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.
While reading your post I realized that a lot of flickr users are true picture lovers as you described. There is not much questions about the gear in the comments and it is really easy to get lost in the great photographs there. From time to time when I have to wait somewhere I take out my iphone and I am looking at flickr photos to kill the waiting time.
Great post as always! While reading your post I realized that a lot of flickr users are true picture lovers as you described. There is not much questions about the gear in the comments and it is really easy to get lost in the great photographs there. From time to time when I have to wait somewhere I take out my iphone and I am looking at flickr photos to kill the waiting time.
Great post. I do often times try to remind myself that I love photography for what it is and why I love it for me, not for a client, not for a portfolio, not for anything but me. It is then that I realize that I really do have a love for photography. Its not the cheapest hobby/profession but it is something that I love and something that makes me feel good.
I love photography and art more than anything. Yes selling yourself is so hard. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to stress about making money and just take photos of things that make me happy and that I have fun with.
Once you get to a level in photography it almost seems like you can just pick up a camera and shoot what ever. It seems like such a production everytime just to have fun and play around with your camera.
I have been trying a lot more just to pick the camera up and shoot what ever with no production just shoot.
sometimes forget the simple things in life are those that fill us with joy over how to take pictures done is nothing but an impulse