For me, it's an escape and an outlet.
I'm not good enough at anything to consider myself an "artist." I've played guitar for over 50 years and shot photography for over 40. In college, I entertained the idea of a career in photojournalism, but of course I was young and stupid, and thought of being a NatGeo photog, and not a picture-taker for a local newspaper. I did make money for a while, taking dog portraits at dog shows, but that probably quashed my professional dreams.
@ELNikkor put it beautifully: "an itch to preserve both the compositions I encounter, and the historical significance of my life's journey." 'Nuff said.
Like Jerry posted I to got my introduction into the art of photography at the early age of 8 or 9 years old my parents gave me a birthday gift a 127 Brownie camera which also came with development kit from Kodak a contact printer three trays and red lamp and chemicals, from film an to digital. It’s been a life long experience , in three week’s I’ll be 76 and still going but by the grace of God I will continue.
I started when I was stationed in Libya about 70 years ago because I was challenged by my surroundings. It continued when I went on in life.. I call my self a "picture taker" and still try to capture it in a way Norman Rockwell would do it. I don't compare my work to his but it is always my target.
Bob Mevis wrote:
I will. Yep a typo.
Now my turn....60-67...not 65
I was born from an amateur photographer (dad, dead
).
Always loved photography and it was a hard task to get the $$
for buying equipment and processing films.
At least, now, I can use a cheap camera to enjoy the light.
My mother was the family photographer. She used a 35mm Bell & Howell. When I graduated college, I was given a 35 mm Olympus, put the expense of film deterred me for almost 25 yrs. First digital camera was a Sony. I don't even remember models etc. Until 2 yrs ago I got my Nikon D7200 to photograph the last few yrs of my sons hockey and my girls high school activities. Now I'm doing some local photojournalism and whatever my eye sees.
I'm hoping to get a few opportunities to make some $$ to step up to full frame and better lenses. I'd like to find a paying hobby.
I love watching birds, but didn't like the label 'Bird Watcher'. So, I bought a camera and now I am a 'Photographer'.
Still a 'Bird Brain', but nobody calls me a 'Bird Watcher'.
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I was given a 127 Kodak Brownie camera when I was about 9 years old. I wanted to be like my dad, who had an old folding Kodak bellows camera that took 2 1/4x2 1/4 film. He took amazing slide of his adventures as a biologist in Alaska. Our family was an outdoors family and I developed a love for the outdoors, so I simply wanted to preserve some of it. I’m hardly an artist, as such, but I love taking pictures of the outdoors and flowers. I have no aspirations of selling photos or competing in photo contests, but on occasion I’ll share a photo for the benefit of others. And I just love cameras.
lilac wrote:
I had posted this question six years ago. I thought it would be fun to ask it again. I consider my photography as a journey. Why do you shoot and where do you want to go with it?
I think probably because I have never quite understood what "art" is. I look at the old masters and think how unfortunate they were not to have a DSLR to properly record what they saw. And then there are the other things other people hang on their walls. Pollock; I get the same effect after I paint a room. Picasso; I might pay $50 for the frame. I can, with my camera, far exceed any of these in creating what is better, in my opinion (which is the only one which counts, since it's my wall I'm hanging it on). I would like to continue traveling and photographing, with the aim of getting better at selecting, framing, and post processing more attractive (to me) photographs. When others seem to like them, that's just gravy.
I started taking pictures 65 years ago as a 4H project with some sort of a Kodak "box" camera and was hooked then and there. Had a camera within reach through 4 years USAF, two tours in Vietnam. Spent my adult life as an over the road trucker, camera with me all the time. I do not consider myself an artist, but a "craftsman". Been retired now for 13 years and find that I am a "gear head"; I enjoy updating my equipment on a regular basis. Have a Canon 70D and a 7D MkII and a selection of lenses, but I'm about to buy the 90D. Will trade in the 70D. My challenge now is to turn the mundane into a "WOW" image.
I really don't know why . Just got sucked in , like Jerry, its the technology but after about 5 years of being a bad photographer , I am looking more at the lighting and creative stuff, This has confirmed that I am a bad photographer .
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