The Purpose of Your Photography?

[Bike Tourist]

Through about fifty years of photography, I've always considered it a spectator sport. You make a photograph, it needs an audience. Except for my stint in the army as a photojournalist, I've always practiced the craft or the art, whatever, on the fly, subservient to the need to make a living. I've done weddings, commercial shoots with art directors, had many covers and calendars and done stock the old fashioned way with transparencies, all on a part time basis. For awhile I was a "fine art" photographer, exhibiting in juried exhibitions and museums.

As I say, I've always figured an audience is required. Even today, I make a modest sum with internet stock sites. If I just shot with the Leicas, I would produce a high volume of photos — some good and some bad. Now, with digital, the volume of images one is able to produce is truely formidible.

My question: What do all of you do with your images? Are you content with the zen of the shooting experience? Are you satisfied by seeing your ideas translated to a print or a monitor screen without sharing them? I would respect someone who just produced images and was content to keep them to himself and never sought approval from a wider audience. But to do that, for me, would seem to be pointless.

What do you think?

[ClaremontPhoto]

What an interesting question. Thank you.

I don't like to produce for an audience at all. I take photos for me, and then maybe show them to people later. If I do show and they like them that's nice, but not essential.

When I have produced for an audience in the past they have always tried to exert control against my wishes. "Take it from over there Jon." "Make sure that Carlos is in the picture." "You need to use flash, it won't work without flash." Or after the event "Why didn't you include that pretty flower bed?"

Last year I took some street photos of a very nice older couple and was pleased with the results. They never saw the photos but asked me do take some more for them. A week or so later I saw them in a casual situation and took some photos that I was very happy with and made a few prints for them. They were not pleased, they had wanted to wear their best clothes and sit in a studio with lights and formal poses.

[BJ Bignell]

I photograph for me, and for the future. It's a healthy distraction that helps keep my addictive personality from wandering in the wrong direction(s). Sometimes the results are better than expected, which is very encouraging. When this happens, I like to share, but I generally don't require an audience.

[Ash]

I like to produce for an audience I choose. Maybe due to my confidence being low. I'll show them on here, and on my blog on MySpace - that is the only public way they are seen.

I don't like showing many shots to family, since there is no criticism behind the comments. Some friends I trust more to be honest about photo's, I trust if I ask I'll get a crit here too.

I enjoy taking photo's, and I enjoy seeing the result. I also enjoy the bonding exercise of taking photo's of someone close, and getting pleasing results.

All other aspects aren't so important right now. But soon I hope I'll be taking photo's as a career, to which I'd have to say, I take photo's for money. Not just for fun :)

[Peter]

At this point of time I am taking photos just for documenting my environment for posterity. Singapore is a rapidly changing country and changes are so fast they are evident in years. Some of the scenes I captured in the small off shore island of Pulau Ubin is gone forever. Personally it is never for the money as I do not want to lose a hobby if I go semi-pro. Photography for me is the ultimate relaxation and learning experience.

[dazedgonebye]

I shoot primarily for myself. I would shoot with no audience.
However, I do very much enjoy an audience and find that having even a small one is very motivating.
A small paying audience is more motivating still.

[FrankS]

I shoot primarily for myself. I would shoot with no audience.
However, I do very much enjoy an audience and find that having even a small one is very motivating.
A small paying audience is more motivating still.

Same here.

Mainly for myself. Family images for posterity, pointless images simply for the creativity, and experience of the process from beginning to end.

[Bike Tourist]

Well, I am not disappointed. It seems most of you like to please just one master . . . yourself. As Jon said, when you shoot for others or for money (same thing) the entity that commissions you wants to control you, too.

[doitashimash1te]

My signature answers the question.

[rhogg]

As a complete amateur, its never been about the audience, except in terms of respecting subjects.

When I carry a camera, or have been active, I see the world differently; design and patterns become more prominent; elegance and chaos more evident; colour and light part of my surroundings. Without photography these things just whiz by.

The pictures are secondary, but provide a connection with time and space that allows me to review or re-experience the past, sometimes drawing out emotions that weren't present at the time of the photo.

I do not share my pictures much past my immediate family, as these are the people I share my life with.


This is why digital has little appeal to me, and 99% of my negatives will never get printed - its very much about the process or seeing rather than the "product".

So I see photography as a personal part of participating in life. Pretty self indulgent, and thinking about an audience would likely add to the experience. Hmmm I'm going to start thinking about that!

[Nachkebia]

I don`t have a clue, I just like when I take pictures....

[markinlondon]

I take photos for my own aesthetic pleasure and satisfaction, for the joy of using well crafted mechanical devices which are a million miles from the disposable tat that is touted as cutting edge technology today, and for the pleasure I take in the craft of doing everything to produce a satisfactory photograph from beginning to end (short of coating the film and paper myself).
It's nice when family and friends appreciate my "work" too. If I did this for money I'd probably hate it.

Thanks for asking.

[Steveh]

Interesting topic! I'm a recent convert to rangefinders after a couple of years of digital cameras but what's really fired my renewed passion for photography since 2004 has been sharing my shots with other people online (mainly on my Pbase pages, but I post here as well now :) ), and getting comments and feedback on them. I'd still take pictures just for me, but the challenge of getting them seen and commented on online is a big motivator for me. Blame my over-competitive personality!

[Jamie123]

I think I need at least a small audience for my photography. If I were the only person that would ever see the photos I take I would probably not bother doing it.
I do like the process of working with an all manual camera but I'm not so sure that the act of taking photos really relaxes me that much all the time. At times I even find it pretty nerve-wracking when I've been walking around for hours and know there's not one good photo on the roll.

The main reason I'm still at this photography thing is that I'm hoping to take a really great photograph one day. Not something life altering or something with some kind of social impact but just a damn good photo.

[Gid]

I do it because I can lose myself in the process - I find it a great stress reliever (except for scanning :( ). However, If I do get a shot that I'm happy with, I like to share it - on the wall at home, as a present for someone who appreciates it or via the web. Positive comments are always welcome :) .

I've done some corporate shoots and I recently did my brother's wedding and I can safely say that I did not get much enjoyment from those. I have no plans to lose a very enjoyable hobby.

[Kin Lau]

Many reasons, with different audiences.

I've done a few weddings together with my wife for friends. We enjoy it, and the audience is not just the bride and groom, but since we know 90% of the people at these weddings, there's lots of opportunities to share those photos.

Most of our photography is birding/nature. The main audience here is my wife and I, but we have done a few books via Lulu that we share with friends and family only.

Otherwise, I also have gig's of jpegs/raw files and hundreds of neg's that likely no one else will ever see. That's just for me goofing around.

[suzums]

I have this on my about me part on my blog "I take photos to hold my memories, so they won't have an expiration date. It is my way to deal with change. This is so I can watch it again... in slow motion."

I take photos mainly for myself, with quite an limited amount of audience.

[peterc]

I photograph mainly for myself. It's fun, gets me out on a pretty much daily basis and (most of the time) keeps me out of trouble.

Peter

[DavidH]

I shoot the publicity stills for our shows - something I enjoy most of the time but there are so many constraints in style and framing that it can get to be a bit of a chore after a while. Having said that, I'm putting together a book now covering the latest series - and that's an exciting project for me.

The stuff I shoot for myself is - apparently - very 'off-the-wall'...most people don't get it at all. So I've given up showing friends and family, or trying it on stock sites etc. I used one project as my entry bid for the RPS last year and it failed on EVERY criteria except being the right size! That was a shock...and quite painful for a while. But it's the kind of photography I like doing...so I'll carry on...if no one ever sees it then so what? I've still enjoyed taking the process of taking the photograph.

In between, there's the travel stuff, which is just to preserve memories...and that's the kind of thing I put in my gallery here.

Not being a professional photographer means not having to conform to the requirements of others. So it's a hobby...that trains you to notice things and truly see the world...and that's never a waste of time.

David

[Gabriel M.A.]

The Purpose? I don't think there's a purpose to my photography, except to whet and sasciate my need for visual expression.

[Wayne R. Scott]

Why do I photograph? I think that it is because I am still a child at heart. A child that still believes in Magic, for photography has always been Magic to me. How can a simple little box capture the reflected light rays that we see and keep them in there until released by us in a dark room hours, weeks, even years later; if not by Magic?

I photograph for myself and others. In general I like most people, so I am quite comfortable photographing people. My greatest accomplishments in photography have been in making mothers cry. When they look at a photo that I have taken of their child and tears well up in their eyes and they tell me that I have captured that special look their child has in his/her face, then I know that I have contributed to the Magic of photography.

I have prostituted my photography for money in the past, doing up to two weddings a day some week ends, taking senior high school photos, pet photos, family portraits etc. I was able to learn much about cameras, lighting, film, and people by doing this. In addition I made some money to buy more cameras:) But I was not truly happy. Now I am leaning toward people photography, but for me first, and should my subjects like the end results and wish to purchase from me, fine and dandy. If they don’t like the results, too bad, so sad. Maybe we will both agree that my photos suck.

I also think that I photograph because it is the only art form that I know of where you can be lucky and accidentally create art. I know of no one that sat down with a pencil and piece of paper and accidentally drew the Mona Lisa the first time they attempted figure drawing. I keep hoping that some day I will accidentally create a great photo, instead of one that grates on people’s senses.


Wayne