What are your photographic aspirations?

[bean_counter]

Oooops Bean, this is not so simple to be left hanging in a single sentence as an every day issue.

Many many of the friends at RFF, me including, have mentioned this goal, or have it in mind. But you are the first I know about to be at the other side of the equation.

I mean you represent that son or daughter for whom we are working to show them "the world we knew".

Therefore it will be more than nice if you could expand in writing your feelings about getting such collection of images. Could you give us a deeper insight here ?

Consider too that many of us, assembling that legacy, may have wild things in our mind, disconnected from reality. So what do you see in that collection and what other members of your family see there ?

Cheers,
Ruben

Hello Ruben,

hmmmm.... for me, perhaps the most insightful learning was that inadvertently leaving the lens cap on is apparently hereditary

The "legacy" as such is accidental; my father is a hobbyist, and he likes to take photos of things that are important to him - tourist travels, family gatherings, etc. A snapshot shooter, but with a sense of photography and a great camera. I have a mini family "history" through his eyes. I can see my older/deceased relatives as younger men/women, and I can see where/how they lived.

Lots of family photos and local and travel landscapes. More than just a few cheesey tourist traps (my current avatar is my re-creation of a shot he took 30-40 years ago). A few cultural items tucked in. Nothing "artsy", no street photography. Just a visual commentary on what was important in his life. Not too many rolls - after all, Kodachrome was VERY pricey for a working man, and he really didn't care for prints, color or B&W. Actually, digital is a good fit for him. My fear is the images won't last like the Kodachrome.

I guess I have a sense of history, and I appreciate the collective result. My family likes it as well; it adds some visual references to the "old" family stories. And the summitar images are really special.

My next task is to get them scanned and documented; when he goes, I lose the narrative. It's a shame that since he took almost all the photos, there are few of him.

Now, if I could only shoot Kodachrome well without a meter like he did for 40 years...

 

[amateriat]

I've gotten to talk with quite a few well-known photographers, and discovered fairly early that the "fame and fortune" thing is a mixed bag, even in the off-chance that one's efforts get some real traction. Nonetheless, the idea of showing my work in some capacity hasn't gone away, and, this fall, I'm finally having a one-person show, and while I'm doing the shoestring-budget thing, I'm bullish on getting the word out on it. Expectations? Ask me in a month or two.

But whatever comes of this, I'll keep on picking up a camera.


- Barrett

 

[wray]

I just want to keep clicking while I'm still ticking!

 

[35mmdelux]

Van Gogh never showed anything.

 

[35mmdelux]

if it isn't compelling it isn't worth showing. we got the passion, we got the gear, what many of us need is the vision. without vision, its just another pretty picture.

 

[nrb]

Photography gives me pleasure, no doubt. But I'd like to leave behind a record of what I've seen in my living days. Be it a box full of negatives or a book.

 

[anoldsock]

It'd be nice to make just enough money to off set the cost...this hobby can get expensive

 

[ruben]

It has always been my opinion that a camera is a potentially very powerfull gun.

FrankS question comes at a point in my life where this gun is on my table, I am having a cup of coffee and am thinking as deep as possible.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[Matt White]

The world only exists because I photograph it. If I stopped, all of time, space, energy and mass would compress into pre-Big Bang nothingness. Billions of years of cosmological and bio-chemical evolution and millennia of human social, cultural and intellectual development would fold back into the pre-physical darkness of non-existence.

I would feel very guilty if I allowed that to happen.

Strangely, the poll doesn't have this option.

 

[anoldsock]

Whew! Thanks for keeping us around.

The world only exists because I photograph it. If I stopped, all of time, space, energy and mass would compress into pre-Big Bang nothingness. Billions of years of cosmological and bio-chemical evolution and millennia of human social, cultural and intellectual development would fold back into the pre-physical darkness of non-existence.

I would feel very guilty if I allowed that to happen.

Strangely, the poll doesn't have this option.

 

[Sparrow]

I’d like to continue to aspirate, but I’m not holding my breath

 

[pesphoto]

I aspire to find a few moments to shoot and make some prints.

 

[williams473]

My interest in photography is deeply tied to history - I discovered art as a creative outlet in college - prior to that I always loved snapping pictures, but didn't realize I could be expressive with it. I always thought I would be a writer/history teacher.

This is why my photography (and the photography I most enjoy) tends towards photojournalism in style. I must admit I envy artists who can fashion non representational and other-worldly creations with the camera, but for me, I am always pursuing a way to make images grounded in reality, but that go farther than journalism in expressing a subjective story, feeling or thought that may or may not actually be true to the subject - sort of like historical fiction. So even if an image might fall short aesthetically, it may serve as a valid historical reference in the future.

As someone else mentioned, I too find that working in projects is a way to stay on track - I try to find something I am interested in and start shooting. As I progress, visual and conceptual themes emerge, and what the project means to me begins to develop. By using a number of images to express an idea or theme, they don't all have to be my best image ever - just as certain passages in a novel are better or more interesting than others, they are all needed in the final piece, but they can vary in their strength.

So for me photography is much more than a hobby - I take it seriously enough to do it even when I don't feel like it, and I just have to smile at the folks who think it is snobby to feel that way. I hang a lot of quotes around the basement to keep me motivated, like "Do your work, and you shall reinforce yourself" (Thoreau I think.) Also, paraphrasing Diane Arbus, "The Chinese have a saying that you pass through boredom into fascination, and I think this is true. You just have to pick a subject, and just plain do it enough that it becomes interesting."

Where I seriously fall short is the marketing part of it - I have only about a show a year, if that. And honestly, I show for the gratification, not for money, although I would take the money of course. But it COSTS so much to show - with the mats and frames, making toned exhibition prints on fiber, signs and space and TIME. For a family man it's hard to justify the cost. And anyway, I don't think I really want to ignore my family the way I would have to to become famous, but I would like to find a knowledgeable market of appreciative people to show for. I don't get much pleasure from showing to people who don't appreciate how difficult it is to shoot a photo project, or who always want to know "Where is that?" or "What is that?" So, I guess I'm in it for the praise of my artistic peers if I had to boil all this blathering down to one sentence.

 

[swoop]

"In defense of ALL the younger kids on here, the quality that distinguishes the people that are successful in life and those who are not is acting in spite of fear because to me, becoming a photographer is all about confronting fear and exploring something new as it leads to a lot of creativity happening."

The people who are successful in life make choices early on that allows them to achieve that success, or later destroy relationships in that pursuit.

If you chose to be a great father, mother, husband, wife, then you close many doors. If you choose to be a great photographer, you limit your other commitments or, in many cases, end up with complex and broken personal relationships. The photographers you admire that have reached the top of their game were single minded in their pursuit of that goal.

lol. I packed up my stuff and moved 900 miles away for my first job as a photographer. All for the privilege of getting a check for carrying around a camera. My girlfriend at the time moved with me. And when she left me one of her biggest complaints was that I never had time for her because I was out until 3am. Sometimes the entire night either out photographing for the magazine, or in the studio editing work.

I mean, there were other reasons. But that was one of the big ones. And it's true. Because she did the same thing I did, packed up and moved across the country to a place she's never been where she didn't know anyone. My reason for moving was my career. And her reason for moving was me. And I wasn't there.

I feel bad about it sometimes. I really did care for her a great deal. But I'm still young. And I've heard the speech enough times that at this stage in my life, if I'm not fighting to make something of myself, it's not going to happen. And so I can sacrifice now in order to be happy later.

One of the reasons I didn't renew my contract and moved back to NYC was trying to chase her. But that failed miserably. Either way NYC has a lot more photo opportunities. Both in terms of jobs and actual imagery.

I was watching War Photographer, the Nachtway documentary. And it mentioned that he's lived a lonely life. Sacrificed the whole family unit thing for his work. I'd like to think that loneliness and career success don't go hand in hand. That I'll meet someone who understands how important my work is to me. But I think the only sort of person who'd understand is other photographers. But I've dated one before and there are two problems. they always want to critique your work, and they always want to borrow your stuff.

 

[MickH]

I voted for the first choice. I do it for fun, and always will, although I'm surprised at how difficult I'm finding it to produce "acceptable" photo's with my RF, as opposed to how easy it was to get to grips with my SLR. If I'd have bought a cheap RF I'd have probably given up by now, but an R4A with a couple of lenses is not an insignificant outlay, so I WILL SUCCEED.

 

[Roger Hicks]

To me it's a hobby, but I'm willing to take it as far as it will let me. I bought a year of Roger & Frances photo school to help knowledge wise. It's helping tremendously. My aspirations for this coming year are: to increase my knowledge & develop my eye to compose an image. I was thrilled the other month when I was contacted by someone to submit one of my photos to be included in a N.C. travel guide. I have an invite to go & shoot some local Indie rock bands for a project that's on going. Best of all photography has led me to meet some fantastic people in the area who are interested in seeing each other achieve their goals.

Thanks for the plug (and for subscribing!)

I've only just got around to reading this thread; I've been busy shooting a music festival and I'm leaving on a motorcycle tour tomorrow (insh'Allah). The music festival is something akin to photography: people who care about something, and who share their passion. A friend's daughter celebrated her birthday today; at midnight last night, I first heard 'Happy Birthday To You' performed on violin and harp. Like music, photography can be inclusive or exclusive, and the former is more fun.

Combined in various degrees with with writing, photography has afforded me a modest living for around 30 years, and I'd add my voice to those who say that if it's a job, it's different: unless you are dedicated to photography, you can earn a lot more money elsewhere, often with less hard work or talent. The last is not patronizing: I know people who deliberately choose undemanding jobs in order to allow more time/space for their creativity.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[Ade-oh]

I think my photographic aspiration is to decorate my houses with photographs I like and which help to explain who and what I am. Thus: my family; places I've visited; things I've done; people I know. It's an enjoyable and creative hobby for me, which is also technically complex enough to satisfy my inner geek.

I do, from time to to time, get commissions to take pictures for money and I don't enjoy the process nearly as much. I certainly wouldn't want photography to be my job.

 

[kalokeri]

Yes, I can ...

But I don´t want to, never wanted. I´m quite happy with my daily work and my photography as an amateur. Taking pictures for a living is not my goal.

Thomas

P.S.: I forgot to mention behind the first line.

 

[monochrome_joy]

I aspire for the second choice - Professional Photographer

I've known for a little over a year that my real desire is to be a humanitarian photographer. Photographing the stories of the voiceless and helping the world understand itself. There is so much need and so much ignorance, I hope to cut through some of that. Make a difference.

I created a plan for myself and am back in college working towards a communications or journalism degree. Most of my photography lately has been back to the basics with emphasis on storytelling. Over the course of the next year, I plan to throw myself heavily into learning and growing as a photographer before I travel to Malawi with a mission group.

I have a plan and a dream, I'm living the plan.

 

[Mattikk]

This is an excellent question. Often, my response to it would be something that would lead me to sell all my equipment and stop wasting my money and time producing countless images of things that don't matter. HOWEVER... now that you've posted a serious question, I'm thinking a bit more seriously about it. I think photography is, for me, a way to stay more passionately connected to the world. Going out into the world with a camera in my hand causes me to slow down and begin to really notice the world around me... to breath it in, in a more complete way. It forces my sensory self to open up and see... smell... feel the stuff around me. Its almost like having some sort of guru at my side reminding me to pay attention to the here-and-now because THIS IS LIFE... not all the other messy thoughts rolling around in my head.

So... aspirations? Nothing more than staying alive.

This is exactly what it is all about in the first place.

But I'm also ambitious. I'm not dreaming of becoming famous, but I'd love it if I'd get some sort of recognition and money of course. Not that I wan't to be rich, but even if I could somehoe live only by photography, that would be awesome.