View Full Version : photography satisfies in many ways
The artist in me is enamoured by the imagery of photography.
The engineer in me is satisfied by the gear and technical aspects.
The scientist in me is intrigued by the optical physics and chemistry.
The humanist in me is enriched by the social aspect of sharing interests and ideas with others, through local gatherings and forums.
(Did I miss any?)
Not everyone enjoys all aspects and that's fine. To each their own. But this is me.
Frank, you've covered well many of my own feelings about photography. Further to the humanist aspect, I am enriched by the interaction with others both through taking their picture and later in sharing the results with them.
Nice post, Frank. I'm hopeful that others will chime in with their own views.
-Randy
mccurleyphoto
02-10-2008, 11:59
The kid in me is having a ball.
I find, photography satisfies also as a means to meditation and increased awareness of the outside world.
There's a huge pleasure contained in the process of "seeing" something photographically interesting, and while the process itself has already found a sophisticated school (Miksang photography) of followers, I also experience a certain interior reward, when I manage sometimes to make some sense of the visual chaos, which then can result attractive photographically.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59177039@N00/1462598395/sizes/l/in/set-72157601175708450/
A friend from flickr - brassai63 has pointed me to this Miksang link:
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=gqbAfCCSIGI
Thanks, mfogiel, for reminding me of another reason that I enjoy photography. As you said, it's a way to slow down and increase my awareness of the world around me. That's a point I tried to make in my comment in the Rangefinderforum Book 2.
-Randy
The artist in me is enamoured by the imagery of photography.
The engineer in me is satisfied by the gear and technical aspects.
The scientist in me is intrigued by the optical physics and chemistry.
The humanist in me is enriched by the social aspect of sharing interests and ideas with others, through local gatherings and forums.
(Did I miss any?)
Not everyone enjoys all aspects and that's fine. To each their own. But this is me.
Very nice post Frank. Enjoying is easy and isn't.
BTW there is also the artisan, or craftman, printing at his darkroom.
Cheers,
Ruben
David Murphy
02-10-2008, 13:18
Frank you left out camera dealers, or table-top trading wanna-be's like me
I know no-one who is antipathetic towards photography. Those who take snapshots enjoy doing so, their subjects similarly enjoy looking at the final results. People who are more ambitious often try to push themselves or their equipment to the limits, sometimes with good results, oftentimes with not so good results, but always with a certain amount of satisfaction even if it is only the knowledge that there is better still to come.
It is the most democratic of art forms, anyone who can pick up a camera can almost immediately take a satisfying photograph. I bought my five year old her first camera for Christmas and she hasn't stopped using it. She gets more fun from it than any of her other toys - and, yes it's a toy digital camera. Maybe next year we will go or something a little better, then the year after that perhaps a better one and on and on and on...!
Cheers.
Steve Bellayr
02-10-2008, 13:52
There is an historical/biographical aspect to photography. We can look upon the past both of others and ourselves.
There is an historical/biographical aspect to photography. We can look upon the past both of others and ourselves.
This aspect can be worthwhile when the weather is too bad to get out and enjoy one's surroundings. I have digitized all of my collection of photos and passed CDs on to my children. I am now working on my late father-in-law's negative collection. Look around, there are a lot of things to be preserved.
Jim N.
My camera takes me places. Photography and a love for travel bring out the explorer in me...
Very excellent additions to the list, thank you all!
I found myself being drawn nature as I got deeper into photography. It allowed me to unwind from the stress at work, while it showed me repeatedly how beautiful the world is. I find all previous points applicable and meaningful to me.
amateriat
02-10-2008, 19:37
Corny as it might sound in some corners, photography for me had been something of a form of therapy in my late teens, and grew into something bigger from my 20s onward. I made it pay as a vocation in certain ways (lab rat and stock agency liaison, among other jobs), but it's the "avocation" aspect that's loomed largest. It's been a way of exploring the world, outer and inner, and, to a certain extent, helping me sort out my place in it. Sometimes revelatory, sometimes disturbing, sometimes beautiful, and only occasionally boring. Like life, really. :)
A really good thread, folks. Can't add much more to it.
- Barrett
Doctors now point to "passion" as a key element in maintaining good mental and physical health. It could be said then that photography is good for your health.
I now find it an integral part of my health regime.
Bob
williams473
02-11-2008, 19:09
I find the meditative quality mentioned earlier in the thread one of the most enjoyable aspects to photography. It doesn't often come, but when I am really concentrating and looking intently into the world, all of the F-stops and film speeds, lens types and tech stuff fall away, and I am left with what I think is at the heart of any creative act - the opportunity to be what God most likely intended us to be - free of ego, free of ambition and goals and resistance - in short, in meditation with Him, returning to the One source that we all go back to when we leave our bodies at death. Seeing and then taking a photograph when in this state is almost beside the point, and it is a rare a beautiful thing I think.
There have been times when I have tried to explain this to people, even other photographers, and I always end up feeling self conscious and foolish, but I know there is something very real we are tapping in to out there if we want to.
To get there, I need to have meditated or prayed before shooting, I have to work alone (ironic for the street shooter since we sort of count on other people to make our work) and I can't be listening to music or anything that takes me away from focusing my faculties on what I'm doing.
The rest of the time in my life, I am fighting losing the faith in Art and photography, wasting energy worrying about gear, or just being lazy and watching hockey and drinking beer when I should be working on photography. But when it happens, that meditative state keeps me coming back.
nikonhswebmaster
02-11-2008, 19:14
Hi matt,
You post is blank to those of us who look at the site in white with black text.
The editor should not do this but it does, so you have to avoid choosing white.
Excellent post, Frank. I can only add one:
The collector in me is attracted by the beauty and history of photo gear
The accountant in me figures a way to justify spending oodles of money on this stuff ;)
Dave
The artist in me is enamoured by the imagery of photography.
The engineer in me is satisfied by the gear and technical aspects.
The scientist in me is intrigued by the optical physics and chemistry.
The humanist in me is enriched by the social aspect of sharing interests and ideas with others, through local gatherings and forums.
The philosopher in me is fascinated by stopping time, and by how memories are formed and re-experienced.
When I pick up my F3HP, it is like Wagner "Ride of the Valkyries' is playing in my head, I can not explain it! I must be crazy! :D
Link to "Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Walkure on Youtube!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSKL5E3zSjs
Aperture Priority Man! :D
MArk
Quito, EC
Knowing I can play in the DR is the only thing that stops me from deep depression every winter...25cm more snow tonight, I hate this country.
Steve Bellayr
02-12-2008, 15:06
What about the "hunt" of that great photo?
The artist in me is enamoured by the imagery of photography.
The engineer in me is satisfied by the gear and technical aspects.
The scientist in me is intrigued by the optical physics and chemistry.
The humanist in me is enriched by the social aspect of sharing interests and ideas with others, through local gatherings and forums.
(Did I miss any?)
Not everyone enjoys all aspects and that's fine. To each their own. But this is me.
I love to capture a moment that will never happen again and that will survive myself once captured.. :o
Knowing I can play in the DR is the only thing that stops me from deep depression every winter...25cm more snow tonight, I hate this country.
Italy -> Liguria -> Chiavari: my hometown.. I see snow there two times in my life, I'm 35... :p
The artist in me is enamoured by the imagery of photography.
The engineer in me is satisfied by the gear and technical aspects.
The scientist in me is intrigued by the optical physics and chemistry.
The humanist in me is enriched by the social aspect of sharing interests and ideas with others, through local gatherings and forums.
(Did I miss any?)
Not everyone enjoys all aspects and that's fine. To each their own. But this is me.
Great idea for a thread Frank,
I share your thoughts (and many others stated in the posts above) on the reasons why photography satisfies me; then I'd add the human relationships it brings when I'm shooting, it happens quite regularly to have a brief talk with strangers I photograph, and I like to hear other people stories.
bmattock
02-12-2008, 16:14
The mean old ******* in me enjoys having yet another reason to drink.
EDIT: Oh, excuse me. Bastich, I meant to say.
The mean old ******* in me enjoys having yet another reason to drink.
Rodinal on the rocks I suppose.
bmattock
02-12-2008, 16:35
Rodinal on the rocks I suppose.
Sacrilege! Jack Daniels, neat, while staring at Tri-x souped in D-76, as the Great Yellow Father intended.
Chris101
02-12-2008, 17:59
Sacrilege! Jack Daniels, neat, while staring at Tri-x souped in D-76, as the Great Yellow Father intended.Rodinal tastes marginally better.
The aroma of film and photochemistry is one of the small satisfactions I get out of photography.
Gabriel M.A.
02-12-2008, 18:18
The artist in me is enamoured by the imagery of photography.
The engineer in me is satisfied by the gear and technical aspects.
The scientist in me is intrigued by the optical physics and chemistry.
The humanist in me is enriched by the social aspect of sharing interests and ideas with others, through local gatherings and forums.
(Did I miss any?)
Not everyone enjoys all aspects and that's fine. To each their own. But this is me.
The skeptic in me is satisfied by the magic of the verifiable science of it all.
The laique in me is satisfied by how none of us can be prosecuted by a theocracy which deems the hokus-pokus in a dark chamber a heresy.
The left brain in me is happy that the right brain in me is happy that my left brain in me is happy... you get the picture ;)
Stephanie Brim
02-12-2008, 19:20
I prefer rum and Coke, but with a baby I'm not drinking much of anything.
The wanderer in me misses the long walks through the parks and the simple pleasure of the day's perfect shot.
The alchemist in me misses the time spent in a dark room with various photographic potions.
The mom in me rejoices that I use most of my photographic skill to take photos of my daughter.
The optimist in me knows I'll get back to it eventually.
Hi Stephanie... congrats mom!
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