The most enjoyable stage...

[ItsReallyDarren]

Everyday doesn't go by without feeling a strong desire to take pictures. Pictures of anything. Something simple as the arrangement of holiday trinkets in the lobby of my work that I find amusing to something that captures my imagination such as driving past a multi acre construction site filled with roaming tractors early in the morning.

Feeling regret when I choose to leave my camera behind when I have to rush out the door. Feeling even more regret with I come across something interesting right after I leave the camera behind.
Happiness comes from just being present and taking a picture of what I see.

Developing and seeing the image again for the first time brings a wide smile of satisfaction. But a smile not as big as the act of photographing itself.

And then comes the print, seeing the image laid out in front of my eyes again on a larger piece of paper. And another large smile comes but this one is different from taking the picture or bringing the picture into existence. It's a smile of satisfaction, of relief and hard work that brought the image into a larger world.

All three smiles make my day but not as big as the first. The act of photographing itself.

What brings the most joy? From the moment of grasping the camera to the moment of viewing the end result, however medium it may exist in?

 

[nikon_sam]

For me it's when I see the image after developing the film...when I'm hanging the roll up to dry...that's the moment when I find out if I got the shot...just yesterday I developed two rolls of 120 (B&W)...It had been awhile since shooting these two rolls so I forgot what was on them...I saw a shot of the L.A. city hall with pigeons flying in the foreground...one shot/one frame was all I got for this image (not knowing when these birds would regroup and do another fly-by...)
After the film dried I got a better look at the images and was happy to see that this one turned out like I was hoping it would...
I get joy while shooting and when I see a final print but seeing the neg for the first time and knowing I did my part right (focus, composition, exposure, developing film) is when I get the most joy...

 

[peterm1]

I think I am unusual. I actually enjoy the process of digital post processing. Seeing that lovely image emerge, quite often from something that is really very mundane is a joy. I imagine that had I the where withall to have an analogue film lab and the skills to use it I may have felt somewhat the same when shooting exclusively in film too. I usually am not content with images as they appear straight from the camera. They always warrant some meddling by me even if its just basic processing like noise reduction and sharpening. But many get more than this and to tell the truth in some ways its actually more satisfying to me than the actual picture taking process which God knows, I love too. I think its because it is only then that I actually see the image in all its potential.

 

[Krzys]

I enjoy the act of photography more than anything, even the results.

 

[amateriat]

For me, it varies. I generally take pleasure in the entire process, starting at the moment of recognition, "previsualization", whatever it is that happens just before I reach for the camera at hand. There's so much that happens in that process alone, yet it happens so quickly.

Sometimes (with conventional black-and-white film) I do the developing myself, and that's enjoyable in and of itself...I only reconnected with that part a few years ago. All the color stuff gets sent out, but then it comes back for me to edit, scan, edit some more, sit on and ponder, look at again, make test prints, sit on a while longer, then decide if it's "good enough" to present. It's all process, and it's all good. So many things come into play here, more than I can get into right now. I call it a sweet alchemy.


- Barrett

 

[Morca007]

The act, for sure, but it's not a complete action until I've at least developed, scanned, and post-processed my initial keepers (long term? probably not).
There isn't a feeling comparable to knowing you've nailed a shot the instant you trip the shutter, except perhaps its' twin, seeing you didn't upon looking at the negs. 😛

 

[Roger Hicks]

Framing the picture and pressing the shutter release.

Coming back to the picture, months or years later, and thinking, "Hey, I'm really not too bad at this, sometimes."

Cheers,

R.

 

[cnphoto]

like the OP, it's each part.

I do enjoy looking over the prints of those image I am most proud of, I think that is the most satisfying part. But with my Leica M's, I sometimes find myself shooting junk photos every 10 or so images if I havn't shot a photograph for a few days, just to the sake of taking a photo. I just love using the cameras.

 

[Neare]

Pressing the shutter knowing what you just took was perfect, you don't even need to see it to know it is going to be a great shot. That is my biggest satisfaction in photography.

 

[gho]

For me there are two main enjoyable stages.

1. Pressing the button and knowing that this could be a potentially good one.

2. Opening the tank and having a look at the negatives.

I mostly scan my negatives, but I would like to expand into printing. The few times I did it I really enjoyed seeing the picture appear in the developer bath.

 

[coelacanth]

For me there are two main enjoyable stages.

1. Pressing the button and knowing that this could be a potentially good one.

2. Opening the tank and having a look at the negatives.

I mostly scan my negatives, but I would like to expand into printing. The few times I did it I really enjoyed seeing the picture appear in the developer bath.

Ditto. I enjoy both of them every single time.

The moment picture shows up on paper in darkroom joins the list above, though.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

My cameras, photography, getting prints back, and sharing them has simply become an integral part of our family outings. Nikki is the same way, wanting to bring her Digital camera, Leica Mini, or Nintendo DSi with her.

 

[Keith]

Recently I've come to realise that another very special moment in the process is handing someone a print and having them go "wow, I love it!"

I bumped into a friend yesterday I haven't seen for a while ... last time I visited her I took some pics of her very cute grand daughter who is around three or four. My mission today, because I'm not working, is to print out the nicest shot and go and give it to her as a late Xmas present!

 

[gho]

Nikki is the same way, wanting to bring her Digital camera, Leica Mini, or Nintendo DSi with her.

Nice. I do not know who Nikki is, but an interesting present for the Nintendo afficionado could be a Gameboy classic with a gameboy camera module (2-bit digital for the purist). It is a bit difficult to get the images out there though, if you do not have the proper printer.

 

[coelacanth]

Checking out pics right while drying off is also enjoyable moment. It's right there but I can't touch!! 😀

 

[Chris101]

Nice. I do not know who Nikki is, but an interesting present for the Nintendo afficionado could be a Gameboy classic with a gameboy camera module (2-bit digital for the purist). It is a bit difficult to get the images out there though, if you do not have the proper printer.

Olivia, my 9 year old, loves her DSi, and the built-in camera (actually there are two, one facing outward and one inward) are her favorite part. It's got face recognition, which it uses to put either googly eyes, or a handlebar mustache on the face (if you so choose. I always do.)

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My favorite part is when someone sees something in a photo I've made and strikes up a conversation about it, with me, or someone else.