Seems like the more I listen, the more I hear people talking about the gear, the business of photography, the widgets. Let us not forget the simple love of photography.
I understand why there’s so much rhetoric in our industry about the business of photography and the gear and the gadgets. There is the common stereotype that most creative people aren’t good business people. There is fear. Gear is easier to talk about than vision. Exposures are exact, the camera dials have numbers. There is a ‘right’ answer to many of these questions.
But where is your love of pictures? Where are your actions that back this up?
Can you pick up a book of photographs and get lost in it?
Can you walk around with your iPhone or Android or your point and shoot or whatever and take 100 pictures knowing that they’ll never be for a client or a portfolio?
Do you love hunting for pictures?
Will you stay up late or get up early for pictures?
Do you sometimes ‘see’ life as a photograph?
It’s different for all of us, but when you can take a break from all the chatter, remind yourself–as often as you can–why you love photography.
YES!!! Finally!!! I’m glad someone in the industry respects the pure LOVE for photography…I always get told that I have no business sense relating to photography (which is true) but most times, I just want to take pictures for the pure love of taking pictures…I’m happy to see this post and i can relate 100%
I love taking shots and processing them with my phone. It’s stripped-down photo finding.
http://www.tripleman.tumblr.com
Simply… YES.
I couldn’t agree more! I think we all should regularly analyze why we love photography… just this practice alone will remind us to return to the reasons we’ve began in the first place.
Great blog today, very similar to the Guest Blog on Scott Kelby. I’ve started a project where I take at least one picture a day this year to keep a camera in front of my eye and remind myself that client or no client, its about the photography.