Validation/satisfaction and photography.

[thomas_k.]

<p>Outside of the realm of monetary gratification, what validates (makes worthwhile, satisfies) photographer and his/hers work? What makes a photographer feel like he or she accomplished something? I'm asking this question because personally I do not know, I have not experienced feeling of accomplishment in my (non-commercial) work. Have you? Any thoughts or links to writing on this subject?<br>

Thomas</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>I shoot both for money and for fun. But I think my biggest sense of accomplishment is in my family photos. My wife sits down at the end of each year and creates a calendar for the coming year that goes out to family members. It includes shots from vacations, graduations, birthdays, etc., throughout the year, each matching the appropriate month for the upcoming year. There's a lot of satisfaction in seeing that myself, and knowing the pleasure that the grandmothers and others get out of it hanging on their wall all year long.</p>

[SCL]

<p>Purely amateur here. Satisfaction comes from observing the minutiae of nature and capturing it in a way I and others find informative and appealing. Occasionally some portrait work which captures mostly family members and friends as they go about their daily affairs...portraying them as they appear in the normal course of events....not like the posed "say cheese" shots. It gives us all something to reflect upon as time passes.</p>

[jordan2240]

<p>Similar to Stephen. Also strictly amateur. My greatest enjoyment comes from getting a shot that simply makes me think 'cool' when I review it on the computer. I favor nature and landscape, and macro draws that response more than anything else. Now what it is that results in 'cool,' I can't really say. Sometimes it's the colors, sometimes the position or expression of the subject, sometimes the clarity, and sometimes just the subject itself. I recently shot some zoo pics with my Lumix FZ200 at 600mm so I could concentrate on specific areas of the animals, and I really enjoyed the results.</p>

[GerrySiegel]

Hate to say it Tom, but if you get no special feeling, then it may be you need to think iof something that does. Ask a pianist why they are willing to practice three hours a day. Maybe they love the music or the applause of performing. Photography has many faces and rewards. For me, I get juiced up when I work with a subject or model and feel I am breaking down a barrier between us to produce something that will please both of us. A little tingle when I can shoot something or someone and look back even years later and say " It is good." or " It satisfies still."

Photography has many facets to learning I am still finding, and an endless learning curve. And then there is the drive to get up early or stay up late or climb a tricky rock slope to see something vs watch a rerun of a TV series. Money is not solely motivator, validator or sign of approbation because I see something I would not hang in the latrine, yet it could sell buoyantly and profitable if well marketed or is celebrity based to a Murdoch rag. Remember, that painter Vincent Van Gogh never sold any painting. What did he see in haystacks that turned him on...it is almost a spiritual pursuit for some, and maybe we can capture a little of that peek into the beauty of light rays at sunset or capture a full rainbow. Each answer must be individual, and grows from a craft into something approaching art. And noone can define art, but we need art to use the talent of our hominid brains. What do I mean? Even as we look at the Lascaux cave paintings.

Yeah I know... A rambling answer to a perennial persistent question.

Look at pictures you love and think why you love them.. And relate that to what your fellows see.I mean not just like but 'love' (underlined). What images come when I listen to Scheherezade. Lots of pictures in the head. Stuff I want to photograph...and may someday.

Aloha. Cool trade winds to you wherever you live. gs

[JDMvW]

<p>I am happy if I document my subject honestly and clearly. I follow Benedetto Croce's view on <em>Aesthetics</em>, in the sense that achieving the artist's goals is one criterion for quality.</p>

<p>Naturally, as usual, the Rolling Stones* got it cold:<br />

<p>________<br>

*For a bitter taste of reality for those of us who are contemporaries, note the group photo of the Stones.</p>

[DickArnold]

<p>It's very simple. When I like a picture that I have taken enough to print it. Having done this for a while I am a pretty severe critic of my work. I take a lot of pictures but I don't print that many. I experience satisfaction when like a blind hog I find an acorn once in a while. </p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>"<em>Outside of the realm of monetary gratification, what validates (makes worthwhile, satisfies) photographer and his/hers work</em>?"</p>

<p>Sometimes it depends on what you are trying to achieve. </p>

[Rick Helmke]

<p>My biggest sense of accomplishment usually comes from getting published, newspapers mostly. The process of going from assignment to seeing the end result published on newsprint and moving on to the next thing is often challenging and a great motivator for me. Now that I'm not doing that anymore I've had to look for other reasons to pick up a camera. Going back to film and doing some landscapes and getting into the darkroom has been one. Going to events such as the annual gathering at Ft. Benning and simply documenting it has been another.</p><div></div>

[railphotog]

<p>I had been an amateur photographer for several years when I got back into my teenage hobby of model railroading. I can recall thinking how neat it would be if some of my model photos could be used in the hobby magazines. I did succeed in getting published and can still remember the thrill and satisfaction of seeing my first photo in the largest magazine. It was just a small black and white image, but was I pleased!</p>

<p>I kept on submitting to the hobby magazines, and have been really successful, having 30 cover photos and over 850 published. I still get a thrill seeing a new one in print! I've also had great satisfaction in having my photos taking wins in numerous national hobby conventions. Plus I've had the enjoyment of actually making the photographed scenes too!</p>

<p>It's been a great ride!</p>

<p> </p>

[billangel]

I have been motivated to pursue photography as a form personal creative expression, without the need to

accommodate the agendas of editors, clients, exhibit organizers, or any organization. In other words I don't make

any money from my images. :-)

But having been both, I would much rather spend my time as an unpaid street photographer than as a well paid

office worker.

[Norma Desmond]

<p>It varies from photo to photo in terms of specifics, but generally speaking, I'm satisfied with a photo when I see commitment in it, to a vision, an emotion, a style, an idea, a narrative, a perspective . . . Interestingly, along with that satisfaction is often some healthy dissatisfaction, meaning that I will often recognize how I can take it further next time and what did not quite work for me this time. So I'm satisfied if I've learned something and if I've gained insights into how I can progress from here. As JDM suggests, there's satisfaction if I feel I've achieved my goals. And there's also great satisfaction in achieving things that are complete surprises or even accidents. Sometimes, my intentions are really only the beginning and then some combination—of luck/karma/being there/I don't know what /experience adding up to things I wasn't necessarily conscious of—takes over. I usually like to see an organic and authentic combination of what the subject of my photo has to offer and what I bring to the table. If I feel my photos are a harmonious or contrapuntal and even sometimes discordant collaboration among subject, photo, and Fred, any of those can be very satisfying.</p>

[dan_south]

<p>I like photographs. I enjoy looking at good photographs. I like cameras. Actually, I'm fascinated by gadgets of all types, but cameras have always held a particular fascination for me.</p>

<p>When I use a CAMERA to make a PHOTOGRAPH that APPEALS to me, I feel a sense of satisfaction. </p>

<p>I don't seek validation, but if I take photos for someone and they like the result, I do feel a sense of relief that I didn't let them down.</p>

<div></div>

[vrankin]

<p>When I'm capturing an image of a favorite subject in just the right light, it's a zen-like experience. If others later appreciate the image, that's a bonus.</p><div></div>

[David_Cavan]

<p>+1 for Howard. If I like the result it was worth it. If others like it, well, that's a nice thing but not critical to continued enjoyment.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Satisfaction when I see a photo back and it transmits (in my view) what I hoped it would, or the composition works out in the way I hope it would. In a sense, using film and seeing photos back with a delay can actually add to that satisfaction (instant gratification isn't bad, but sometimes seems less long-lasting). Nonetheless, mostly shoot digital (more possibiities to get that one satisfying photo).<br>

There is also a sense of satisfaction in the actual act of making photos, as written in <a href="/casual-conversations-forum/00chOd">this previous thread</a>. When I go out and find that certain mood that both helps me organise my thoughts and view the world with a bit more clarity, I get a lot of satisfaction out of that. On the back of it, it also tend to be the days that yield more satisfyng photos.<br>

When it all comes together and I've seen it right though the viewfinder - big satisfaction in that.</p>

<p>Validation? None, but it is pleasing to read people like my photos or are in any way moved by them. </p>