What do you photograph?

I never photograph people. Not even snapshots of friends and family - I used to, but one day it occurred to me that the photographs soon end up in a cupboard (or folder on the PC these days), rarely to be looked at again. Anything worth remembering stays in my mind.

As for non-snapshots, I find photographs of the inanimate far more interesting than images of people.
 
I photograph whatever catches my mind's eye. I used to force my photography into pre-defined genres such as street, landscape, etc... but realized some time ago how pointless that was. Having removed that mindset, my photography is now much more enjoyable.
 
Landscapes to film have been nearly all of my photos for a very long time. Our patio flowers and palm trees are good subjects for incidental testing that I do. Those are the views that I have found interesting to photograph. There are others here that take on documenting the people. I expect to use only B&W.
 
Sports, because my employer pays me to, and I enjoy it.

Documentary projects, because I am interested in the lives of the people I document.

Family, because that is where my heart is.

Best,
-Tim
 
It seems to me that my contact sheets show a general theme of 'Context' and like KXL Charlie and HelenHill it is the random "whatever catches my eye". The context is mainly where I am and what I am doing. I recently rode L'Eroica and took pictures of the bike ride with an old and expendable Fuji digital and at the bike fair took pictures with my M6 and 28mm and FP4.
I liked the writing of David Vestal and his maxim that "if you want to take the picture then there must be something of interest to you". I'm OK with this. In striving to be a 'good' photographer I have also managed to take some wonderful (to me) pictures of my family and their growing up. This is a welcome bonus, those pictures fill me with joy.
Finally, I love photographs. When you invite me to your home I will gladly sit down and look through your family albums, watch your slide show (with a glass of wine in hand) and admire the photographs on your walls and sideboards.
 
The ocean and people, because I find both endlessly fascinating. Most of my people pictures are of immediate family.
 
Most (60% ??) of the pictures that I print are still lifes that I create from various objects.
Most of the others (that I print) are scenes that I generally postprocess to recreate how I felt (or imagined) when I stumbled upon the scene.
 
kxl said:
I photograph whatever catches my mind's eye. I used to force my photography into pre-defined genres such as street, landscape, etc... but realized some time ago how pointless that was. Having removed that mindset, my photography is now much more enjoyable.
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Pretty much the same here. The way I figure it even if I come home without any picture that are worth keeping/editing at least I got in a good hour or more of walking/exercise.
 
Anything. Everything. Whatever is in front of me that attracts my attention. I also like having more structured / plant shoots - uaulyy when I'm heading off to foreign parts for holiday or even more locally for days out.

Probably a mix of travel / landscape / street and a bit of casual portraiture....
 
RichC said:
I never photograph people. Not even snapshots of friends and family - I used to, but one day it occurred to me that the photographs soon end up in a cupboard (or folder on the PC these days), rarely to be looked at again. Anything worth remembering stays in my mind.

As for non-snapshots, I find photographs of the inanimate far more interesting than images of people.
Click to expand...

I have a slightly different take, formed by viewing and scanning thousands of photos taken by ancestral photographers.

When you are alive, your photos are mostly for your own sense of technical satisfaction and accomplishment.

After you're gone, the only photos you took that will be viewed are those of people. Places have little attraction unless the person viewing can associate them with a person or event.

Environmental portraits are my preference, combining people and place, or activity.

Texsport
 
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