Guilt and Photography

Guilt and Photography

  • Feel a sense of guilt

    Votes: 139 50.7%

  • not worry about it

    Votes: 135 49.3%
  • Total voters
    274
Yes maybe I should have used regret at missed compositions, I guess I thought of guilt as after spending 3 years studying photography I lost the urge. I only picked up the camera to make money, still got my mojo back.
 
I kind of feel guilty that after speed so much money on a M8 I just can't seem to find the same love or it as I do my M6.
 
The guilt aspect comes up when I compensate for lack of getting-out-there-and-taking-pics by buying more gear!
 
I replied "I feel some guilt" but the more accurate answer would be that I feel some frustration/guilt if I am not doing something Photography related. If I'm in the darkroom developing/printing, then it's usually fine.

I however feel guilty when the light is SO good but I do not manage to go shooting.

I'm pursuing other medias these days (drawing, metal sculpture) but Photography still is the most important. The other ones will still help in keeping the guilt away, but not completely... Life's complex sometimes :bang:
 
When you don't feel like shooting, don't! And when you feel like it, do! It is that simple!!:cool:

And feeling guilty about it a wast of time.....when it's not youre source of income, that is.
 
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My wife claims to hear shutter noises whenever a beautiful scene presents itself and I'm not packing. I am however getting better at not fretting over lost opportunities. Guilt however? Not on your life.
 
I don't know if I feel more guilty for not doing any photography these days or nothing at all (not even my school assignments). Today is should be a perfect day for photography, but I'm all up in my apartment scanning.. at least it's photography related
 
Be it Guilt or regret....

Be it Guilt or regret....

excellent said:
Heavy guilt. If I am not shooting I am not doing much in all other aspects of life. Shooting keeps me sane.
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+1
Sometimes I wish it would be different....
Í envy Dave Lackey and Roger for their way of seeing that particular problem
 
Right now I feel guilty that with the earthquake in Japan and the undoubtedly thousands of lives lost I can't help but wonder what this is going to do to availability and prices of Canon, Nikon and Cosina products.
 
al1966 said:
Do you go through periods where you don't take any pictures? and does that make you feel some form of guilt?
After I finished my degree I did not pick up a camera for over a month I felt guilty but also all photography-ed out.
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I feel guilt, but only to myself because I went to school for photography, did one more big project after I graduated, and then never picked up a camera again for another 5 years. So, more guilt because I let myself down and wasted time

However, as others have said there are pauses. I find now that less things actually interest me photographically. There are so many people out there capturing images (good and bad) that my not capturing them doesn't really mean anything anymore -- the days when only a few people took pictures to put them on display are over, thanks to Flikr, Facebook, MobileMe galleries, Picassa, etc. That said, I do get spontaneous urges to try new things, and usually make the time to go out and shoot them once I have an idea of what I want to shoot.

It could also be that I think in terms of a series, not a random photograph. I don't really carry a camera around with me everywhere now, because I don't want to amass a collection of random single images. I'd rather have an idea in mind and shoot a body of work around it.
 
Tendim, welcome to RFF! I think it's not so unusual for an intense study to result in turning away from that field after accomplishing the degree. I knew a guy with a degree in history who got thiiiiiis close to finishing his masters thesis too, but ended up working in a fast-food restaurant for 15 years, then died of pneumonia. Well, I think he just got fed up with history, and found no impulse to do anything related to it.

It seems that the long dedication to a goal, accomplishing the academic goal, speaks to some level of organization and persistence that should contribute to success even in an unrelated field.

Glad to hear your interest in photography has recovered somewhat! :)
 
I'm kind of on a "dry spell" now. Mostly cuz of lack of time, other things going on and such.
 
al1966 said:
Yes maybe I should have used regret at missed compositions, I guess I thought of guilt as after spending 3 years studying photography I lost the urge. I only picked up the camera to make money, still got my mojo back.
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There are always more compositions. Some days you see everything in pictures. Others you don't. As I said about the Rencontres at Arles:

After a while at Arles, you start to lose touch with reality and to see everything as pictures. Never mind the photographs at the literally countless exhibitions: the city itself becomes a parade of images. Shadows on the walls; people at work; graffiti; other photographers; warning signs; everything loses its everyday meaning, and becomes a sign, a symbol, a representation. There is a dreamlike quality to everything; you begin to understand why Vincent fell in love with the hard, clear Provençal light and painted the sunflowers, the starry night, and the Yellow House -- though the last is now a souvenir shop.

(From http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/arles 2008.html)

Cheers,

R.
 
al1966 said:
Do you go through periods where you don't take any pictures? and does that make you feel some form of guilt? <snip>
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Yes, I go through periods where I do not photograph. No, I feel no guilt. I have no obligation to photography and vice verso.

Actually I only photograph when I believe that is the best medium for conveying some message or emotion. Personally, I never photograph just to be photographing.

I concentrate on enjoying life. Sometimes it is via photography, sometimes not.
 
Bob Michaels said:
Yes, I go through periods where I do not photograph. No, I feel no guilt. I have no obligation to photography and vice verso.

Actually I only photograph when I believe that is the best medium for conveying some message or emotion. Personally, I never photograph just to be photographing.

I concentrate on enjoying life. Sometimes it is via photography, sometimes not.
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Dear Bob,

I sometimes wonder how old you have to be before you understand this. I'm slightly younger than you, but like you, I came to the same conclusion some years ago.

Slainté,

R.
 
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