Why do you do photograhy?

Other than because it is a common (male?) hobby, why do you do

photography? Some people seem to have had a lifelong love of the

photographic process (whether than be souping film or more recently

tweaking curves in PS). Others just love the gear. Some like

the "art" of it. I'm sure not a few are caught up in the "romantic

image" of being the photographer.

 

For me it has always been about documentation. Until, I started

traveling I never had the least interest in picking up a camera,

despite the fact that my dad had a couple of cameras (Rolleicord and

AE1-P) and used them on all the family vacations. I can't remember

even looking through his cameras as a kid.

 

While my ideas about how to best document the world around me (and

what level of abstraction that documentation should strive to

achieve) has changed considerably over the years, the basic desire to

communicate to others the world I personally see, has remained at the

core of my photography.

 

How about you?

When I was a kid, I would draw pictures. Later, I wrote short stories and poetry. I tried painting. I wasn't very good at any of it. I started shooting photographs and I actually was pretty good at it. Being an extremely fickle sort, it's been the only constant I've had. It's always felt like a natural thing for me to do, so I do it.

Hi Donald:

For me the process of image making is like magic. I just love to

make images either in the studio as an advertising

photographer or travel documentary. Comunicating through light,

shadows, and colors makes my life vibrate.

While travelling, I like to record whatever I see, as the years

pass, the memeory of a place is kept fresh with the images at

hand. Therefore fewer moments of one's life are lost in oblivion.

Sharing is another important part of the photographic process, it

is a way to give back to others during our lives.

 

( did you get into Leica photography yet ? I just got back from a

one month triip from China and my Leicas did deliver exactly

what I was expecting from them. )

Saludos, Donald

I like Garry Winogrand's answer to your question. When asked why he takes photographs, he said: "To see what things look like when photographed."

Because I can't paint

Like it says on my t-shirt - 'it was this or prison'.

To put pictures on my walls, to captures memories for my family.

Donald I'm a combination of you and Steve. I can't paint and I want to relive travels, vacations, etc. I am drawn to places I've never been when I look at other peoples photos.

No particular order

 

I love photography because.....

 

1. good engineering. (Leica/Linhof rule) It is a joy to use a good tool.

 

2. the magic of poping a print into developer will never (not so far) go.

 

3. optics fascinate me.

 

4. the look on someones face when I present them with a sharp, crisp 10x8 taken in the (near) dark when they said 'wot no flash'.

 

5. I will have new air conditioning in my darkroom next week (rare in the UK)

 

6. can escape from the hurly burly of normal life in the darkroom (see above)

 

7. I am no artist, but can take a picture of anything technicaly perfectly, some come out arty(!)

 

8. lugging the Linhof kit on a Sunday afternoon walk keeps me slightly less unfit. (my wife abandons me a few miles from home (well the local pub) and I walk back, maybe taking a few pictures)

 

9. I have great fun doing my 'Mad Projects'

 

10. you lot, an added bonus

One of my biggest joys is listening to Leica photographers, like above, convince themselves that photography is only about small format, grainy, B/W photography and darkroom work is only about making B/W prints, then convincing themselves that other people care.

 

I then realize that photography consists of more than 35mm small roll B/W work shot with absurdly over rated German lenses, and why the better photographers don't associate with that club.

Why? Hmmm. Damn good question. I've been taking photos since I was a kid using toy cameras. I remember always asking my Dad if i could play with his "slide" camera. The answer was always no. So, I was stuck with my Kodak Instamatik (I think that's what it was). Then, when I was 15 years old, my Dad died, and I (finally) got the use of his Yashica SLR. Although, it was close to dead by that time - I only got about 1-2 years use out of it, before it gave up the ghost. Now, I shoot with a Canon 20D, and an Elan 7e as a backup.

 

So why do I take photographs? Because it makes me happy. I love the process of wandering the streets, snapping what I find, and then viewing those images afterwards. Are they good? Well, no in my opinion. But I enjoy making them, nonetheless.

 

Take today for instance. I headed off to a small, historical town nearby where I live (15km away). It's been about 6 months since I was last there. I came away from the days shooting thinking that my people shots were great, my other shots - so-so. I loaded the CF card into my card reader, and discovered that the people shots were crap, but my other shots were pretty good. And, so I was happy. 5-10 good keepers out of a days shooting. Not bad. Maybe 20 more that could work with some careful post-processing.

 

My only regret is that I've never learned how to use a proper "wet" darkroom. I'd love to, but as someone who is a traveler, and has been on the road for the best part of 10 years, it's just not possible. Even though I'm currently settled where I am, I remain here due to year long visa's. Not enough for me to buy equipment and learn darkroom techniques, if I have to pack up and leave on short notice (due to law changes by the govt for eg)

 

And now, as I learn the ins and outs of the digital process, and see first hand the results of having good glass, all I want to do is shoot, and then, shoot some more.

photography is the next best thing to hiding behind a screen talking big.

Because I have a camera (actually, <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Aeuc">several</a>).

Donald-

Although photography is admittedly a predominently male

endeavor, many (may I say it?) girls do it too, and are quite

knowledgable and skilled.

On the dpreview Panasonic forum there's a girl (sic) named

Theresa who posts some very nice work.

 

I shoot photographs to keep from thinking about the futility of life

and the all-too-soon end of it, and having to leave this unutterably

beautiful world. There better be life after death or I'm really gonna

be pissed off!

For the same reasons, I play the flute and clarinet, (and trumpet

and guitar), write books, (Up in Smoke, by Tom Deecy - available

on B&N web site - yeah, it's a plug. So what?), go sailing, fight

with my wife, live in a city, get disgusted with young people and

their "we invented all there is in the world" attitude, and last but

not least because it's fun.

Donald,

 

I definitely fall into the "gear head" category. To me, cameras and guns have been optimized to levels beyond other tools within the reach of those of us with less than millionaire budgets. And while I do enjoy target shooting, photography is much more widely applicable to life.

 

Also, and I've learned this about myself recently, while I don't process my own film and prints anymore, I love the suspense / surprise when I first see images that I've taken. Frequently, which ones work / don't work surprises me and is different from my prediction at the time of making the images. Of course, once in a while, I know that I've captured something good.

 

Thanks for asking. It's fun to think about why I do something with more energy and enthusiasm than the profession that I trained many years for (my real "work").

To justify acquisition of the loveable machinery!<div></div>

What Huw Finney said, right down the line, except substitute Hasselblad for Linhof, and my mad projects are less ambitious than his. The current one is my quest for the perfect darkroom water temp control.

 

Also, experimenting with film/developer combinations is like the search for the holy grail. You may never find it, but like the three princes of serendip, you can have a lot of fun along the way.

What else can I do with the cameras I love (Nikon F3 HP, Leica M3, Leicaflex SL2)?

Dear Donald,

 

I wanted to document corals when I lived in Bermuda in 1966 -- part of an A Level Biology project. My father, always a generous man, bought me a Pentax SV and also a darkroom because his father (who was killed at sea in World War 2) had been a keen amateur photographer and my father wanted to see the interest continued: he is no photographer himself and prefers point-and-shoot compacts, though last time we discussed it (months or years ago) he was still using film not digital. With 800 foot of grievously outdated FP3 from the navy stores in Bermuda (my father was Base Engineer Officer, HMS Malabar) I had plenty of film to learn with...

 

Anyway, I got hooked. In about 1970 my then fiancee decided that if you couldn't beat 'em, join 'em, and bought a cheap but good used camera, a Leica II -- twenty pounds! After a while she got annoyed because I was using her camera all the time so I had to buy one for myself. That was a Leica III, 30 pounds. My first M was an M3 in '74, just before I started working professionally in a London advertising studio.

 

Of course I now realize, thanks to Scott's illuminating insights, that I have been wasting my money for 35 years, most of them spent in professional photography and journalism, to say nothing of the numerous books I have illustrated to a very large extent with Leica shots. Presumably I should also get rid of my Alpa and Linhofs and their overrated Zeiss, Schneider and Rodentock lenses. While I'm at it I'll stop drinking straight malts and go for meths instead.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

"Original question

 

Subject: Why do you do photograhy? "

 

When I was a kid I was quite small (I'm only 5'6" 165 lbs now) as well as being completely un-athletic. I liked football but I couldn't hope to make the team, so having already exhibited a bit of innate talent with a camera, my dad called the coach who was on his bowling league, and talked him into making me the official team photographer, that way I got to travel with the team and go to all the games. I also discovered that jocks and girls _love_ to have their picture taken, and I was the next most popular guy right after the star quarterback, never had a problem getting a date or a pretty darkroom assistant, or got bullied by anybody all through high school. I thought about doing it professionally for a while but I hurt my back when I was in my late teens and needed to find a profession where I could work mostly sitting down.

Old age and rheumatoid arthritis have either eliminated or drastically slowed down my prior activities (hunting, fishing, bicycling, hiking, showing Old English Shepdogs) so photography is a semi-active hobby that I can add to reading and watching TV. It is a hobby in which one can become more proficient (may not in an artistic sense) and it provides family documentation that I hope will be valued. As one with four degrees in engineering and physics ( 2 masters from MIT), I appeciate the engineering, manufacturing, and mechanical skill embodied in metal cameras of the 50s-60s, and the ingenuity of today's digital marvels. What's not to like? I even like the banter and the info found on forums such as this one.

For me it is three fairly clear cut reasons. I like art having painted in oils then water colour. I love mecahnical things having built my own car, and finally I love being out of doors. I also like things of rare quality and the Leica surpasses all other cameras on this yardstick. Hassy and Rollei don't come near although I have had both. Zeiss is very close but my Contarex is so noisy.

I chose Leica B&W photography as a hobby because it helps me meet gay guys that like to use digital cameras to take color 'photographs' of car bumpers and flowers, a real turn-on....call me.

Come here Scotty...<div></div>

" ... Of course I now realize, thanks to Scott's illuminating insights, that I have been

wasting my money for 35 years, most of them spent in professional photography and

journalism, to say nothing of the numerous books I have illustrated to a very large extent

with Leica shots ..."

 

LOL ! Yeah, it's a shocking revelation this late in the game. Decades of making images and

money with the little camera only to find out it was all so foolish and incorrect.

 

But I've ripped the pockets out of so many coats trying to stuff my big asssed Canon

digital in there, that I guess I'll keep the M around a little while longer.

 

I do photography because it is one of the few serious mental illnesses that won't land you

in an institution.