Why Photography?
To let people see what I see... To bring people together... To bring happiness to people...
That's all...
To let people see what I see... To bring people together... To bring happiness to people...
That's all...
What is your goal in photography?
- Thread starter barracuda
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Here is my boring reply. But I really enjoy reading all the above posts, tickling me silly!
Photographers are not primarily interested in photography. Now I am not talking about photographers who are in photography for the primary purpose of making a living, valid as that may be. They have my highest respect in a honest trade to bring bread to the family.I am talking about photography as a consuming passion in the first instance. These people have their interests and passion in another external reality. This reality may be something called landscape, roses, people, glamour, fishes in water, and even for some, eroticism and porn.
Ansel Adams love the landscape in his beloved American Southwest. Whether the medium of photography exists or not, Ansel will be there in his beloved places. Likewise Galen Rowell. Cartier-Bresson, on the other hand, love the fleeting moments of life, much like what the Parisians do in people watching. Atget loved his old Paris, and frantically went about to photograph these icons before they disappeared. Mattlock and KahHeng may be interested in eroticism and may one day go the direction of photographers like Terry Richardson and Ellen. Somepeople are interested in social issues, such as Salgado, and his works on the workers are a landmark. And the examples goes on & on. I can fill an entire page on examples.
The goal of photography (as photography) is not photography. The goal of photography is something external. Something that moves you. If you have no passion about people, your people photographs will at best be sterile rendition of people faces. If you have no passion abiut flowers, how can you see the intricate forms and beauty in a petal. And how can you put that to film/sensor. Once you have a passion about something, you will chose a medium that best suit your intent to express it. It may be sculpture, or poems, or music, .................................................or photography.
Not too long ago (?yesterday) marcwang wrote about his dilemma to give up a possible career that his University education trained him for, in favor of ?photography. Marc is intensely interested in cars. That is his external reality. With that, I am sure he will be able to do things most of us cannot do with the camera and his cars. Certainly I cannot.
I do not have such passion about cars. I am more interested in people. So I hope I can take better better people pictures. And again, even here, there are all types of people photography.
So, what is your passion?
Photographers are not primarily interested in photography. Now I am not talking about photographers who are in photography for the primary purpose of making a living, valid as that may be. They have my highest respect in a honest trade to bring bread to the family.I am talking about photography as a consuming passion in the first instance. These people have their interests and passion in another external reality. This reality may be something called landscape, roses, people, glamour, fishes in water, and even for some, eroticism and porn.
Ansel Adams love the landscape in his beloved American Southwest. Whether the medium of photography exists or not, Ansel will be there in his beloved places. Likewise Galen Rowell. Cartier-Bresson, on the other hand, love the fleeting moments of life, much like what the Parisians do in people watching. Atget loved his old Paris, and frantically went about to photograph these icons before they disappeared. Mattlock and KahHeng may be interested in eroticism and may one day go the direction of photographers like Terry Richardson and Ellen. Somepeople are interested in social issues, such as Salgado, and his works on the workers are a landmark. And the examples goes on & on. I can fill an entire page on examples.
The goal of photography (as photography) is not photography. The goal of photography is something external. Something that moves you. If you have no passion about people, your people photographs will at best be sterile rendition of people faces. If you have no passion abiut flowers, how can you see the intricate forms and beauty in a petal. And how can you put that to film/sensor. Once you have a passion about something, you will chose a medium that best suit your intent to express it. It may be sculpture, or poems, or music, .................................................or photography.
Not too long ago (?yesterday) marcwang wrote about his dilemma to give up a possible career that his University education trained him for, in favor of ?photography. Marc is intensely interested in cars. That is his external reality. With that, I am sure he will be able to do things most of us cannot do with the camera and his cars. Certainly I cannot.
I do not have such passion about cars. I am more interested in people. So I hope I can take better better people pictures. And again, even here, there are all types of people photography.
So, what is your passion?
As for my goal, I will want to be Jack of all trades. I want to shoot something that people will say "Wah!". I like to snap on things that I see and been through. Though it sound amateur (I am...) I am writing my own diary using pictures.
A few years later when I look at my pictures again, I can see where have I grown and how different will it be when I look at things in the future and now.
A few years later when I look at my pictures again, I can see where have I grown and how different will it be when I look at things in the future and now.
zaren said:
Existentialism states that man exists and in that existence man defines himself and the world in his own subjectivity, and wanders between choice, freedom, and existential angst.
student said:
see, it really takes a Prof to make others think
LOL
FINALLY, somebody listens to the same radio channel :bsmilie:
zaren said:
Doing that as well. Whenever I hit a bottle-neck, I try to take up a course to pick up some new skills, getting to know more ppl. It may sound expensive to pay a few hundred dollars for a course, but so far, I have never regretted.
Just that sometimes you feel the fire in you is dying down, especially when you are doing something alone.
Anyway, thanks for your suggestion. still a long way to get a pair of keen eyes as yours.
Voigtlander said:
Interestingly, existentialism doesn't really states anything. There are a few line of thinking within existentialism, and most will point back to Satre's claim of "existence before essence". To put existentialism as a doctrine with definitions that atomises to elements of "choice, freedom and existential angst" seems to go against the spirit of existentialism.
The goal of the serious amateur photographer is to see the inner beauty in everything of interest to him and to communicate it to the rest of the world from his unique point of view, as if he were the creator.
"Every craftsman searches for what is not there to practice his craft".
--Rumi, a 13th century Sufi poet
"Every craftsman searches for what is not there to practice his craft".
--Rumi, a 13th century Sufi poet
this is enlightening. unfortunately i can't tell you what my passion is yet, as i myself is not sure either. maybe it is my upbringing, maybe it is the chinese culture, i had been trained since young to suppress my own feelings. you want that candy? you want that toy? you must not voice it out; otherwise, you are not a good boy. if somebody wants the same toy that you want, you must let the other person have it, otherwise you are selfish. self-sacrificing is a virtue, selfishness is a sin. after suppressing your feelings/desire/passion for so many years, you will have difficulties in starting to find what you really like, your true passion. it always makes me ponder... :think:student said:
I want to capture the essence of a moment, to be my memory, my guide to the past, my link to the present, and my preview of tommorrow.
And succinct photos with great sense of irony present are definitely welcomed by me.
And succinct photos with great sense of irony present are definitely welcomed by me.
barracuda said:
You hit it right on the nail there. For years we have been brought up in a certain way, whatever it is. Dos and donts. I don't even know how I feel. Feeling really deep inside me. Slowly, very slowly, I am trying to understand myself.
If you have not read the diaries of Edward Weston (called Daybooks - I think it is in Borders), read it. Let me summarise a small portion for you. Edward was known for his direct simplicity of seeing. Of forms and shapes. Some of his celebrated works were shells. It was very interesting when he sent the images of the shells to Mexican artists (photographers and non photographers). I was truly amazed by the very visceral and emotive responses from the Mexicans. When I frst saw the images, my response was "beautiful, expertly crafted, purity of vision". I had since shown these images to several photographers. And I have NEVER seen a visceral response. Why? are we so dry inside? No wonder our cultural endeavour have so much more to go!
I think we need to know what interest us, as individuals. It may be something simple like documenting something dear to your heart, like your new born baby. When my son was born 22 years ago, I made some truly beautiful images (to me at least! I know they are not "art"!) even though I knew nothing about photography. He was my passion, my love. I had a point and shoot camera. Just load in a filmr, and I would be on my knees and belly and in all sorts of antics to photogrpah my love.
Today, I have come to terms that Fashion and Glamour do not interest me, although I admit that great fashion and glamour photography needs a lot of creativity. My interest is people. The simpler, the better. I am working on it. We need to feel. I need to feel. I need to let loose.
Some have mentioned going to courses to get "energized". I think this is a great idea. A period of intense interaction with like-minded people can be invigorating. But be clear on your focus. Know what move you. Your goal is not the workshop. Your goal is meaningful images of things that matter to you.
theITguy said:
I pay because none of my friends trust me (yet?). So paying means the subject will bear with me while I shoot lousy photos. If there free and willing models, why not. Doesn't matter if not pretty. Guy, gals or in between, even fellow photographers will do just fine.
Anyway, at this point I just want to learn to master my camera and portraiture skill.... then maybe later create my own unique photos.
student said:
Suddenly it's all so clear. My passion is my kids, and a very large percentage of my shots are of them.
My goal in photography?
basically to take a photo of a moment that (basically invokes a feeling in me, good/bad/happy/sad)
student - what u said is really enlightening, seems like my passion is on people (models included though), just people.
basically to take a photo of a moment that (basically invokes a feeling in me, good/bad/happy/sad)
student - what u said is really enlightening, seems like my passion is on people (models included though), just people.
dawgbyte77 said:
well, maybe just side-track a bit. theITguy's point is that some just pay to SEE the models, they don't care what photos they are taking, what improvement in their skills will be, etc. The purpose of paying is not for having the opportunity to shoot, but to SEE the models only! I have seen photographers who would just come and shoot, without even communicating with the model(s). they have no idea what theme they want, what images that they want to produce, they don't care anyway. As long as their camera can help them capture some pretty faces, some flesh, then they are happy. To me, it is just a waste of time & money. But then, they enjoy what they do, their goal in photography is achieved. As long as they themselves are happy, I guess other ppl shall not say too much. :sweat:
barracuda said:
Ummm... I'm guilty of that at the moment... not the pretty face part but I don't have the confidence to pose a model yet so I just shoot to learn framing and improve my exposure. Posing is my next goal that is why I prefer not-so-pretty or my-level-of-skills-peers so I won't feel intimidated. Shy person here.
One of the shoot I did I was told that I made the model look fat. She is not exactly thin and framing or PS is not divine intervention... but it affected my confidence a bit. Maybe my framing or posing is wrong but I will never know. :sweat:
As for the theme, once I master these then I can move on to themes. Maybe go solo or take the lead so I can bring my own props. I prefer specific themes instead of generic gardens or swimsuits, etc. Wishful thinking.
student said:
Always like your boring reply.....hehe!
Too hard to answer this question. Mr Barracuda, let's talk about it over a cup of Kopi-O?
dawgbyte77 said:
hi friend, relax. nobody starts as a great master. Pro Image taught me the studio works, ask him how bad my first studio shoot was. The entire roll was sent to the trash can. Ask Male_Model how bad the first TFP I did for him, he almost hated me for the rest of his life. :cry: But I learned from my mistakes and improved since. I am still not very good yet, but have improved.
Don't think too much about what others will think, follow your own thoughts. if others disagree with you, then just discuss with them honestly, frankly & politely. Relax, and you'll have better results.
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