What are YOU trying to do?

bbjones · February 23, 2012

Inspired by this thread, I'd like to start a thread where we can articulate what it is that we are each trying to do with our photography. This is not about who is right and who is wrong -- it's more about finding other dgrinners who might share an aesthetic in common, and be better able to help each other succeed.

So the question is this: what are YOU trying to do? How do you judge for yourself when you are getting closer to your goal as a photographer? Of course, there is no right answer to this. But I'm finding that having my (under-construction) answer helps me as I frame every shot, to make it better.

It seems only right that I should go first, since I brought it up. So, here's what I'm trying to do:

The goal of my photography is is the effective, original communication of a feeling expressing truth, beauty, or love.

This means I'm more interested in the communication of a feeling than in technical precision. Technique can destroy a photo, but it can never make one. I am not interested in making the same photo of Horseshoe Bend or Antelope Valley that everyone else has made. I am not interested in humor photography -- I love to laugh, but for some reason, not at photos.

It means I'm usually more interested in photos of people than in photos without people, although there can certainly be communications of beauty in nature photography. I'm usually not keen on staged portraits, because they usually don't generate a feeling unless you know the person. I do like to photograph kids, because they are usually so forthright in their feelings and expressions, and if you take about a million shots, you have a chance of capturing some of that feeling and personality.

Also, if you've looked at any of my stuff, you know that this is an aspirational goal, not a realized achievement.

But it does give me something against which to evaluate myself -- did this picture effectively communicate a feeling of truth, beauty, or love?

Around DGrin, two of my favorite photographers are ghinson and Awais Yaqub.

Okay, who's next?

PappyRoot · February 23, 2012

As a newb to photography I find myself trying to answer that question from just about everybody I meet or communicate with. I always answer with I am too new to the art and right now I just don't know. I love your answer!!!!

When I think about it, I too want desperately to show the beauty we get to enjoy. By beauty I don't just mean landscapes which I love nor do I mean a beautiful person. To me it goes beyond that. We now live in a world full of chaos, destruction, hate, violence etc. I believe people live fast and hard. They forget to stop and look at what gifts we have. When is the last time you truly looked at that person flagging a taxi? Maybe if you took the time to help you would see a warm smile. Imagine if you are having a lousy day just how beautiful that smile could have been, how warm it made you feel.

When is the last time you looked at a flower? It is a known fact that colors bring out moods, memories. That flower could brighten your day.

So to answer your question...

I want to bring a smile to your face, a loving memory, a love in your heart. By doing so I might help you to slow down, take a breath, & relax. If I do an image of say a flower I want you to be able to smell it. If I take picture of the guy down the street I want you to see his life in that image.

I hope I make sense and not too cliche. I just am so thankful for the beauty that surrounds us all. I would be interested in your thoughts about what I just said.

Thank you for this question.

Love & Prayers
Darryl

PedalGirl · February 23, 2012

I guess I would have to say I'm a little A.D.D. when it comes to my photography.... I'm all over the place. For as long as I can remember I always had a camera (usually a crappy one) in my hand everywhere I went. Friends would tell me that I really had a "good eye" and that I should try and sell some of my photos. I hadn't really even given photography any thought as far as being a serious hobby. I was just trying to capture the beauty of the places I'd been and the memories that were made. It's only been a couple years since I really started being any sort of serious about photography and now it's my passion! Even tho I've been the photographer for a few events and have even sold some of my work... I'm really still just learning. I just got my very first actual DSLR a few weeks ago... and now the serious fun begins!! While I started out just wanting to do landscapes... I see all the different types of photography there is and I want to try it all!! I guess I just haven't found "my style" yet. This is why I really love the challenges... it gets me looking at new subjects and new ways of taking photos. I really am loving the learning process! Like today... I had seen how a few people had used composite photos in the current challenge being judged. I did a google search to really see how that is done... since I had not worked with multiple photos before. I found this tutorial and came home and gave it a try... worked out pretty well...needs some work tho. Then on the same site I started looking at some of the other tutorials and saw one for taking photos of water dropletts.... and spent dang near all night trying that out and didn't even eat dinner!!! I was having so much fun!!

My water drop best of the bunch...

So...l guess what I'm trying to do is just learn as much as I can, keep shooting and just have fun. And if others like my stuff... well that's just a thick layer of icing on a very yummy cake!!

PappyRoot · February 23, 2012

PedalGirl wrote: »

I guess I would have to say I'm a little A.D.D. when it comes to my photography.... I'm all over the place. For as long as I can remember I always had a camera (usually a crappy one) in my hand everywhere I went. Friends would tell me that I really had a "good eye" and that I should try and sell some of my photos. I hadn't really even given photography any thought as far as being a serious hobby. I was just trying to capture the beauty of the places I'd been and the memories that were made. It's only been a couple years since I really started being any sort of serious about photography and now it's my passion! Even tho I've been the photographer for a few events and have even sold some of my work... I'm really still just learning. I just got my very first actual DSLR a few weeks ago... and now the serious fun begins!! While I started out just wanting to do landscapes... I see all the different types of photography there is and I want to try it all!! I guess I just haven't found "my style" yet. This is why I really love the challenges... it gets me looking at new subjects and new ways of taking photos. I really am loving the learning process! Like today... I had seen how a few people had used composite photos in the current challenge being judged. I did a google search to really see how that is done... since I had not worked with multiple photos before. I found this tutorial and came home and gave it a try... worked out pretty well...needs some work tho. Then on the same site I started looking at some of the other tutorials and saw one for taking photos of water dropletts.... and spent dang near all night trying that out and didn't even eat dinner!!! I was having so much fun!!

My water drop best of the bunch...

So...l guess what I'm trying to do is just learn as much as I can, keep shooting and just have fun. And if others like my stuff... well that's just a thick layer of icing on a very yummy cake!!

Well said PedalGirl! Very well said!!

PappyRoot · February 23, 2012

I forgot to ask, what is the URL of those tutorials? I would be interested in looking at them. I am so new at this that I hunger for knowledge.

sweetharmony · February 23, 2012

Interesting discussion! I'm 35 and have been taking photos continuously since I was 10....what I'm finding is that as I mature, the nature of what I see and need to communicate through my photos has changed. To start with, negotiating aperture and fstops and film speeds was all-consuming. In my 20's, it was all about experiencing the world visually, the rush of color and form. With the start of a family (which has coincided with saying goodbye to the oldest generation of my family), I started to understand photographic images as "visual placeholders." Suddenly, recording fleeting moments in time has become paramount. I also find that as I age, I feel more and more of a cultural disconnect with the majority of my money-oriented, stressed out generation. And this is where I am like a few of us already mentioned......photography is a means of communicating my values and interests. For me, that is the need to pause for a heartbeat, focus my camera and mind, and actually try to understand and accept a world that seems to spin so very quickly that it's hard to get a good grasp on things. My photos become a sort of mental retreat.

A few years ago I was at a wildlife preserve where Sandhill cranes gather in large numbers at dawn. There were many, many photographers there, but I was the only woman, the only person under the age of 50, and the only person who didn't have a huge honkin' lens. When I got home, I had to google pictures of all the photographic equipment I had seen but never heard of. I think that's when I first became aware that for some people, the enjoyment is in the gear and control. And I just checked out a comprehensive book about studio lighting that made me break out in a sweat just reading it......phewwwww....any endeavor that requires more than me and occasionally another person to manage the equipment sounds just dreadful to me.

Wonderful artform, isn't it? So many different aspects that work for so many different types of people.

ghinson · February 23, 2012

Brian, thanks for the shout out, and the thread.

I think the answer to this questions depends in part on where someone is on the Hobbyist to Professional spectrum.

2-3 yrs ago I only took photographs for me. And my goal was to learn how to capture the beauty that surrounds me to the best of my camera's ability.

But then I began selling a few photos. Picked up by a local gallery for fine art work. And doing the occasional real estate job. And doing more and more stock work.

Now my answer might vary a little. When something is commissioned, then what I am trying to do is understand what the buyer wants/needs and use my technical ability to produce just that. When I am processing photos for or looking to shoot stock, I am thinking more along the lines of what a publisher might need, and the results are more literal. What I print and put into the gallery is the remnant of my hobby. That's when I am shooting for myself. And I dare say, that my answer to your question is not that different from yours.

I live in a beautiful place and sometimes that beauty hits you smack in the face, and sometimes you have to hunt for it, but my goal is capture it "on film" so to speak. Even the best of today's cameras fall short in doing this. No camera can compare to the technical wonder that is the human eye (as lens) and brain (as sensor and hard drive). Think about how easily your eye changes focus and exposure, at your brain's command when, for example, you're looking at a child playing on the beach in front of a gorgeous sunset. Think about what any camera will do with that scene; you will have to decide if you want to see the deep colors and of the sunset and be left with a silhouetted kid, or if you want to expose for the kid and blow out the sky. So, in addition to the goal of trying to capture the realistic beauty and nostalgia of that scene, my goal is to further do so in a manner that pushes the camera beyond it's technical shortcomings.

Snowgirl · February 23, 2012

So many answers...so many questions.

For me it's all about lifelong learning and creating beauty in some form.. I'm an addict. I need to learn and I need to create as much as I need to eat or breathe. I got seriously involved in photography about ten years ago. Since then I've spent a lot of time learning the technical side of the craft so that I could express the creative side of the art.

I am inspired by nature. A beautiful sunrise / sunset will make me cry. The expression on an animal's face will make me smile. The sheer joyful abandon of a child at play lightens my heart. So, like so many so far, I am not fixated on any one genre of photography.

I do portraits and event work to make money. Everything else is for me. If others like what they see and want to pay for it, fine. If not, that's ok too. Although I often post for C&C it's because I value others' perspectives - I am neither bolstered nor diminished by the responses. if I can learn from them - terrific.

I recently took up macro photography and I realized very quickly that this may be the most challenging, in terms of learning, genre yet.

So - what am I trying to do? Learn, and learn some more, and then share what I've learned and my appreciation of beauty in its many forms with others.

johnloguk · February 23, 2012

Great question, this is the sort of thing I hang around photography forums for

I've been taking photos for over 40 years now, but for about 35 of them only really took landscapes. I tried to take good and interesting shots, but basically they were just a personal record of where I'd been and what I'd done. Then a classic mid-life crisis promted me to try and make a living from my photography, so my hobby became my job.

Around the same time I started shooting a photo a day in the Smugmug Daily Community, which promted me to look a lot more closely at what I was shooting and why? I realised how much I was missing by only shooting landscapes, and how much I'd avoided trying new things, so suddenly I was consciously looking a lot harder and experimenting more.

Lack of cash means that I don't have a mass of expensive kit, just my trusty old D50 with the two kit lenses. No studio, no lights, I shoot 99% hand held in natural light, and yet I manage to shoot a wide range of subjects and have a stream of wonderful projects on the go most of the time. My big passion is night photography, and I work regularly with a film company as their production photographer.

I have a bit of a crusade going to make people look harder at their surroundings, because there is a lot of beauty all around us that most people miss. I organise photo walks, so as well as stretching my own skills I want to enthuse others too.

I am far more concerned about the emotional impact of an image than the technical quality, although that doesn't mean that I ignore the technical side. But I refuse to be obsessed with new gear, stats, settings etc. I realised long ago that there are "professionals" out there who produce crap, and yet seem to get by because of their reputations. Conversely there are supposed "amateurs" whose work I love, but who get no recognition. Photography is an art form, so it suffers from terrible snobbery just like any other, I rebel passionately against that side of photography. When I see someone using a tripod to shoot a single shot at 1/250th, f11 with a 50mm lens, I want to knock it over and scream "poseur" at them, it isn't necessary, stop it!

I love trying new techniques and new styles, but ultimately I am still trying to shoot things that interest me rather than trying to find out what pleases others. When people come to me with an idea it is usually because they've seen my work and want what I do. Most of my customers say they came to me because they wanted "something different to the crowd", and I've been told that I have the ability to get "THE shot", which is usually something very different to all the other photogs there. But I am my harshest critic and always want to learn more, shoot better, convey more emotion, find something that others have missed etc.

I have big crises of confidence with my work all the time, and always see things wrong in it. I get inspiration from the world around me, but also from fellow photogs who are on my wavelength. Some of my favourite photographers shoot very different subjects to me, but their passion is the same. I think this is why I'm reluctant to ask for feedback on individual images unless I know the critic, and their personal foibles, really well. One day I hope to create an image that I think is "perfect", but that is probably a forlorn hope, my own personal Holy Grail

endurodog · February 23, 2012

First off Pedalgirl I llike that shot!!!

This photo stuff for me is a great stress relief from my day job. Something about having the camera in hand and thinking about the shot your trying to get pushes all of lifes other things to the back because I'm so focused on gettting my shot. Beyond that I really just enjoy trying to capture an image that shows things in a different way or different light. Last weekend I went to downtown Denver and got some B&W stuff of some homeless people that really moved me. I share a shot or 2 on Facebook everyday and enjoy the feedback I get from those and sharing that with my friends. So far most of my stuff is landscapes, wildlife, diving, night stuff and a little sports (motocross). Wouldn't mind trying to sell some but wonder if that would add some stress back into my stress relief activity.

Jenn · February 23, 2012

bbjones wrote: »

So the question is this: what are YOU trying to do? How do you judge for yourself when you are getting closer to your goal as a photographer?

I'm more interested in the communication of a feeling than in technical precision.... I am not interested in making the same photo of Horseshoe Bend or Antelope Valley that everyone else has made.

I've always been an artistic person and have been accused of living in my own little world. What I'm trying to do is find a new outlet to be artistic. I've had this rinky dink digital camera for a while and decided to find a photography forum and do what I can to improve the end result of what I take pictures of. When it comes to what I see in the challenges, I find that, like you, I'm "not interested in the same" old same old great pictures that everyone else takes. I really enjoy seeing something out of the ordinary and different, so I guess that is part of my end goal... to produce images that show a different perspective than the 'same old same old'.

PappyRoot wrote: »

As a newb to photography....
When I think about it, I too want desperately to show the beauty we get to enjoy....

When is the last time you looked at a flower? It is a known fact that colors bring out moods, memories. That flower could brighten your day.

I hope I make sense and not too cliche. I just am so thankful for the beauty that surrounds us all.

Like you, I feel I'm still a bit of a newb at this even though I've been on this forum for a while now. I love to take photos of flowers and colors like you mentioned and up close if I get get a good shot. The ordinary things that are around me sometimes just scream to me to be noticed by someone, if that makes sense? I'm not good at taking photos of people, so I stick with non-people subjects.

I took a photo of this unusual awning for one challenge, but it didn't get much of a good response, but I really liked it because it showed all these intricate angles (that was the challenge), and the color was quite unusual, too. Ordinary, but it had it's own beauty. I guess that's one thing I enjoy doing... showing how beautiful ordinary can be. So far, it's still hit and miss as far as actually conveying that to others, but I'm working on it.

johnloguk wrote: »

Lack of cash means that I don't have a mass of expensive kit, just my trusty old D50 ....

..the technical side. But I refuse to be obsessed with new gear, stats, settings etc..... I rebel passionately against that side of photography. When I see someone using a tripod to shoot a single .......
I have big crises of confidence with my work all the time,........

Like you, I don't have a mass of equipment.. just my camera and I broke down and bought a mini tripod because I have a bit of a handicap when it comes to holding a camera steady... it's called Essential tremors in my hands... so the little tripod helps so much along with the camera timer. I've been more able to get photos in focus with that little helper.

Also, I'm a bit of a rebel when it comes to the rules, but learning them and watching what other people do has helped me know when I can stretch the rules and still have something presentable. I'm my own worst critic and really can get down on myself when I fail to produce something good for a challenge, but many people here have been so patient with me and encouraged me to keep trying, so here I am .. still trying. I just want so much to be able to produce what my heart, mind and spirit are seeing from my artistic side. Since I'm a graphic artist post processing has really helped me save images I couldn't have used without post processing!

I'd like to combine that ability with photographs to produce something different and out of the box, but appeals to people and stands out, too.

I hope I'm making sense and not rambling here.

JAG · February 23, 2012

I am an artist first. I always have been. When I was 15, I sold my bike and bought a used camera from my neighbor, so I could try a new medium. Decided at that time I wanted to be a photographer. Then at 18, I scrimped and saved for the new to be released Canon AE1, which was my first big time camera. Ran that to the ground shooting weddings and other functions as well as doing my art. I did go to college for a time to get a degree in photography, but decided I was wasting my time when I could be out there shooting vs sitting in a class learning math, english and other non relating things to photography. Then skip a few years of raising kids, I started using digital cameras. Basic point and shoots as I raised the kids. Hubby bought me a Nikon D50 with a kit lens and 55-200mm lens. Used that for a few years. During which I learned to use paint shop pro (psp). Tried to learn PS but PSP is so much easier and I can do things better in it. Started getting photo gigs again as well as digital art work and graphic design work.

I guess the moto on my fb page sums my answer up best: "True Artist: One who captures a portion of God's glory and shares it with the world."~Joyce Marie Martin

I can tell you through my years of experiences, that I do not see things exactly like others do. In my world the forest is not just green and brown, I see 6 shades of green and 4 shades of brown as well as 5 other colors that others do not see. I am hyper sensitive to color, texture, light, dark, small, big. I see details that others do not, all the time. When I see things, its like I am looking at art, no matter how beautiful or how ugly it is. That is why I take pictures of backsides of people when I am traveling by bus through Egypt and see things. Its not just the composition I am concerned about, its a moment in the timeline of eternity that I want to capture and share. A moment that will never be seen again if its not captured somehow.

I do not follow the 'rules' when it comes to basic art. A lot of my images fall within the rules, but quite a few do not and those seem to be the ones that I favor. Because they elicite emotion not only in me but to others. I do not necessarily go out and find the perfect composistion. Sometimes my images are of things that do not exsist. Many I have used here in challenges. Like the "Reaching out of my World" that won the inside/outside challenge.

PedalGirl · February 23, 2012

PappyRoot wrote: »

I forgot to ask, what is the URL of those tutorials? I would be interested in looking at them. I am so new at this that I hunger for knowledge.

I started out with This Tutorial and then moved to others from there.

endurodog wrote: »

First off Pedalgirl I llike that shot!!!

Thanks! However... it has been pointed out to me that it resembles something else, my friends got a good laugh at it. So... it's back to the water glass for me tonight! :photo

Lornce · February 23, 2012

I'm learning how to see.

slpollett · February 23, 2012

I've kind of enjoyed reading this thread. It's interesting to read everyone's stories.

I take pictures because I enjoy doing it. My goal is to eventually get to the point where my image is as good as it can be straight out of the camera with minimal tweaking required in post. I'm not interested in creating art and I'm not interested in images that are more photoshop than photography. I prefer just preserving memories and having a good time doing it.

My favorite things to photograph are family, flowers, friends, and sometimes places (though I don't aspire to be a landscape photographer). I don't want to be an artist...I just want to be a good photographer. I'm not there yet. I don't have a bunch of fancy equipment. I have my camera, a couple of decent lenses, and a flash. I just want to learn to use them to their fullest capabilities. The last thing I want to do is a bunch of photoshop work after I press the shutter button.

When I 'finally' progressed up to a dSLR a few years ago, I took a class, joined this Forum, and started trying to get more serious with it. Started participating in the Challenges, that sort of thing. Trying to please anyone other than myself flat took the fun out of it for me. Most of the time, the themes didn't really interest me, but I forced myself to do them anyway. I found out when I forced myself to do something that didn't interest me, I didn't have fun and (more importantly) the output suffered. I don't think the quality of my images improved at all doing challenges. (I did learn quite a bit of stuff that didn't really interest me though.) I think I just quit having fun, and when my heart wasn't in it, the images were, well, not very good. I got pretty down on myself, didn't take any pictures for a long time. Now, I'm finally starting to drag the camera out again little by little, but it's only for myself. I don't participate in the challenges very often any more. I still like to look at what everyone is doing, but I will generally spend my time photographing the things that appeal to me.

Sherry

RyanS · February 23, 2012

All I need to know about photography I learned from Yoda:

No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.

Equipment matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my equipment, do you? Hm?
Mmmm.

And well you should not. For my ally is the Light. And a
powerful ally it is. The Sun creates it, makes it glow. It's energy
surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we...
...not this crude matter. You must see the Light around you. Here, between you...me...the
tree...the rock...everywhere! Yes, even between this lens and that model!

johnloguk · February 23, 2012

AaronNelson wrote: »

hey now..... I got the shakes ok? or maybe I was shooting brackets..... now stop picking on me mister!

Haha I knew that would get a few hearts beating faster, like a poke in the eye with a sharp stick

I must add that I do have a tripod, and I do use it, but only very rarely. My semi-serious point is that I know some people who think that using a tripod makes them a "professional", and therefore better than people who shoot hand held. The way I see it is that tripods are for when you can't hold the camera in your hand, pure and simple, and I think I know all the times when that applies. Tripods can be a crucial piece of kit, but they can also be a terrible hindrance, slowing you down and disrupting the creative juices. One day I'll start a separate thread about when to use/not use them, but it would be rude to hijack this wonderful discussion for my pet soap box :ivar

Jenn · February 23, 2012

johnloguk wrote: »

Tripods can be a crucial piece of kit, but they can also be a terrible hindrance, slowing you down and disrupting the creative juices. One day I'll start a separate thread about when to use/not use them, but it would be rude to hijack this wonderful discussion for my pet soap box :ivar

I resisted for a long time even getting the little mini tripod that I have now. I was determined to take photos by steadying the camera on something, but I think I must have deleted a 1000 shots like that because my shaky hands still messed it up, so I bought one.

I'm happier and not as frustrated. Now I just need a better camera!

Troy Raymond · February 23, 2012

I am also an artist, professionally since high school with many different mediums. I see the smallest detail and the slightest color differences whether I want to or not (ADHD). I can paint what I see (not from memory) which is why I need to create photos first, a new interest verses throwing other pictures found on the internet or books together as a reference. A small sample of my work from years past.

My photography got serious around 4-6 years ago when the economy took a hit and fewer people requested custom work. During the study of photography, which learning is never ending, I had to figure out a way to show what I see every day. I can visualize a photo before its ever created, and from perspectives rarely seen. To achieve many of my ideas I had to create some of my own gear, which includes a full tethered and a full wireless setup(including video feed from my camera). Spent two years learning how to fly a remote control helicopter to carry a camera that I could see through. Spent as many years with a friend prototyping an RC airplane for the same reason, plus a 40' telescoping mast and a kite setup all with custom gimbals for pan/tilt/roll and one including zoom all by wireless remote control. Now I also have an RC 4 wheel drive vehicle to carry the camera low in hard to reach places.

My first 'real' photo from the mast would be this using a point and shoot camera.

Post processing is what I use to create images that resemble the artwork I used to paint. Processing the images came easy since I've used photoshop in my other graphic design business since about '95.

This journey led me through believable realistic HDR (not over processed) which is used in almost every photo... and Panorama's, including HDR and 360. Did you know you can shoot multiple brackets by hand and blend them perfectly with a pro pano program?

Although I shoot what I want, much consideration is taken to interest my viewers, which in some cases a small select group. This image has some skulls blended into the flying sand, done to get extra 'wow' from a select group and it ended up being in a magazine.

It's been a long road to where I am, and the photos are starting to roll in. My photography targets different perspectives with a goal to share what I see in every day life. Never rush, enjoy everything around you.

Everything gets better with time.

bbjones · February 23, 2012

Wow! What a bunch of fantastic replies!
Thanks, everyone, for putting so much thought into this. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with a little different take on things. I would love to see some more of this perspective in the C&Cs. I know that's hard, because it takes a lot longer to articulate the mood or feeling evoked by a photo than it does to critique the technical stuff. I'm trying to do it a little bit more, and it limits the number of comments one has time to make, for sure.

In any case, thanks for speaking up, everyone! And those of you who haven't posted yet, let's hear from you!

kwickers · February 24, 2012

I'm not sure at the moment what I am trying to do..... I am enjoying shooting when inspired and then have lulls with no inspiration. I have experience with cameras going back to '76, developing, printing, etc... But my photography really grew after I purchased a DSLR and went to Africa on Safari (with the owners manual to read on the way) Oh, I wish I knew about RAW files and had read that manual sooner. Nowdays, 1) I enjoy photographing dogs, I have four now, and run a dog boarding facility ( www.K-9Ranch.com ), 2) Photographing my family , triplet boys are 9 years old now and 3) Photography for the sake of creating an Image (my play, anything that is not dogs or kids) I think joining DGRIN about a year ago motivated me more than any other to get out and shoot better. Comparing my work to people in the MACRO forum reminds me that I am just beginning to grasp this skill. Similarly The CHALLENGES are awesome! These really make me plan a shot from conceptualization through post. I purchased my first set of Soft Box lights recently and expect to be using them for still life images and who knows what, they are Cool. One final note, I really enjoy creating abstract images and working with light and long exposures. This is my best example of something uniquely me. Lasers in Fog. Keith

sweetharmony · February 24, 2012

AaronNelson wrote: »

+1 on many of your points!, (gosh I wish I could express myself as well as you have here...)

Nail on the head, I simply need to communicate and express something...anything..., and I enjoy the challenge of the challenges... also I would like to point out that some of my favorite images came from a challenge theme/topic.

If I could paint with oils & canvas I would be a painter, but photography is so much more forgiving so I will just stick to that...:D

Thanks, Aaron! Glad it resonated with you. I often dream of watercolors.....I bet I could express a lot in watercolors if I ever got it together to learn. And there's something to be said for the joy of method with creative expression. With photography, the rewards are so IMMEDIATE. Gratifyingly immediate.

CHANDLERJA · February 24, 2012

What a great topic!!

Love reading everyone's post!

As for me I would describe myself as a Impatient Technical Artist.
I am a very technical person in my every day life and career. Photography allows me to be artistic but also very technical at the same time. I love the post processing as much as the photography itself! I would consider myself to be a gadget freak as well and photography fits that need perfectly.

I will say that I prefer to have a goal while out shooting and that is why I love these challenges! I also love to challenge myself with shots that are difficult to get like indoor basketball (I still don't have that right) or fast moving subjects and such.

I also enjoy taking pictures for others. Because of my company I am able to write off all the photography equipment I buy so I have a really nice setup. Its funny how people react and kind of let you in when they see you with professional equipment. I have shot everything from a kids rodeo to a random birthday party in the park I was walking by. I will just ask them for an email address and send them a link to their pictures when I'm done. I never charge anything. One day when I'm retired I may start. But till then I prefer to choose how and what I shoot without the stress of money involved.

But what excites me the most are the moments when the light and subject are so perfect I am compelled to stop everything and shoot. I have slammed on the brakes freaking out my wife many times when I notice these perfect moments!! That is also why I always have my camera and lenses with me. Those moments are the real reason I enjoy photography so much! And in the end I hope to create a image that makes someone say "you took that?!?"

Hope that made some sort of sense

Jenn · February 24, 2012

kwickers wrote: »

I really enjoy creating abstract images and working with light and long exposures. This is my best example of something uniquely me. Lasers in Fog. Keith

LOVE THIS!! ^^^^^^^^^^

CHANDLERJA wrote: »

What a great topic!!
I have slammed on the brakes freaking out my wife many times when I notice these perfect moments!!

I've come close to doing that a few times, but I'd probably cause too much mayhem in traffic congenstion because I'm usually on the interstate when it happens or in some major traffic where I can't stop and pull over even if I wanted to so I can snap that beautiful sunset or amazing cloud formations! I mumble a lot on my way home from work on some days!!

KevXman · February 24, 2012

Great topic! I'm really enjoying what everyone is posting.

I have been an artist ever since the first day that I wrapped my grubby little fingers around a crayon. I spent my youth trying to find my medium. I tried oils and acrylics. Tried watercolors and colored pencils. Even tried charcoal and airbrush. Was never really into it but tried my hand at sculpture and pottery. I was never able to achieve what I saw in my mind and so was never satisfied with the end piece. Then one day someone, probably my Mom or Dad, put a camera in my hand on a school field trip. It instantly felt comfortable there. Of course all I ended up with at the time were snapshots but there was something there that interested me.

While photography peaked my interest I wasn't able to put the effort into it that it would take to get good at it. It was still the time of film and I couldn't afford it. I didn't even get my own camera until I graduated from college. I always borrowed someone else's if I took a photo class on needed one for a project assignment. Plus, I was too busy "becoming a well rounded person". Heck, I went to my 10-year high school reunion 2 months before I graduated from college. Yeah, the '80s are still a blur.

When I graduated from college I was lucky enough to be able to move right into my career as a graphic designer. I usually worked for an engineering firm of one kind or another so most of my work had a technical slant to it with very little room for being creative. What some people call artsy-fartsy. Engineers tend to get bent out of shape when you get creative and I needed some outlet for that side of my brain but didn't really realize it. The camera had been shoved to the back of the closet and only came out when I went someplace good for the rare vacation.

Then, in the summer of 2005 I was diagnosed with colon cancer. BIG wake up call. This was not in my plans. I was only 44 at the time. It forced me to put my priorities in order. I needed to get back to something that really sparked my enthusiasm. Out came the camera. I joined SmugMug, found DGrin, and off I went.

Sorry to be so long winded but thought that the background would be helpful for you to better understand "What it is that I'm trying to do". My art is my art. I don't hire out. I don't do commissioned work. I don't do family portraits. I don't shoot commercial images to be sold on some clipart website. Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to demean anyone that does do that type of work. I have friends that do, it excites them and they are good at it and that it what counts. Like I was saying, my art is my art and as soon as someone gives me a deposit they expect to have a hand in what I shoot and how I shoot it and that is just not my cup of tea.

When I have my camera in my hand I am trying to create am image that will be matted, framed, and hung on a wall as a piece of art. Since photography is not what I do to bring in a paycheck I am free to do as I please. I have actually sold a few pieces but that is just the icing on the cake. Really thick icing because there is nothing like the feeling that you get when someone actually spends money for something that you have created. When you really get down to it, photography, for me, is the best form of therapy that I can get. When life throws me a curveball I grab my camera and go get lost in the process of creating a piece of art. Yes, a really nice finished piece is very satisfying but the fun, for me, is the journey getting there.

My art is my art. I do it for myself but if it evokes something in you that's even better. Get out there and shoot, learn, ask for help, and help others when you can.

Thanks for sticking with me through my ramblings.
—Kevin

patrickfd · February 24, 2012

I'm not sure if my post fit's here or not but I am a fire photographer so I take pictures of firefighter's working. Kind of odd you may think but I'm photographing history in my opinion. Many times my picture's are used for training purpose's so firefighters can learn what worked for them and what needs work. My photography is not an exact science, you either took a good picture or you didn't. There are no do over's. I enjoy what I do and I've meet alot of nice people while doing it. I'm not a big believer in fixing my picture's in a photo program (although sometime's I will make some adjustments). I believe in learning about the camera you use and trying to take a good picture. Here's a couple of shots I took recently.

Patrick
http://squadfirephotos.smugmug.com

What are YOU trying to do?

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