Since I'm not a "professional photographer", I have to squeeze in my photography on weekends, evenings, etc. I never scout out locations as some have the ability to do, coming back at the perfect time and in the perfect conditions. So most of the time, I have to take advantage of whatever I find. I look at my surroundings and if something strikes my eye, I look closer to see if there's an image there. Rarely do I have a preconceived image in mind. As for what makes me take the image...not sure really. Most of the time the subject just evokes a feeling, or I see an interesting pattern that I want to capture. Whatever it is, I enjoy the peaceful time alone in nature, and feel rewarded when I capture something that makes me happy.
Articulating what motivates us, regardless of the endeavor, is not an easy thing to do. But that's why you ask these questions: To get us to think!
My short answer is: The scene has to speak to me and sing a nice tune that moves my soul, and enriches my spirit. Rarely do I have a preconceived notion of a particular photograph. Rather, through seeing a place, I will usually see something that moves me, and then I will visualize what I want the appearance of the final print to be. I may set up and make the image right then, or come back later when conditions of light, weather, etc. are condusive to achieving my visualization.
Good question! I look forward to hearing what others have to say.
You don't take a photograph, you make it. --Ansel Adams
As Pretson alluded to, the answer is so personal that it may not even be applicable from one person to the next. Nothing is inherently beautiful or attractive, these are qualities we assign to things based our individual preference, life experiences, emotional make up, etc. - a conglomerate of factors that make each of us unique.
For example I remember one occasion when I was out with a professional photographer. We came upon a scene made up of a tangled mess of colorful willows and grasses. Both of us thought it was beautiful but as I began to set up my gear I noticed he was just watching me. When I asked "aren't you going to photograph this?" his response was "it's nice but who the hell will buy a picture of it?".
I was stumped since this factor never enters my decision of whether something is worth capturing or not.
Guy
Posted by Jerry Greer on December 3, 2006 at 12:36 PM
Guy,
I can really remember back when I first started shooting when I might've said the same thing! I was shooting for stock early in my career I was focused on selling because I wanted to make a living out of photography full-time and I can understand his thoughts. I would get so many requests that I didn't have and I spent most of my time shooting for the editors. Then I decided to put together my first book Appalachia - The Southern Highlands and my life was somewhat changed from that point on. I took me about 5 years and a view camera to get out of the "stock photographer" mindset. I'm now having so much fun with my career and I can shoot as I see fit. I'm now more focused on the books and calendars with a more conservation focus. Our first release comes in May of 2007 with my business partners first big book on the Chesapeake Bay. It is focused on the presevation movement with essay's from a prominant Bay area writer and has the blessing of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (140,000 members strong). My next project will be in Spring 2008 focused on my home, the Blue Ridge region, with essay's from very prominate Blue Ridge writer as well.
Over the past few years my photos have been entirely motivated by my love of the mountains where I was born and raised. I'm having so much fun with this new focus!
Posted by Jack Graham on December 3, 2006 at 1:11 PM
I like to photograph for a number of reasons. No matter if its a landscape or a macro shot of a flower, sometimes becoming part of the subject itself is important to me. Photographing makes that happen. I also enjoying trying to recreate a feeling of place by trying to capture the subject in an image, as close to reality as possible. I also like to learn about where I may be photographing as well as the subjects themselves. Living the "art" to me is primary and all that that encompasses. Transmitting that through a photograph for myself and onto others makes it even more special.
Heck just being "there" sometimes is the best also, even if the lights not perfect, or you don't come away with that perfect image. Its just plain great fun to enjoy nature!
JG
Posted by Richard Wong on December 3, 2006 at 4:17 PM
I generally shoot when I feel motivated. Sure there's times when I just go out to shoot just for shooting's sake but those times are uninspired. When I go shooting generally is when I have a pre-conceived notion of what images I want to capture. I try to time my arrivals to coincide with when I think I may be able to get those images. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But if I find something better or different then I'll do that too. I don't understand that mindset of not shooting something just because it might or might not sell. How can you tell if something will sell or not anyway? I know a few photographers like that, and I just shake my head. Shoot for the love of shooting, not for the love of money. Only once so far have I shot something for a submission, which did sell by the way, but that was because I wanted to add those shots to my collection already anyway. I woudln't have done that if I didn't have an interest in that subject.
photography is a form of therapy for me. My personal life is a messy thing, so shooting takes me away from that stuff.
Posted by David Senesac on December 3, 2006 at 5:47 PM
So someone has ventured out on a photography exploration seeking to take pictures with their camera. A number of scenarios for anyone. Sometimes one has a plan. For instance fresh snow just fell so they've driven down to a location they've been before where a group of picturesque firs on a small hill can be nicely isolated with their white coats of fresh snow up in the blue sky. Another person wakes up at dawn checks the weather forecast on the internet which shows winds will be exceptionally calm that day so races out with gear to a small pond they've been trying to capture a calm reflection image at. Sometimes there is not much a plan.
A person hikes down a trail during a mid summer morning they have never visited nor know anything about. They use all their past understandings of the specific natural environments they walk through and the strategy to photograph such in order to focus in their awareness more efficiently. They see a deer in a meadow, quickly evaluate an unobtrusive spot behind a nearby tree that puts the animal in good light with a reasonable background, and move to that spot to take a shot. Later they walk down the trail crossing an aesthetic stream landscape with wildflowers but because they usually don't take pictures of that kind of image, walk right past after a quick glance that doesn't register. They walk by a small meadow covered with many wildflowers. So many, so close together they are bewildering as individuals. They notice a wide landscape of the meadow won't work because of an awkward dim background and move on. Another photographer comes by a bit later and because they specialize in wildflower closeups, break out a big smile and immediately drop their gear then slowly begin methodically daintily walking about scanning the little wildlfowers until they notice a couple side by side of different complementary colors where they can isolate the background against the shadow of a nearby log. Some time later yet another couple people with little digital cameras venture along the trail to the meadow and walk all over taking quick shots of everything that catches their fancy including pictures of each other standing in front of the flowers. They have been blazing away with their cameras since leaving their cars having quite the fun time.
About late morning David rumbles up the trail with all his heavy gear. His big camera is still buried deep inside his pack though has seen something worth coming back for at the stream under different conditions. Just above the trail from the hop across rocks, some aspen rise up that might be framed behind a stream foreground. He looked at the forest skyline noticing how early afternoon sun might illuminate the area and from the topo sees how that orientation is likely to work in the fall too so pulled out his little digital camera and snapped a handheld reference shot to review later. David reaches the wildflower meadow and drops his gear. He slowly moves about filtering through each item that catches his eye with an array of ideas and possibillities. He notes a little bombhole in the meadow grass in front of a log where someone apparently took a picture of something? Ah a couple of nice wildflowers! He gets closer bending down to put his head just where the camera lens might work from. It'll work for me too haha as he digs out the 300mm. ...David
Jerry, on the other hand I have at least 2 friends who photograph professionally and who come to Utah frequently to satisfy their own creativity. They always tell me they will never be able to sell images from here in their home markets and are happy to "shoot for themselves" while they're here.
Guy
Posted by Tony Kuyper on December 3, 2006 at 8:50 PM
Light. Just light.
Posted by Jerry Greer on December 3, 2006 at 8:53 PM
I do the same when I go to Colorado! I've shot there many times after I moved back and never sold a thing.
Posted by Dan Baumbach on December 3, 2006 at 9:06 PM
Youssef,
I love to hike and explore places. I'd much rather do that without a camera because I don't want to carry the weight and I just love to be out in nature. If I had an agenda to find a photograph, then it would ruin the simple enjoyment of just being there.
I'm constantly being stopped in my tracks by something that grabs me. Sometimes it's just seeing a wild animal. Other times it's a beautiful scene. If I find a beautiful scene, I'll try to frame it with my hands and see if I can capture what moves me in a photograph. Most of the time I find something in the scene that doesn't work or seeing the three dimensional scene in front of me in 2D with one eye closed, it just looks jumbled and busy. Sometimes, though, I think I can make a photograph there and then I make it a point to come back with my camera when I think the light would be appropriate.
That's the way I like to work if I can. However there are times like this weekend where we were driving into Yosemite. The rocks in the Merced river with covered with a white frost and on the opposite bank were these reddish brown leaves on the rocks and these beautiful tree trunks with the same reddish brown leaves on them . Here I just had to stop the car and take a photo. But once we were settled in Yosemite, I walked around just enjoying the scenery without cameras just like I do in my local watershed.
- Dan.
Posted by Ed Dubois on December 3, 2006 at 9:41 PM
Neat question Youssef. In the distant past I've worked as a freelance photographer and had to photograph what the customer wanted and/or what I could sell. Now I shoot for my own pleasure although I still sell images when asked to. I think now my motivation is primarily to record what I see in a way that will please me! I realize that's very egocentric but that's what drives me. Being retired and having the luxury of photographing only what pleases me and when is a real pleasure.
In the past I've had numerous opportunities to photograph all sorts of things: one situation that comes to mind was the opportunity to do a ride-along with the local police and spend a night shift photographing in our local skid road. I turned that down because I prefer to photograph the beautiful aspects of nature rather than the challenges of the human condition though I did do that years ago.
Occasionally I do go out after a specific bird with a particular situation or type of lighting in mind. More frequently I go out to see what can be found and I try to be open to whatever presents itself in the avian world. So I guess my ultimate motivation is to create images that please me although I do like it when others like my photos too.
Wonderful question, Youssef! It comes up every time I try to write an "artist's statement" for a show or to explain it again to myself (which I find less and less necessary!) I have written a few artist's statements by now and they're all a little different. Probably evolved with time or with a particular subject being featured.
Most of the time I go out with my gear and drive and walk and wait to see what grabs me. I take a look at the weather/lighting and consider what subjects would look best. I have a few very favorite places that I return to often. In that case, again depending on the light I might look for a certain shot, previsualized, only because I know the area well. But that never prevents me from stopping in my tracks when I see something unplanned that makes me say, "Whoa!" Then when I get behind the viewfinder, and if what I see makes a huge grin come on my face, I stay and shoot everything I can until I think I've exhausted the scene. And I make mental notes about coming back at different seasons, in different types of light, different times of day. When I'm on a trip, where I may not have the luxury to return at all, that's quite different. More time goes into just spending as much time as I can at certain places before I have to move on and looking for subjects and compositions appropriate to the light. And I've been known to change my travel schedule if I have the freedom to do it. I feel so lucky, so fortunate to be able to do what I want when it comes to what and how I shoot. Basically for me it comes down to the right subject in the right light that makes me stop in my tracks and say WOW! Then I go for it.
Posted by William Vrolyk on December 4, 2006 at 10:48 AM
Youssef, what compels me to take that photograph? The same reason that compels you and everyone else here. Simply because we have been granted the gift of creativity. Anyone who is creative, be it a writer, an artist, a sculptor, or a carver, or woodworker, has an in-born need to express it in his/her chosen field. Photography is just another way of doing so.
So when I take that photo I am satisfying my creative urge. I go out to create beautiful images; I do not have anything specific in mind before I go; only a general idea dictated by the environment I will find myself in. I will know it when I see it. I will then decide when is the right time to take it.
I think you're right. Up until this answer of yours I was still wondering. Because It still a strange thing to me, I have an image there in my camera and I stop and wonder if I should push the shutter. There is this little urging inside of me this little anticipatory feeling of capturing something that moves me, that I don't really know where it comes from yet. Is it just caprice, is it avarice, is it concern, is it perservation?
I am interested in understanding what drives me to snap that shutter. I think what you said has come closeest to what I was looking for, but none the less everyone elses replies have also rung true with me as well. I do just loev being out in the world, the wilderness, camera or not. Although these days when I am without a camera, I do feel 'naked' in some sense or feel like I have missed an opportunity that can never be repeated. Earlyier this year I took the family camping and purposely left my camera behind. Come the next morning at sunrise, we had some very delicious light in among the trees and I just stood there and watched as this knawing boiled inside of me for leaving my camera behind. In my desparation to capture this light I grabbed my wife's P&S digtial and started makeing compositions. Were they useable for anything - no - and my wife ended up deleting them before I had a chance to down load them. Am I sorry that happened - no. But I started wondering what that was - why I needed to photograph at that moment. Earlier yet this year I went out to a location I visit regularly with the intent of making a photo. I wandered for about a mile and nothing jumped out at me. As sunset approached, I found myself a nice vantage point and just watched, and refused to take out my camera as I was not happy that I could not find a nice composition. However within 10 minutes one of the most vivid sunsets from that location started to materialize and I quickly set up the camera and made some exposures. Would I have been happy not photographing it, probaly as my mindset was not on photography, but I am much happier that I did get it. So again, I started wondering why I needed to.
Lately, I have been feeling in somewhat of a slump and even considered stopping this photography thing, don't know why when it brings me such joy. Ah the woes of the pysche.
Youssef, I can relate to much of what you said. I too feel this twinge of regret when I try "discipline" myself and enjoy the natural world around me without the need to photograph it. I fail miserably in this as I find myself composing images mentally. So in effect I am "photographing" anyway. The world around me is just too inspiring. Sometimes nothing jumps out at you right away but persevere and it will come. It is actually easier to suppress the urge to photograph by not going out at all. I haven't been going out much lately, perhaps it is the night shift I work that is the cause, and now I am venting my need to create through painting.
Discussion
16 repliesWhat makes you take that photo of whatever it is your are photographing?
I mean did you have that in mind? Were you after some preconcived image that you wanted? Did something move your heart?
What is the driver behind you clicking that shutter release? What makes you do it?
Articulating what motivates us, regardless of the endeavor, is not an easy thing to do. But that's why you ask these questions: To get us to think!
My short answer is: The scene has to speak to me and sing a nice tune that moves my soul, and enriches my spirit. Rarely do I have a preconceived notion of a particular photograph. Rather, through seeing a place, I will usually see something that moves me, and then I will visualize what I want the appearance of the final print to be. I may set up and make the image right then, or come back later when conditions of light, weather, etc. are condusive to achieving my visualization.
Good question! I look forward to hearing what others have to say.
-PB
As Pretson alluded to, the answer is so personal that it may not even be applicable from one person to the next. Nothing is inherently beautiful or attractive, these are qualities we assign to things based our individual preference, life experiences, emotional make up, etc. - a conglomerate of factors that make each of us unique.
For example I remember one occasion when I was out with a professional photographer. We came upon a scene made up of a tangled mess of colorful willows and grasses. Both of us thought it was beautiful but as I began to set up my gear I noticed he was just watching me. When I asked "aren't you going to photograph this?" his response was "it's nice but who the hell will buy a picture of it?".
I was stumped since this factor never enters my decision of whether something is worth capturing or not.
Guy
I can really remember back when I first started shooting when I might've said the same thing! I was shooting for stock early in my career I was focused on selling because I wanted to make a living out of photography full-time and I can understand his thoughts. I would get so many requests that I didn't have and I spent most of my time shooting for the editors. Then I decided to put together my first book Appalachia - The Southern Highlands and my life was somewhat changed from that point on. I took me about 5 years and a view camera to get out of the "stock photographer" mindset. I'm now having so much fun with my career and I can shoot as I see fit. I'm now more focused on the books and calendars with a more conservation focus. Our first release comes in May of 2007 with my business partners first big book on the Chesapeake Bay. It is focused on the presevation movement with essay's from a prominant Bay area writer and has the blessing of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (140,000 members strong). My next project will be in Spring 2008 focused on my home, the Blue Ridge region, with essay's from very prominate Blue Ridge writer as well.
Over the past few years my photos have been entirely motivated by my love of the mountains where I was born and raised. I'm having so much fun with this new focus!
Heck just being "there" sometimes is the best also, even if the lights not perfect, or you don't come away with that perfect image. Its just plain great fun to enjoy nature!
JG
photography is a form of therapy for me. My personal life is a messy thing, so shooting takes me away from that stuff.
A person hikes down a trail during a mid summer morning they have never visited nor know anything about. They use all their past understandings of the specific natural environments they walk through and the strategy to photograph such in order to focus in their awareness more efficiently. They see a deer in a meadow, quickly evaluate an unobtrusive spot behind a nearby tree that puts the animal in good light with a reasonable background, and move to that spot to take a shot. Later they walk down the trail crossing an aesthetic stream landscape with wildflowers but because they usually don't take pictures of that kind of image, walk right past after a quick glance that doesn't register. They walk by a small meadow covered with many wildflowers. So many, so close together they are bewildering as individuals. They notice a wide landscape of the meadow won't work because of an awkward dim background and move on. Another photographer comes by a bit later and because they specialize in wildflower closeups, break out a big smile and immediately drop their gear then slowly begin methodically daintily walking about scanning the little wildlfowers until they notice a couple side by side of different complementary colors where they can isolate the background against the shadow of a nearby log. Some time later yet another couple people with little digital cameras venture along the trail to the meadow and walk all over taking quick shots of everything that catches their fancy including pictures of each other standing in front of the flowers. They have been blazing away with their cameras since leaving their cars having quite the fun time.
About late morning David rumbles up the trail with all his heavy gear. His big camera is still buried deep inside his pack though has seen something worth coming back for at the stream under different conditions. Just above the trail from the hop across rocks, some aspen rise up that might be framed behind a stream foreground. He looked at the forest skyline noticing how early afternoon sun might illuminate the area and from the topo sees how that orientation is likely to work in the fall too so pulled out his little digital camera and snapped a handheld reference shot to review later. David reaches the wildflower meadow and drops his gear. He slowly moves about filtering through each item that catches his eye with an array of ideas and possibillities. He notes a little bombhole in the meadow grass in front of a log where someone apparently took a picture of something? Ah a couple of nice wildflowers! He gets closer bending down to put his head just where the camera lens might work from. It'll work for me too haha as he digs out the 300mm. ...David
Guy
I love to hike and explore places. I'd much rather do that without a camera because I don't want to carry the weight and I just love to be out in nature. If I had an agenda to find a photograph, then it would ruin the simple enjoyment of just being there.
I'm constantly being stopped in my tracks by something that grabs me. Sometimes it's just seeing a wild animal. Other times it's a beautiful scene. If I find a beautiful scene, I'll try to frame it with my hands and see if I can capture what moves me in a photograph. Most of the time I find something in the scene that doesn't work or seeing the three dimensional scene in front of me in 2D with one eye closed, it just looks jumbled and busy. Sometimes, though, I think I can make a photograph there and then I make it a point to come back with my camera when I think the light would be appropriate.
That's the way I like to work if I can. However there are times like this weekend where we were driving into Yosemite. The rocks in the Merced river with covered with a white frost and on the opposite bank were these reddish brown leaves on the rocks and these beautiful tree trunks with the same reddish brown leaves on them . Here I just had to stop the car and take a photo. But once we were settled in Yosemite, I walked around just enjoying the scenery without cameras just like I do in my local watershed.
- Dan.
In the past I've had numerous opportunities to photograph all sorts of things: one situation that comes to mind was the opportunity to do a ride-along with the local police and spend a night shift photographing in our local skid road. I turned that down because I prefer to photograph the beautiful aspects of nature rather than the challenges of the human condition though I did do that years ago.
Occasionally I do go out after a specific bird with a particular situation or type of lighting in mind. More frequently I go out to see what can be found and I try to be open to whatever presents itself in the avian world. So I guess my ultimate motivation is to create images that please me although I do like it when others like my photos too.
Most of the time I go out with my gear and drive and walk and wait to see what grabs me. I take a look at the weather/lighting and consider what subjects would look best. I have a few very favorite places that I return to often. In that case, again depending on the light I might look for a certain shot, previsualized, only because I know the area well. But that never prevents me from stopping in my tracks when I see something unplanned that makes me say, "Whoa!" Then when I get behind the viewfinder, and if what I see makes a huge grin come on my face, I stay and shoot everything I can until I think I've exhausted the scene. And I make mental notes about coming back at different seasons, in different types of light, different times of day. When I'm on a trip, where I may not have the luxury to return at all, that's quite different. More time goes into just spending as much time as I can at certain places before I have to move on and looking for subjects and compositions appropriate to the light. And I've been known to change my travel schedule if I have the freedom to do it. I feel so lucky, so fortunate to be able to do what I want when it comes to what and how I shoot. Basically for me it comes down to the right subject in the right light that makes me stop in my tracks and say WOW! Then I go for it.
So when I take that photo I am satisfying my creative urge. I go out to create beautiful images; I do not have anything specific in mind before I go; only a general idea dictated by the environment I will find myself in. I will know it when I see it. I will then decide when is the right time to take it.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
I think you're right. Up until this answer of yours I was still wondering. Because It still a strange thing to me, I have an image there in my camera and I stop and wonder if I should push the shutter. There is this little urging inside of me this little anticipatory feeling of capturing something that moves me, that I don't really know where it comes from yet. Is it just caprice, is it avarice, is it concern, is it perservation?
I am interested in understanding what drives me to snap that shutter. I think what you said has come closeest to what I was looking for, but none the less everyone elses replies have also rung true with me as well. I do just loev being out in the world, the wilderness, camera or not. Although these days when I am without a camera, I do feel 'naked' in some sense or feel like I have missed an opportunity that can never be repeated. Earlyier this year I took the family camping and purposely left my camera behind. Come the next morning at sunrise, we had some very delicious light in among the trees and I just stood there and watched as this knawing boiled inside of me for leaving my camera behind. In my desparation to capture this light I grabbed my wife's P&S digtial and started makeing compositions. Were they useable for anything - no - and my wife ended up deleting them before I had a chance to down load them. Am I sorry that happened - no. But I started wondering what that was - why I needed to photograph at that moment. Earlier yet this year I went out to a location I visit regularly with the intent of making a photo. I wandered for about a mile and nothing jumped out at me. As sunset approached, I found myself a nice vantage point and just watched, and refused to take out my camera as I was not happy that I could not find a nice composition. However within 10 minutes one of the most vivid sunsets from that location started to materialize and I quickly set up the camera and made some exposures. Would I have been happy not photographing it, probaly as my mindset was not on photography, but I am much happier that I did get it. So again, I started wondering why I needed to.
Lately, I have been feeling in somewhat of a slump and even considered stopping this photography thing, don't know why when it brings me such joy. Ah the woes of the pysche.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada