This is my first post to this forum, and I have a somewhat philosophical question, so I
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This is my first post to this forum, and I have a somewhat philosophical question, so I
Because its there.
Because we like the challenge of the sport.
A sport we never really master/
In a way it is a lot like golf.
Occasionally we make a really good shot (intermittent positive reinforcement is very addicting).
Like golf we think we can buy a great game if only we had the newest club or lens.
When in reality a great golfer can play with a shover or a rake.
Because we like to solve problems.
Because we like the technology.
Because we like to share how we see the world and watch the reaction.
Because its there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Bauer
I too am a EE and also a part time professional photographer. I mostly do wedding and portraits.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Bauer
I have not had this problem. I do enjoy looking through old shots of mine to enjoy the beauty of them and to also see how I have improved. I love to see a customers face when they see how good they look.
Like everyone else here i also like the toys and my business helps to pay for it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Bauer
In the last year and a half I got the opportunity to travel to Australia, Spain and Suriname. I loaded a bunch of my photos on a photo frame in my office. Lots of folks that come by always ask about them and it gives me the opportunity to show & tell.
So, welcome to the forum. Hope to see some of your work here soon.
Mark
You sound exactly in the same spot that i
Your question brings to mind the ancient Greek story of Sisyphus, who was banished to the underworld to roll a boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll down again. Then Sisyphus would repeat the task over and over for eternity. Sisyphus' plight is, at least on the surface, a story about mind-numbing monotony.
It's not that photography is monotonous like Sisyphus' task. But your question evokes a sense of routine that seems to have overtaken your photography that is not unlike Sisyphus' plight.
The French author/philosopher/existentialist Albert Camus wrote an essay about the myth, exploring how human beings might cope with monotony and routine. Camus sums up his argument in the following two lines: "The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy." Ever since a wise English teacher directed me to that essay when I was 17 years-old, I have tried hard to live by Camus' understanding of our condition.
Yes, anything in life can be routine and even monotonous, and we Americans in particular seem predisposed to obsessing about success and winning and the "end result." But real fulfillment comes not in winning, which is by definition ephemeral and even empty. Rather, fulfillment springs from the journey itself, which is why the joy of photography for me is in the process, in the hunt.No matter how fantastic the final image is, it can never adequately convey the journey that created it. So while it's nice to print a few of your great images in large format to hang on the wall, nothing compares to gearing up for a shoot, waiting patiently for a bird, freezing my son mid-air as he jumps in a lake, trying a new technique, or -- best yet -- trying out a new piece of kit.
I hope this helps.
Brian
It pays the bar tab :)
The purpose of photography is to post on TDP....of course....[:P]
Ok, reading this thread, my first seriousresponse plays with the "philosophical" part of your post....I'd say that "True love is a process not an end result." Or something philosophically sounding like that....
Getting more pragmatic, I love photography for several reasons, but one of the primary is that it adds to things I already do. It gives me another reason to kayak, hike, or see waterfalls and it makes each more interesting. In fact, photography also now gives me a reason to go do things. I probably would have never gone on a puffin cruise had I not thought it would be fun and challenging to take pictures of the puffins. Then there are the intellectual and creative aspects about photography that continue to challenge me. This isn't about just what it takes to get a good picture (although that is a big part of it), but also how it all works (and if you pay attention, there are a lot of engineers...I am a Civil.... or scientists on this forum).
In terms of end results....honestly, except for a little pride and occasionally printing a pic, I don't think there is much in the end results of photos.........except.....
........for people...and this can be epic. Good photos of people and special events can be priceless. The fact that a photo I took of my sister at her wedding is still her facebook profile pic.....that my wife and I were able to give her grandparents a gift that they actually seemed to like (album of family photos we've taken over the past ~10 yrs).....that's the stuff that matters.....if you want to get philosophical about it.... [;)]
I do Portrait photography...which almost feels like a completely different realm compared to Wild life photography...[:^)]
I love being able to contribute to remembering the important moments for my clients. Family, Engagements, Newborn photography... it keeps me going knowing that I was able to put the important moments of their lives into a form that they can look back at to remember years down the line. If my clients "LOVE" how the images turned out, then it's an extra little perk that makes me want to do even better the next time! Of course there's always my self-satisfaction when I know I got a great shot, but down the line I'll look at it thinking it wasn't all that great...but then I know I'm improving!
I think your philosophical question comes down to, "What is happiness?".Regardless of the activity anyone is involved in (in this case photography), I believe happiness comes from contributing to something that is greater than yourself. If you are sensing that your happiness and satisfaction from the photos is dwindling, than maybe you can try using your Wildlife photography skills to spread happiness to other people, and thus find happiness in that?
Maybe give small seminars on the tips of wildlife photography, or even find a local bird store and offer them a large print of bird images captured in their bird watching garden for free.
Strobist David Hobby said at the FlashBus Seminar, that "Volunteer work" and "Karma" will always have greater return than cumulating any amount of small paid gigs (paraphrasing)... People will be more inclined to return to you, or displaying your images at their shop knowing what you did was out of good will than pay.
You may find happiness this way, and all the while increasing your chance of landing yourself a job offer from a publisher who just happened to see your large print hanging from a local bird shop! [;)]
You just never know what will land in your lap, so mind as well get your work out there for people to see even if it means you'll be losing in the short run!
In my professional life, I am asked daily to combine art/aesthetics and technology as effectively as possible, and I think that photography speaks both to my artistic side and my techno-geek side. I love the challenge of trying to capture what I see as the beauty in every day life with a tool that is so technologically advanced.
I just wish I had more time and resources to devote to it. The economic downturn has put a serious crimp in my ability to acquire new lenses, and there are several things I want to explore, like birding and macro photography, which unfortunately I will have to wait until better times to be able to pursue.
...to meet chicks!
but seriously folks, i love photography because it pushes me to become better and better. being fairly new to this craft (no, i am not one of those guys who