In your personal work, do you photograph only what you like or do you photograph anything that you think will make an interesting photograph (regardless of your feelings for the subject)?
Do you photograph only what you like?
- Thread starter jsrockit
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thegman
Veteran
Mostly the latter, if I only photographed what I liked, then I wouldn't take any photographs. I like nature, not much of that in London.
paulfish4570
Veteran
i'll take option "B."
astro8
Well-known
Only what I like.
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
I usually like anything I think will make an interesting photograph...so would that fit in "only what you like"?
Elektrojänis
Established
I like stuff that I find interesting.
I guess my point is that some people only photograph objects, scenes, people, they find interesting... so it becomes a picture of that thing they find interesting. Others will photograph anything only hoping to make an interesting photograph. One may photograph garbage. Most probably don't like garbage, but if taken the right way, it could yield a great photo.
jippiejee
Well-known
I just want the frame to be filled in a way I find pleasing. Could be a subject that in itself I don't care about much.
astro8
Well-known
I photographed a dirty sink. I don't like dirty sinks, but it interested me so i photographed it....where does that fit in?
In the latter category. It interested you photographically because you thought it could make a good photo.
menthel
Not very good...
Interest for me. Wildlife with my digital kit and my family and the world as it passed by with my film kit.
astro8
Well-known
Yes, but...I may see a lot of things that I think will make an interesting photograph but i don't care for the subject so I don't photograph it. Mmm...maybe I do like dirty sinks 😕
FrankS
Registered User
If it will make an interesting photograph, I like it.
Elektrojänis
Established
I actually do something quite close. I find rusty things interesting ang like to photograph such things. Do I like them... Kind of hard to say. In a way I do. But then I don't really want to let things rust/decay but many times when they just do, they get textures that are far more interesting than what those things were when they were new. Additionally decaying/rusty things tell far more stories than new stuff does.
Actually I also photograph some garbage I don't like for documenting them. Usually it's something that somebody has dumped in a wrong place (mostly broken/old consumer electronics). Hmmm... This means that sometimes I photograph things because I don't like them.
Hmmm... This is interesting. You got me thinking this on more abstract level than I usually do.
dave lackey
Veteran
With film, I only photograph what I like. That includes ugly things because I may like the resulting image as either an interesting image or part of a documentary effort. What I absolutely will not shoot is a better question IMO.
So, why would I shoot anything and everything? I passed that stage long ago. I have tens of thousands of digital images and meaningless snapshots over the last 40 years that, looking back, were a complete waste of time and money. Nowadays, digital images are cheap enough for experimenting and I have had a lot of success doing things just to see what the image would look like if done a certain way. Then, I delete everything that doesn't pass my editing preferences.
Even with digital, if I can't put it in a "body of work" category, or if it isn't something that I absolutely think has merit, I either avoid shooting an image or delete it immediately. Life is too short to go through thousands of images to find a good one to look at from days past.:angel:
Editing is really hard but easier to do up front.
Why wouldn't you photograph it if you think it'll make a good photo? Is it because it doesn't fit into your plan or project?
I guess I'm trying to make a distinction between:
(1) taking photos to celebrate a person or object because it is interesting in some way other than only being photographically interesting. You could be into old cars (driving, collecting, etc). You are photographing them primarily because you like old cars. It's a record of the object because you enjoy the object on many levels.
and
(2) photographing anything because it'll make an interesting photo. You may not care about old cars other than the fact that they might result in an interesting photograph.
I'm not claiming one is more relevant than the other by the way.
mfunnell
Shaken, so blurred
And maybe I do too. Or maybe not. This photo made perfect sense in a certain context. But without the context does it still make sense? And whether it does or doesn't, is it a good photograph? If it makes sense? But not otherwise... In the original context? But not outside that...
Interesting questions. Perhaps. And it's still a dirty sink. Did I like the sink? Or the questions it raised when I saw it? Whether I "liked" what I saw, or not, for whatever value of "like" you like?
...Mike
Charlie Lemay
Well-known
Bodies, trees antique cars... they're all just atoms in the light. We can make whatever we can imagine from them, and in the process learn all about the being we are who notices what we notice.
dave lackey
Veteran
Yes, and everyone is different. If someone likes taking photos of manhole covers, fine with me. If someone likes taking photos of the traffic on I-285 around Atlanta, they can knock themselves out.
It is of no interest to me. At this stage in my life, I have a better knowledge of what I want to spend my time, energy and money on when it comes to photography and snapshots are not it.:angel:
Film images are expensive for me. Digital images are soul-less for the greater part and I keep my life as simple as possible these days. Creating interesting digital images is stimulating. Taking snapshots doesn't work for me unless the motif is interesting in itself, serves a purpose in an image or I am just plain experimenting with technique.
For example, a successful experiment with digital (IMO anyway, because I don't care what anyone else thinks about this image, it was made at one of my project construction sites):
Did I take photos of entire machines and/or abstracts of these machines? Yes, but they did not make the edit because either I did not like the image or I felt that the experiment failed.
So, it really is subjective to each person. We are all different and that is a wonderful thing!🙂
Attachments
Lord Nikon
Shoots Leica
90% 'cause I like it, 10% 'cause it will make an interesting photo
Dave:
I like that photo. If I was there I would have shot it 🙂
Dave:
I like that photo. If I was there I would have shot it 🙂
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