Photographer or Enthusiast? The choice is...

[Ko.Fe.]

I have few projects which I like to print, frame and show somewhere. I guess, this is what classic photographers do. 🙂 To get prints on display it is required to have some socializing, not just print and frame. And it has to be certain things.
I went to see Joel Meyerowitz 10+K USD prints at one nice gallery in Toronto. It was some Meyerowitz street work and it was some his LF work. The mix feels strange. If you are photographer it has to be one thing. Street or Landscapes. Not some street and some landscapes.
Vivian Maier became famous for BW 6x6 from Rolleiflex camera. But she took nice landscapes on the Brownie and she took color 135 film for couple of decades.... Yet, she is known for the square bw street.
Ansel Adams did some portraits and they aren't impressive to me, comparing how Dorothea Lange did it for the same.

It looks like you could get your name assigned with photography only for one thing. Same like with local contractors. Some will do concrete patio, some wooden deck. Never both from same contractor.

But for photography enthusiast it is not the thing. Yes, some will take only one kind of pictures. But if you don't feel it this way, you don't have to.
Get into the macro with DSLR. Get into the sports with it. Try some family portraits with MF SLR, TLR and folders to see which one works best for you. Go on the street with film RF or digital P&S. Take this lonely tree picture on LF. This is the freedom in photography. To be enthusiast and even gearhead 🙂

 

[ian_watts]

It looks like you could get your name assigned with photography only for one thing

Not necessarily. There are many top rank photographers who have worked successfully in more than one 'genre': off the top of my head, Nadav Kander, Emmet Gowin, Salgado, Sally Mann, Eggleston, Pentti Sammallahti, Edward Weston.

If there is a tendency for the enthusiast/amateur to dabble in a wider range of photographic disciplines, I think it is often a consequence of having too much gear and having to find something to do with, for example, the fancy super-wide or exotic tilt/shift lens that they have just bought.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

If there is a tendency for the enthusiast/amateur to dabble in a wider range of photographic disciplines, I think it is often a consequence of having too much gear and having to find something to do with, for example, the fancy super-wide or exotic tilt/shift lens that they have just bought.

Not exactly the case for me. All I want is "to see how it looks like to be photographed". Not just something, but all. Personally, since 2008, I have tried to photograph almost anything and was buying gear to be able to photograph something I was interested in. Not buying gear and trying to figure out what to photograph with it 🙂

 

[Roger Hicks]

Not necessarily. There are many top rank photographers who have worked successfully in more than one 'genre': off the top of my head, Nadav Kander, Emmet Gowin, Salgado, Sally Mann, Eggleston, Pentti Sammallahti, Edward Weston.

If there is a tendency for the enthusiast/amateur to dabble in a wider range of photographic disciplines, I think it is often a consequence of having too much gear and having to find something to do with, for example, the fancy super-wide or exotic tilt/shift lens that they have just bought.

But how well known are they outside their "signature" genre?

A lot, too, depends on how you define genres.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Not exactly the case for me. All I want is "to see how it looks like to be photographed". Not just something, but all. Personally, since 2008, I have tried to photograph almost anything and was buying gear to be able to photograph something I was interested in. Not buying gear and trying to figure out what to photograph with it 🙂

YES!

Cheers,

R.

 

[jsrockit]

I went to see Joel Meyerowitz 10+K USD prints at one nice gallery in Toronto. It was some Meyerowitz street work and it was some his LF work. The mix feels strange. If you are photographer it has to be one thing. Street or Landscapes. Not some street and some landscapes.

Two totally different bodies of work from two different time periods... he's just lucky enough to have had a long career, change his style multiple times, and still be successful. Why be close minded to this?

 

[jsrockit]

If there is a tendency for the enthusiast/amateur to dabble in a wider range of photographic disciplines, I think it is often a consequence of having too much gear and having to find something to do with, for example, the fancy super-wide or exotic tilt/shift lens that they have just bought.

Or trying to find what you do well... or finding a style... or trying to do something different. If you think you already know what you are doing as a beginning amateur... that's most likely the worst thing someone can do who is trying to learn.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

...Why be close minded to this?

My first visit to Europe was to Montreux, Switzerland. On first day after arrival we walked into cafe. Our office lady lured us into it. Me and my work buddy demanded the beer! Waitress told us it is not the place where beer is, but tea.
Since then I've got the idea what it is not a good thing to mix beer and tea in small rooms.

 

[bmattock]

This seems to be a theme of yours.

It is really quite simple, you just do it. There is no instruction manual or right way to do it. But you have to have some form of motivation, nothing happens unless it happens.

How does one do anything?

This is essentially my take on it. I've always been somewhat mystified the need some seem to have to quantify, qualify, and characterize their 'work'. I have nothing against it - if that's what they need to feel attracted to photography, then I guess it's all good.

I just like to make photographs. I have many interests, photography is one of them. I've never questioned myself as to my rhymes or reasons. I don't seem to need any.

 

[BlackXList]

I work in two "genres" of photography.

They're very different, and both happened organically. I'd like to think practicing between the two helps improve each other.

As Photomoof put it, I just do it.