Do you only photograph people? If so, why?

[boomguy57]

I find people interesting, frankly. When I don't have a camera with me (which is rare), I "people-watch" constantly. I am fascinated with how people behave when they forget people are watching. The interaction among people, and people and their environment, in public spaces is a particular interest of mine.

I don't think of what I shoot as "beautiful", but rather "interesting". I'm not always sure why, but when I feel compelled to press the shutter release, I just go with it and think about it later (although sometimes I think before shooting, too). I spend too much time thinking in my career, and I need photography to connect me to the world emotionally. Emotion can be borne out in any photograph, regardless of the subject matter, if done well. It depends on the audience, I suppose, and how they internalize your art. For me, people move me and connect with me emotionally in photographs, but it takes a mighty special landscape to forge an emotional connection with me. Suppose that's why I shoot people.

That said, 90% of my photography is of my beautiful wife and son.

 

[celluloidprop]

50/50 people/things, I think.

My theory is that every 'story' you can tell has been told (applies to photography, writing, etc.) - man only seems to have so many narratives. So setting out to create a great photograph or tell a great story built on preconceived notions and ideas is often going to fail.
But the story of individuals (whether yourself or others) is unique - no one has ever loved the person you love like you do, no one has ever had to sit through your morning commute or eaten your lunch at the place you sit.
Those stories are often told via portraits/photographs of people, but they can just as well be told via inanimate objects.

 

[hausen]

I probably only shoot people 5% of the time and have recently decided I should start to shoot people a lot more. Just love my Xpan and seem to be out shooting Landscapes and cityscapes mainly. Bought a 50 Summicron lately for my M9 and have had some awesome shots of people wide open and really want to do more.

 

[Richard G]

Not only people. In fact people less in the last 12 months. Reminds me of the worst words in photography thread. Grandmother: "Why are you taking photographs of people you don't even know?" This is true of me, but she could level this one more often lately: "What is the point of taking a photograph of that?" and especially: "Why do you keep taking photographs of the same thing?"

 

[River Dog]

Here's my answer from around 1910. Wouldn't be the same without the people.

... but then again, this one is my favourite without people (from the winter of 2010)

 

[paulfish4570]

what are people?

 

[mathomas]

what are people?

Exactly! I know you're joking, but I'm really not a people person and have always more or less avoided shooting people (and many of the people around me don't want to be shot). So, I took up the 100 Strangers photo project on flickr, and thus am expanding my horizons.


100 strangers: victoria (44/100) by mike thomas, on Flickr


.

 

[jsrockit]

Exactly! I know you're joking, but I'm really not a people person and have always more or less avoided shooting people (and many of the people around me don't want to be shot). So, I took up the 100 Strangers photo project on flickr, and thus am expanding my horizons.


100 strangers: victoria (44/100) by mike thomas, on Flickr

.

Very cool. 🙂

 

[candidcameraman]

Do you only photograph people? If so, why?

Only..? no, that would be limiting... Mainly, yes. I mainly shoot people because I find people as a subject, principal or subordinate, in a photography way more multifaceted and interesting than a building or a landscape. They offer so many more possibilities, the trick is to capture people at point 'a' or at point 'b' as opposed to somewhere between two destination (Yet... Walker Evans' "Many are Called" shows people can be interesting at any point in the journey... there is never any absolute)

The moment everything changes is when you realize... what you are truly passionate about

 

[andredossantos]

Generally, I'm not much interested in people at all. It is a challenge to do "good" street photography so sometimes I will go out and try to get a decent shot in that genre.

My preferred form of photography is, I guess I would call it "abstract"? I do find that most people want other people in their pictures or don't consider non-people photos interesting. Also there is this notion that if you arent incorporating humanity into your photos than you're simply taking a bland landscape photo or you just aren't taking a great photo. I disagree but to each his own. To me, finding beauty or interesting scenes in places or things that most people avoid or find scary or ugly is what drives me to photograph.

 

[kossi008]

I would say I photograph people only about 20% of the time (but I haven't checked), and those are usually shots of immediate family and friends. Still working up to acquiring the courage to do true street photography.

As for beautiful, I sometimes photograph things that are downright ugly, simply because I find them interesting. Yiou could of course argue that the "ugly" things carry some inner beauty, too...

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Do you only photograph people? If so, why?

No. I know some people have the inclination to "focus" on only one thing (one film, one camera, one lens, one brand, one type of subject, one film format) and the pseudo-academic world adores that.

Also, there are professionals and freelancers who do one thing, and that's the one thing they do, just like in most professions. And that is why they are professionals.

But if the question is to those who are "non-professional", I can see the attraction to such curia.

 

[J. Borger]

I stopped shooting people for now because i have nobody to pose for me at hand and do not like to shoot events.
I love pictures of people but are completely bored with all the random shots of people walking up and down some streets or sitting in a bus somewhere flooding the forums. Completely tired of streetphotography as a genre for now.....

 

[jsrockit]

I do find that most people want other people in their pictures or don't consider non-people photos interesting. Also there is this notion that if you arent incorporating humanity into your photos than you're simply taking a bland landscape photo or you just aren't taking a great photo. I disagree but to each his own. To me, finding beauty or interesting scenes in places or things that most people avoid or find scary or ugly is what drives me to photograph.

Yes, yes, yes. That's my point. I've come accross many people who do not look at photos unless they are of people. I've also come along those who will only look at B&W film photos. I just cannot understand that really. However, I'm sure I do that sort of self-reduction in some other facet of my life, so, to each their own.

 

[jsrockit]

But if the question is to those who are "non-professional", I can see the attraction to such curia.

Well, my questions is regarding personal work... whether you are a working artist or a working stiff. 😉

 

[craygc]

95% people ...because I think Im basically just a frustrated documentary photographer :bang:

I find this view from photographer Susan Meiselas resonates very clearly with me as to why I shoot people, especially in Asia "The camera is an excuse to be someplace you otherwise don't belong. It gives me both a point of connection and a point of separation."

 

[jordanstarr]

...people are great and all and 90% of my work is of people, but I'm starting to move away. Mostly because it's more difficult, challenging and requires more thought to photograph people without photographing people. I'm currently working on a body of work that is about a group of people, but there's not a single human in the frame. Very difficult stuff.

My theory is that to be a great photographer, you need to be able to do things outside the "photographic obvious" (yes, a term I just made up). The "oh, here's a woman carrying a lot of shopping bags, that says something about consumerism" moments are great and all, but the artistic thought process is almost given to you and you have limited time and thought put into "capturing the moment". That's why so much street photography looks the same with only slight variation among serious amateurs -everyone is copying everyone else and photographers are limiting their own creativity. So, in short, I've opted to start exploring more things again, which is kinda where I started with photography.

 

[shadowfox]

I like to shoot people because the shots are most likely unique.

Everyone can go to Yosemite and make pretty much the same shots at the same spots.

Ah, but that's where you have to use your creativity.

Landscape photography to me is just as interesting as people photography.

 

[KM-25]

I like to shoot people because the shots are most likely unique.

Everyone can go to Yosemite and make pretty much the same shots at the same spots.

I disagree with you, I find that hardly anyone can go to a place like Yosemite and make a ground breaking image, you have to pretty much live in a place like that to even approach it, that is why I live where I live, subject / niche intimacy...

I photograph people, they are easy. The place, event or situation that has been photographed to death can often be what interests me the most, people in them or not.

 

[candidcameraman]

I stopped shooting people for now because i have nobody to pose for me at hand and do not like to shoot events.
I love pictures of people but are completely bored with all the random shots of people walking up and down some streets or sitting in a bus somewhere flooding the forums. Completely tired of streetphotography as a genre for now.....

There is street photography - which is special and then there is candid photography which is more of a pedestrian nature... 😉 And lowest down the totem pole in that genra there is ... event photography which is the least challenging and rewarding of them all - I appreciate them all, all kinds of photography. Street, non-street... I sell more architecture prints than any other kinds of prints.

Talking about street... since I already shared a sitting in transit capture here is a more pedestrian capture falling into the pedestrian category ...