this is actually a very well-crafted definition), the most important words are not mentioned at all but are simply implied by “confession or affirmation”. The omitted words are: “by others.” Hence: “Acknowledgment or affirmation by others that a person or his feelings, etc…”

Validation is not about you. It’s about other people.

Sub-Atomic Validation
In 1964, physicist Peter Higgs (and colleagues) proposed the existence of a particle that became known as the “Higgs boson”. If it didn’t exist then the entire structure of modern physics—the Standard Model, our framework for understanding the universe—would be seriously undermined.

There isn’t much that Higgs and his colleagues can do except rely on other people to detect the Higgs boson with super-expensive equipment. After all, the particle disintegrates after a ten-millionth of a second, so it would need something powerful, like the CERN Large Hadron Collider, to detect it. Nearly fifty years passed, and then in March 2013 CERN announced its discovery. According to Forbes: “..the total cost of finding the Higgs boson is approximately $13.25 billion.”

This huge expense was incurred, not to validate Peter Higgs, but to validate the Standard Model of physics. I’m sure Prof. Higgs was pleased (as the British would say) and he added the Nobel Prize that same year to the many other awards that had recognized (but did not validate) his work.

I have already mentioned the elusive Higgs boson because the story of its discovery sheds more light on our use of the word “validation”. By all means apply validation to scientific theories. That’s still one stop from direct evidence. But we must be careful about seeking validation for ourselves — ourselves — because no one can be defined entirely by the opinions of others, except in the eyes of the world.

Photographic Validation
So what does it mean to validate someone taking a photo? Does that mean you have to like their work? Or does it mean you want to acknowledge the sincerity of their motivations even though you may have doubts about their approach and the results they get?

In both psychology and photography, validation doesn’t have to mean agreement.

Validation Psychology
For example, a close friend may have done something stupid that got them into a lot of trouble. You don’t want to condone their actions, but if you want to have a chance to influence them, you need to validate them in such a way that they can come to terms with what they have done. Undoing it means leaving it behind: a surefire way to encourage repeat mistakes.

Psychologist Dr Karyn Hall has written: “Validation is one way we communicate acceptance of ourselves and others. (It) does not mean agree or approve. When your best friend or family member makes a decision that you don’t think is wise, validation is a way to support them and strengthen the relationship while maintaining a different opinion.

Psychologist Dr Marsha Linehan (quoted by Dr Hall) has identified six levels of validation from which you should always choose the highest level that fits the problem.

The first and lowest level of validation is “presence,” listening to the person’s problem or dilemma. The second is “accurate reflection,” summarizing and commenting to show you understand. The third is “mind reading,” or making intelligent guesses about it. Four is understanding a person’s actions in terms of what happened to them in the past. Five generalizes: saying “anyone would do the same thing.” Six is ​​to share their experiences equally, based on your own similar experience.

Getting Straight To It
If you can go straight to number six and share your experience face to face then do it. If it fails, return to the list. Your only option may be to listen and occasionally reflect, as expensive psychiatrists do. (Yes, I’ve seen “The Sopranos.”)

Apropos Street Photography
What does this have to do with street photography? Everything.

Whereas people taking pictures of friends and family need no validation beyond a few likes on Facebook, street photographers take pictures from and for the public at large. Your friends may not be interested in photos of people they don’t know, but you’ll want to show yours to people other than you.

Some photographers overcome this problem by joining online communities where they build a click of admirers by complimenting one another. The comments you read in these community galleries are always pretty cryptic: “Nice catch!” “What a beautiful subject!” “Your shot reminds me of the time I was there.”

Friendships develop and validation, sort of, happens. But I think one could be left with the nagging sensation that it’s all a bit fake. You start asking: how long have other people actually spent looking at my photos? Aren’t the comments on composition (“Great Composition!”) ​​a little eloquent?

You finally think: isn’t the whole “community problem” an elaborate play, a theatrical performance where everyone afterward says: “Darling, you are wonderful”?

Many photographers join societies, such as the Royal Photographic Society, which provide official validation in the form of “differences,” which allow you to place letters after your name. I was a bit irritated when someone who knew nothing about photography asked: “Are you a member of the Royal Photographic Society” then lost interest in me and my work when I said I never applied.

I have nothing against the RPS, but any institution that claims to mediate in the arts is fallible, however strict their procedures may be.

In the 1860s, the Salon de Paris, run by the Académie des Beaux-Arts, rejected the work of Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro, Cézanne, and Degas so artists would often get together and form their own associations. I don’t know if Sotheby’s can put a current value on the piece Salon rejected, but it would be interesting to get an estimate.

Every artist wants recognition, but it’s entirely possible to function well without it. Vincent Van Gogh famously never sold a painting, but his work is no less bad. Franz Schubert had only a small circle of admiring friends, few of whom came close to fully appreciating his genius. Its reputation is still growing after 200 years.

Finally, I will mention that “Validation” is the name of a 2007 film starring TJ Thyne as a parking attendant who validates not only tickets but also the customers themselves. He complimented them on their looks and personal qualities, in the process becoming very popular. He even found himself in the news, validating George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein. Then his life hits a snag when he meets a beautiful woman, a photographer who won’t smile at her compliments…

Who wouldn’t smile! We’re back to comedians. “They laughed when I said I was going to be a comedian. Well, they weren’t laughing now. (Monk Bob’s House).

validation? Forget it!