Why Do YOU Take Photographs? Are They Required To Have 'Purpose'?
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
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It's so easy to forget why we take photos in the first place. How old were you when you first started taking photos?
I was, I think, around 6 or 7.
Here is the playlist of the other videos I mentioned:
ruclips.net/p/PL8enfj6Qv2nthMBNuCBoCYoGLCXIPEw48
I think maybe I got my first camera when I was like 10? It was a Agfamatic 110 film thingy. Loved it.
We always had a camera in the house growing up mainly for family photos, the first one I remember was a Brownie Hawkeye in the early 60's and then everything else from Instamatics to Polaroids throughout the 70's and though I tinkered around with them I didn't really get into photography until I purchased my first camera, a Pentax K1000 in 1978 at the age of 19, I've had the bug ever since then. :)
I dont think i was even in elementary school yet when i won a keychain camera that took 110 film. Still have quite a few of the shots in an envelope
Another great video, Alex.
I found myself just nodding along in agreement with everything you said.
As for me, I believe I started when I was about 12.
These days, when I catch myself falling into a rut and/or losing motivation to go out and shoot everyday, I’ll make the time to revisit my old photo albums, placing myself back in those moments, feeling and remembering the joy of just shooting for the sake of it. That alone is often enough to put things back into perspective for me, and reignite that joy when I shoot today.
Cheers, Alex!
And as always, I anticipate your next video.
Wonderful video; thank you so much! I got my first camera when I was 9 or 10. I wish I still had those black and whites. I still love B&W to this day.
This is where I am. I quit all social media in January. It’s tough unplugging, but now I can take a longer view, and slowly build a body of work to put together in books. I don’t even care if anyone buys them. The process is what I love.
Me too, last year, maybe year before. Most of that social media stuff is just as toxic and unhealthful as television.
"Amateur photography isn't dead it just smells funny"
Love it
I anxiously wait for your new videos. This is possibly the most authentic and positive photography channel on you tube. Thank you.
right with you
Totally agree.
Totally agree
Could not agree more.
So happy I found this channel. Tired of the endless and repetitive gear reviews and why someone switched from camera A to B. This channel is doing so much better than what The Art of Photography tried to do before Ted Forbes succumbed to the monetizing temptation of gear reviews. I have the gear I have and want to learn to be a better photographer with what I have. This site helps with that and is the only photographic site I now follow. Believe me, I have made all the rounds of the big name gear reviewers and their clubby relationships with camera manufacturers. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for sharing....I am 77 yrs & just love walking around & taking pics as a hobbyist.. nobody sees my photography as I just love the process of capturing what interests me... cheers 😀..
That is awesome!
Hi... I'm 73 and resumed photography after a 30 year hiatus in order to exercise and keep active after open heart surgery July, 2021. I'm with you... I really don't care if anyone sees my photographs, it's just my hobby [although my granddaughter's husband likes to check it out]. Happy shooting!
I think it's as simple as professionals take photographs for other people, amateurs take photographs for themselves. I love being an amateur and having no one else to worry about.
"Amare" in latin means "to love", and amateur used to mean someone who does a thing solely for their love and passion of it. I think this applies beautifully now in that it's more important than ever to learn how to capture photographs that we ourselves enjoy
Strange how new content creator videos pop up on your feed just at the right time.
I have been struggling with the old question "what photographer am I" and this video has answered that question.
I am Dave Carrera, proudly an armature photographer, who takes photographs of what he likes.
Thank you for the liberation.
I wish you well.
When I look at an image of my grandkids I know why I take photographs. Not to mention the places I have been at and never be again.
Thank you for reminding me of a core message: in my mother language (Greek) the word for amateur (ερασιτέχνης pronounced eɾasitechnis) is a combination of two words: lover and art. An amateur is someone who engages in some form of art for his own pleasure. It is to forget this message in the modern world especially with the social networks dominating the way people communicate.
Your channel is one of the best on RUclips. Please keep creating these great videos that inspire us.
Absolutely spot on. Every amateur should hear this message, which is lost now a days. Do it because you enjoy it, create it because you want to
I will never be more than an amateur. Not that I think I´m «good enough» but even if… I think working as a photograpgher for me would take away the joy.
It can be fulfilling working as a professional, but I'm happiest when I'm just taking photographs for myself. There is nothing wrong with being an amateur
Thanks for watching
@@ThePhotographicEye Always 😊
same here. i want to keep doing my own thing and keep it fun. planning, going out with other people to take portraits with themes or no special themes. socialising, thinking about what you see, the processing afterwards. i started to say no to everyone who's asking me to shoot their wedding. because it's a lot of work, the situation is boring and i don't have any use for that kind of photos. and i mostly say no to majority of other requests too (unless it's something that really sparks my imagination or gives me otherwise interesting opportunity).
Took a photo class in college and started up again at age 46. Am 57 now and can’t leave it alone. It’s my favorite thing to do, and I do it for MYSELF. I get a lot of “wows” from friends, but I don’t take it to heart. What I care about is my own “wow.” My photography has seen me through some very hard times, and I expect it will take me through more. Thanks for this very down to earth video!
Hi Julie. I think I'm on the same page as you. Some of my best shots make me go 'wow' at the world we live in (God's creation). I think that's why I do it. I don't want to forget the magnificence in case the days ahead don't allow me to get out.
@@ronmortimer252 I agree, Ron! God’s creation is the BEST!
In 1971 a friend showed me how to develop film and make prints in his basement darkroom and that has turned into a lifelong enthusiasm for me and I treasure the resultant visual record of the people, places, events and interests of my life.
I don't care much what motivates others. If getting lots of likes or having the newest gear gives them their thrill I'm ok with that, it's just not what motivates me - to me all that competition kind of cuts into the fun. I'm happy to be an enthusiastic amateur shooting when, what, and even if I want - I suspect most of my work will never be seen by anyone but close family and a few friends - and I'm perfectly fine with that.
I‘m into photography roughly 40 years now and maybe the last 15 years more or less into more serious stuff, just for myself though. I don’t make a living out of photography. It has been a hobby since my first DSLR and I did it for the joy of watching the images, often browsing through the collections now and then just for fun. The seriousness came with the rise of photography platforms like Flickr, as there was suddenly an audience and I ended up selling myself to treats of approval, copying trends and stiles. It’s somehow a vicious circle. It’s a difference to be inspired by the work of others, adding new perspectives and techniques to the own toolbox of knowledge, and prostituting or sacrificing oneself. I realized one day that I was attending a marketplace fueled by vanity and compensation by rewards. The worst part being that I lost the joy of photographing, because I didn’t shoot what I liked, but that what I thought would be most rewarding in social media. That day I pulled the plug, not of internet content, I’m still into it, but of the one which in the end was restraining my creativity and view of the world. I post the images because I like and enjoy them, not for likes. If one or two approve of my work, fine. If in the end only these two do, it’s okay. Maybe we become friends and start talking photography. Therefore I can but just concur to your statements in this video. Thanks for posting.
I absolutely agree with the sentiment of this, and I feel the comparative nature of social media can be incredibly toxic to creativity, but I do also feel that there's a counter-argument to temper this with and add some shades of grey. I feel there's an important difference between creating art purely *of* yourself and creating art purely *for* yourself. The former is about how you as a creator create your art, and is to me the only way to actually make true art at all. The latter is only concerning the audience of your art after you've created it. I think the danger with what you're advocating is that creating art purely for yourself does not guarantee that you're also making art that is truly *of* yourself. We all can have inner voices and internal expectations of how your work will be received that will pollute and destroy our true creativity, even if our only intended recipient of that work is us. The goal for all of us as artists should be to express ourselves as we truly are and in the places we find ourselves in through our art. Who we intend as the audience of that art is ultimately irrelevant to the quality of the art, as long as we never allow the desire for positive experiences from the subsequent presentation of that art to its audience to interfere with the act of creation itself.
Indeed, there is always subtly in discussions. Especially when it comes to art. At least hopefully these videos open up those discussions and help people see different points of view.
Thanks for showing this Alex. Recently without meaning to, I shot an empty camera for three weeks. I popped away thinking I was creating definitive works - only to find I had not loaded any film. But I have a good attitude about these things. I'm not on assignment.
When I was summing up the experience to my daughter I told her I didn't care - I'd had those moments, seen those scenes and been involved with what was in the frame. The feelings were the same as they would have been had there been film in the camera.
The making of art is experiential - you feel art in the moment. That you have a product when it is over is incidental - if there was no one to see your art, you would still paint on the cave wall, still carve an arabesque in the sand before a wave.
I told a friend about this and said, "I should shoot an empty camera more often, the feeling is the same - and the world isn't waiting for my next roll to be developed."
Please keep on with your channel.
Haha, I also did that once at school. Spent a whole Geography trip thinking my A1 was loaded when it wasn't! I can still remember that utterly amazing never to be repeated image of a Warthog in the bush that I took with the empty camera :D
Funny thing is I remember the 'ones that got away' sometimes better than the ones I took! I have about 8 I didn't take vividly etched in my mind.
I upload to flickr and 500px (I see them as my digital photo album, not a place to hang out in) and to me they are merely a pleasant bonus to the beautiful hobby that is photography. I have not experienced any downsides yet. The satisfaction lies in the process of taking the photograph, in composing the music, in creating the painting, ... That's when you 'connect' with your art the most.
Flickr and 500px I feel are less orientated to social validation than say IG/FB is.
It's handy to have places we can share images if we wish of course.
Love being encouraged to stay in the space of creating just for ourselves first. If others enjoy it, that's a bonus, but not the purpose. I can be a great amateur photographer in this way. It is the process I enjoy, it's the moment I see the image on back of camera, and think oooooohhhhh . . . .or on the screen at home. It's the moment of bringing the camera up to the eye and framing something up, getting the settings to where I want them because of what I'm imagining the image might be. And it's all by myself with no one else to invade it! That stirs my soul, and makes it sing.
Thank you for that video. I got scary amount of terabytes of unpublished photos. Ones I never even share or just sent to people involved. Numerous times people asked me why I never "do anything" with them. I can't really be bothered with internet fame and social validation, and you just summed up why I after decades of doing so, I still love capturing moments and carry a camera almost everywhere I go. Just for the sake of it. For the pure enjoyment of the process. I'm glad I am still a happy amateur who loves photography, not for money, not for fame or validation, but for the love of the art itself. Keep making great content. Your videos are great and unique.
I was about 10 when I started with my grandpas old Kodak camera. One of those where you drag the lens out. When I was 14 I got a Olympus Trip 35 and since I was gracy about horses they were my main subject😃🇩🇰🏇 My father and I had darkroom. That was fun.
So.... I keep returning to this channel regularly ... it's completely different in spirit + thoughts + approach to the photographic process :) love it !!! No "gear porn", only discussing the more important aspects of the trade.
My pleasure and yes, no gear reviews here :D
Loved this, absolutely brilliant, you nailed it. You took the words out of my mouth, excellent!!!!!!
Wow, thank you!
I agree with you 100% I love the thought you have put into all your videos. This one is a great inspiration for me. I've been struggling with my photography for years. I'm a retired professional. 40 years plus an industrial commercial photographer. I've also taken mountain photographs at altitude on commission over many years. It's taken me years to learn to become an amateur I have only recently come to the same conclusion about why I should be taking images. Take photographs for yourself first. In my case I now choose not to show them on the Internet though I do have work in Galleries that sells from as far back as 1980. It's vital certainly for me to just take pictures for me now. I had toyed with the idea of creating albums just for my own pleasure. This video has confirmed it's the way to go. I still only shoot film using an old Contax iia and an old Weston Master so now I can print up images for albums with no other purpose than to enjoy the whole process. Thanks again for a great video.
I almost have to admit I got a little emotional about this video. So whilst having the occasional paid photo shoot, the truth is I gladly embrace this amateur ethos. Many thanks for bringing this to light!
My pleasure Jared. There's nothing wrong with being amateur of course. Glad it resonated with you.
I recently shared what I felt was possibly the best photo I’ve taken for 30 years to all my Facebook friends , the ratio of likes from my “ friends “ was 0.75 %
Rightly or wrongly that hurt .
It didn’t make me question why I should continue taking photos but it did make me question why I bother to share . I don’t think it unheard of for a painter , musician or photographer to take pleasure in sharing his work .
A bit like baking a cake , it’s nice to share it and just have one slice for yourself!
Some of my work has fallen totally flat when I show it to my friends. That's O.K though, at least it keeps them wondering :D
Thank you for pointing me towards the right track. My motivation is that photography to me is a means to have more eye for detail, more joy in the discovery of ’my’ reality through a lens. The amateur has one big advantage over the professional... there is no urgency to deliver. We don’'t have to march. We can stroll.
Glad you found it helpful Denoefkes. I like the idea of being able to meander through the world with a camera.
Only just discovered your channel - quite simply engrossing, lovely, informative and wholeheartedly reminding me of the real reasons why I love to take photographs - Thank you.
I'm in this weird position where I do primarily take photos because I like the process, but I also do seek the social validation. The thing is I seek the validation for two specific reasons. One is because I need someone outside of the family and friends to tell me something is good or bad (TO THEM) and why so I have _something_ to go on for what I can improve or try differently. I'm terrible at criticizing my own work because I always think it's not that good even in a vacuum. Second reason is because honestly, as introverted as I am, I don't mind meeting new people and the photos getting out there makes a few more people more likely to trust what I do for a photoshoot. Which is also a problem when street is what I do most often, but hey. Gotta do something to not tear your hair out.
Excellent lesson here!
Personally, I gave Instagram a break for a year, but cranked it back up a few months ago. Frankly, I've found the posting and likes cycle rather shallow and unfulfilling. I've been thinking of giving up on it all together.
I couldn’t agree more with what you say and how! Thank you very much for that! In all these Instagram kind of like competition, photos should firstly be an act of joy and own creativity!
I think the concept of 'better' is worth exploring. What makes one photograph better than another? Technical? Artistic? Emotional response? Imagination? And why is one persons perception of 'better' more valid than another persons?
I was inspired by a scout leader who showed us how to take a photograph with a syrup tin as a pin hole camera. Very definitely basic equipment!
What a great channel you have created Alex. Why do I take photos? Its because I enjoy it, pure and simple enjoyment. I don't care what anyone necessarily thinks. I have just discovered you channel and am now starting to enjoy the content. I know how to take a photograph. I know my camera and what it is capable of doing. It is digital but I do not have the urge to upgrade to the latest and greatest. I still have my old film camera. The camera takes the photo, its up to us to be creative with this wonderful tool. I have enjoyed listening to you and look forward to learning more. I am an amateur and always will be but I would like to be more creative. No ....... thank you ever so much! Cheers, Tim
Hello, came across your videos a few weeks ago, I was intrigued and happy to find someone talking about photography rather than about the gear, as a amatuer photographer for 25 years I have shot pretty much everything at some point, but due to lifes commitments I had to step away for the past 5 years, so now im just beginning to return to what has always been a passion in life and its such a refreshing change to listen to your perspective on the various subjects you have covered so far look forward to your future publications.
Thank you, I found your RUclips channel today and I am starting to remember how I started taking pictures as a child and why I loved it, I still love what I do as a commercial photographer and I have started to do reportage of my family which is way more ameteurish but very full filling. I am back to making mistakes.
Thanks for a very insightful video. I wish there were more of these available. Chuck.
First of all thank you for this wonderful series. I personally am the happiest when I am behind my viewfinder. I just can’t wait everyday to finish my workday in order to get behind it.
Thanks - totally agree with the idea of photographing just for yourself. Your video reminds me of a moment in the documentary "Finding Vivian Maier" where John Maloof could not get over why Maier did not try to sell or promote her photographs. He goes on and on about it. For me, watching that, it made me realise that, especially for the younger generation, it's almost incomprehensible to them that you would do anything without sharing it on social media (or other avenues).
Thank you ever so much for these insights. I agree with you that taking pictures for the likes of others is irrelevant. And that, if you want to, the process of taking a photo is all there needs to be. But what I realize from watching this is that to me personally, and maybe even to Lartigue, the albums play an important role. Even if the only one ever opening that album is you, it will be a way for you to return to fine memories in an easy accessible way. As opposed to only having all your tens of thousands photos on a hard drive.
I don’t even print my photos today, I have been wondering what I should do with all the photos I take. This video helped convince that I need to start print my photos and put them in old school photo albums. For no ones sake but mine. Thank you.
/SG
This video is so inspirational, I've so lost sight of why I have loved taking pictures for so many years
Thank you! Very thought provoking. When I take pictures, I feel happy and enjoy the process. I do it for me, not for somebody else. But once I share something on-line, the amount of likes I get almost feels like a measure of success or the lack thereof. I can see why now - ego.
I love how you chase the Why in your videos. Thanks for such a great content
Glad you enjoy them. It's great to have you watching along as we look at those 'whys'
I simply wish to say thank you. Your videos are quite informative and inspiring.
My mother, may she rest in peace, got me my first camera when I was 9. Fifty years have passed since then and that camera remains the dearest and most valuable to my heart.
Thanks for being here Ammar!
The daily inspiration I didn't know I needed. Lovely video. Thanks for creating it
GREAT CLIP (...again)
No Truer Word Have Been Spoken About How People Look At Their Body Of Photographic Work.
Please keep 'em coming.
I have been watching all of your videos in one hit and have enjoyed every one. But this one, stopped me in my tracks. I’m a working professional who has lost the ability to photograph unless I’m being paid to do so. I desperately want to return to the passion and joy I had in just taking a photograph. Thank you, Alex. You have opened the door and given me PERMISSION to be an amateur photographer again.
Just step through that door and find it all out there!
@@ThePhotographicEye I’ve taken the bull by the horns and started a daily photo blog at averagesuburbandad.com and would love it if you could pop in occasionally.
I can feel another article for the blog. And you pose a great question. Why the "f" do I actually pick up my camera? Why do I press the shutter button? Thank you for being so thought provoking and introducing is to diverse photographers.
Very well said.... Very well said, indeed... Thank you for creating this video The Photographic Eye. Did me good stumbling across it today
Your words just touched my soul again. Thank you so very much. Wish you a lovely, and healthy weekend.🌞🌞🌞
Thanks Heinz. Glad you enjoyed it - you too.
Your points are so very well taken and you are so correct. Our goal, whether in photography or any other endeavors we involve ourselves in should be to grow and improve based on what we learn and not compare ourselves to others but compare our current production to our previous ones for improvement. Did we in fact improve. If so, we are growing. Never stop growing! Never stop learning!
Excellent video!
I got into photography when my mother gave me a box camera for a birthday gift. I got enjoyment out of deciding what to take. When I was older I got cameras and shot for the same reason--absolute enjoyment. Then as an adult I learned to develop and print photos and I loved that also. However, then I did parttime documentary photography and some local newspaper photography. It was very successful. But, I found I didn't enjoy photography much anymore. It was just a way to make money. I gave it up for many years. But I am an analytical person with an analytical job. So, photography was an outlet for me to do some type of creative work. I would now never do photography as a job again. I don't show my work generally. I use it as a vehicle for self-expression and tension relief. I don't care what others think even if I show a photo that I like. I just enjoy photography. I was an early adopter of digital. I am now back in film also and enjoy development again. I don't print but use a hybrid process which I also enjoy. Photography is for me and not for some type of validation. I enjoy learning new ideas and approaches which is why I like youtube. Your channel is especially interesting as it discusses photography and not photographic gear (although I like that also). I learn things on your channel that I would like to try. If it fails that is fine also. I enjoy the attempt.
Funny isn't it. When I tell people to not consider taking (or more accurately, try to sell) photos, they think it's crazy. I point out that the second you do something with the express intent of making money from it, the whole approach changes.
@@ThePhotographicEye you are absolutely correct!!!
This is a wonderful surprise to see this and to hear your words which are perfect and right!
You always fire up my creativity and drive, you are a fantastic teacher.
I was going to correct you here on Lartigue's name until I see you caught yourself, albeit AFTER you made the video. Lartigue's work is a wonder to behold, as I did on two occasions, 3-decades ago. I'd love to repeat the experience. Seeing those prints on a screen doesn't impart an ounce of their joi de vivre.
The difference between prints and screen is so drastic isn't it? Aside from the physicality of the print, you can also feel the organicness of the process.
Lartigue is one of those names I once misheard and despite me being able to say it properly in my head, when I say it it comes out wrong.
Thanks Alex for your channel!
Regards from Sicily
I applaud your body of work… what you do and how you do it… Thank you! Salute
Thank you so much for this. At first I was a bit sceptical and was wondering 'where is this going?' but ended up being really inspiring. Even though I believe 'old' photographers would embrace social media, I think we always need to remember to take photos for ourselves, first and foremost, and not to rely on strangers clicking 'like' to feel validated. 'Comparison is the thief of joy' really struck a cord with me.
I have watched a number of your videos - fantastic content - thank you very much
So happy I found your channel! Love the focus on what actually matters, and not gear and a too strong focus on the technological side of photography.
Looking at this year's pictures, I have to say many of my favorites were done with a consumer grade analog camera with a pancake lens, really makes you think about what is really important.
Really looking forward to watching more of your videos and learning some new things.
The camera taught , or should I say showed ,me the difference between truth and honesty. When I find myself in a slump or a rut I remember this and the importance of this in my life. Maybe this is why I never really embraced social media against all the advice we hear that goes " Photographers need nay must utilize social media if they want a presence" Lucky I adhere to your opening reference where I shoot to please myself and nobody else it is my selfish guilt that is crucial to my health. The world isn't missing out on anything because I'm a terrible photographer and maybe thats a good thing.
Thanks for your excellent presentation on rediscovering our passion for photography and the "why" of it all! The pure joy of creativity is reason enough to make photos...but how easy it is for other motivations to creep in and steal our joy. I only really began to discover photography at 59, some three years ago.
Hi Gilbert. Thanks for the feedback and I'm pleased you're here with us on our own journeys.
Thank you for this, I really enjoy your RUclips content. 👍
Wow, I can't believe I have never heard of this incredible photographer until now!
It is interesting to speculate what the man would have done in our modern age. Would he be content to put his photos on a shelf in a photo album? Instagram has become a public photo album, where one can share. is it all about likes? I certainly enjoy sharing my work and having people like it. But I make the photos to please myself. I like the idea of remaining an amateur. There is a lot of freedom in it! Thanks for another inspiring video!
Great video, thanks! Lartigue with u 😀
Very true words. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I feel the same my photography is for me, although I love to share my images. Thanks again for the video.
When I was 19 I joined the Fire Brigade, as it was then. Upon joining My income tripled and every month was like winning the pools for a short time. Talking to my cousin one day she said that before I got used to the money I should buy myself three things, a good suit, I had one made by a top tailor, a good winter coat, I got a camel skin coat that I could hardly move in, and a camera, I bought a Zenith B camera and a 50mm lens. The camera was a brick but taught me more about shutter speed and aperture rations and started my love affair with photography, which has lasted from then until now. I still shoot film and have graduated to a Wista 5x4" camera.
I never exhibit my images and am pleased with them if they turn out well.
I do it for me, if other people like it then that's good but if they don't there are plenty of other photographer's work to look at! I don't want critique from people, I photograph the way I want to photograph, the way I like it, and not the way they would like to see it! They can go and take their own shots. I don't care what camera, lens, tripod, camera bag, filter system they use and for sure I don't give a sod what settings they use, they mean nothing in reality. Thanks again Alex, you have the ability to get people to ask themselves questions.
That's the spirit! Thanks for watching Iain.
Very thought provoking Alex.
I've always been an amateur, I just try improving on the techniques to make them more appealing.
Again, very great stuff, and spot on. I mean at least I don't get much satisfaction if people like a picture of mine I don't like. It is nice they like it, but that's about it. So better make pictures I like, I enjoy of that in so many ways :D For example we all know what sort of portrait gives tons and most likes in forums. Yeah, a pic of beautiful young woman, if well photographed. But in real world I find there are sea of interesting people to photograph, and young beautiful women are a minority in that. The last portraiture I took was of a 83 years old local "I did it my way" man. Before him I took pictures of a prostitute and alcoholics, older ladies, of another photographer and so on. I had lengthy chat with many of them too. None of those pics would be likes magnet in forums, but I can tell I had way more fun taking the pics than I ever could have fun and satisfaction of posting a like magnet pic to forums.
This is my favourite video of yours yet. Inspiring. Thank you.
Wow, thank you!
Another excellent, thoughtful and inspiring video. I think of the amateur as a person who performs the task (sport/art etc) for themselves and for their own joy and the professional as the person who performs the task to earn a living. The amateur may have a few sales but that isn’t the point of the work and the professional may enjoy what they do, but they act primarily to earn a living. I am a professional accountant to earn a living and an amateur photographer for my own pleasure. I have heard your message and take it to heart. It is so refreshing. Create art (paint/sculpture/write books/photography etc) for our own sake and not others. Sure we can share, but don’t spend one second concerning ourselves with other people’s opinions. Our work may be brilliant or complete trash in the eyes of others - but it is a true success when it makes the creator of the art happy.
Thanks for your continued support David. I really do feel if more people stopped trying to monetize their hobbies as the primary motivator for that hobby in the first place, the world would be a happier place.
@The Photographic Eye
Alex, that is an interesting question.
WHY do people try to monetize their hobbies?
Certainly a way to take the joy out of something one previously enjoyed.
I started at 9, took pictures of the Southampton docks with my Instamatic. Oh, dated myself there.
Thank you very much, Alex, for this video. It is very inspiring and encouraging for 'Amateurs', like myself (I also started taking pictures somehow, in the age of 7-8).
"they simply created their photography with the goal just to create... photography"
["told you so" stare]
made me chuckle :D
loved the video and I think you picked the perfect photographer to show the concept you are talking about, Lartigue's photos are so full of life and joy!
Funnily enough I didn't even think of Lartigue until I talked about the video idea with my wife and my eyes settled on one of his books on the shelf behind her. A perfect suggestion!
@@ThePhotographicEye did you tell her how inspiring she is? :)
Everyday :D
I got my first camera when I was about 8 years old and have been at it for 60 years, now. I'm not bad , but I ain't that great, either. NEVER had social media accounts and think they are the bane of modern life. When friends or family see my photos, they usually say things like, 'You could sell this, you know." But that was never the point. The thing that keeps me at it is the feeling of satisfaction I get simply lifting the camera up to my eye, hearing the shutter, and wondering, "Did I get it?" I usually can't wait to get home to see. And if I did get the shot, how could I put a price on that, in dollars or heart emojis?
So good! When you enter images in club competitions, you start to analyse all your images as to whether a judge would like them. The same thing for posting in social media....how many likes did l get? Although l have done reasonably well in club competitions, l have decided that this sort of continuous analysis is too stunting of creativity & exactly as you say, l am just going to take photos for myself.
Thank you! I could wax poetic about how this vid moved me…. But just…. Thanks to you Sir!
Love this video, I love this new hobby of mine because of the unlimited ways to approach this. Framing, composing, the relation of objects to each other and where to place them. Trying to capture a feeling. On the t-
On the video, I share on socials because I always felt like I need to, as it should bring a value of some sort right! but you say it like it should be, just for the process, just for myself and for the people around me. Sometimes someone just needs to tell you before you get it. Thanks!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the video Steven. Thanks for watching :D
I always liked how Garry Winogrand described why he takes pictures. He said he takes pictures so he can see how things look when photographed.
Like Mallory and Everest - I climb it, because it is there.
This was an excellent video. Thank you for sharing 📸
Brilliant, I totally agree.
My photography is for ME and I'm over the 'must take a photos' ending up with 1000's of meaningless pictures; rather now I shoot mostly 4"x5" sheet-film and the cost makes me be much more selective and I take more time over the composition. Sure, I still take my digital kit out but apply the same process in choosing my shots.
The process makes me happy and I have a folder of negatives ready for when my darkroom is functional - another 'process' to enjoy as I once did in my younger years.
I think a lot of people don't understand how when shooting film (and especially sheet film) you're far more aware of the cost everytime you click the shutter. Not just the film, but the processing, the prints the lot!
@@ThePhotographicEye Indeed, not cheap especially as I am now waiting for my shining new 8x10 to arrive. A birthday present and my wife will kill me.
Apparently, (according to Google anyway) It was Theodore Roosevelt who said "Comparison is the thief of joy." I just really liked that. It kind of rang true with me, because I'm always comparing myself (and my photography) to others, and the amount of joy that has been stolen from me is beyond measure! That's really sad when I thing about it. I'm going to try and stop doing that!
Amatuer , Meaning you do something because you love it . Years and years ago I had to make a decision weather I wanted to try and do photography for a living or not ..... At that time I decided that the quickest way to kill my love for photography would be to take photos that someone else was paying me to take .. So I kept it for myself and have never regretted that course ...... Slowly working my way through your videos . They're inspired and inspiring !!!!!! Cheers ......
Thanks so much Jon
My friend told me about your channel recently. I really love your content! Keep doing such great work for us! Big Like and THANK YOU! Respect!
Wonderful to hear that, I'm really pleased you found it helpful
For me the most important question is "would I still shoot pics if I didn't have the option to share or sell". As long as you can answer yes to that I see no issue as you are following a true passion. Yes we all have an ego and enjoy the thrill and validation of a photo library sale or a like and it can encourage unhealthy comparisons, all these things we must be mindful of.
It's important as amateurs we do not let validation by others become the primary objective, which for me is the real distinction (as well as not earning a living from photography) that separates us from the Pro's who shoot for the approval of a specific client, be it a portrait or a wedding or images for a project in a Nat Geo magazine. We amateurs shoot for the joy.
I think you are viewing Lartigue through rose tinted glasses as beautiful as his work is. Do you think he would have kept his images only in a photo album if he had the modern options of sharing? I doubt it. You cant praise someone for not doing something they didn't have an option to do. That's like praising your child for not eating a cookie when you have locked the cookie jar away.
Btw lets not forget the real joy of being able to share your travels or day to day life with family & friends who you may not see for months .
Regards, Rich.
It's possible that JHL would have shared his images if he'd had the ability to do so. We will of course never know. He could of course have tried to in his own way. Look at contemporaries like Steichen/Stieglitz etc. They most certainly used the platforms available to them - Salons etc. Watching the BBC Masters Of Photography video gives a bit more insight into his thought processes.
ruclips.net/video/WWBGRjJNAwg/видео.html
Amateur is a word I hate with a passion; if you take photographs you are a photographer. Amateurism is a ghastly class system label used by the Victorians to separate rich people from people who were trade. Given his era, that exactly describes the world of Lartigue; he was upper class but, he certainly didnt fit our current understanding of non professional photography. He was first and foremost an artist and his images were far from amateurish; they were conceived entirely in the mind. This is very high art indeed. The fact is we assessed his work in light of the laterage he was discovered in when such images were commonplace but, there is nothing common place about them; in fact they are impossible!!! Pictures of girls in the air, swerving racing cars, these are difficult to take using modern equipment. If you look at his equipment, slow plate cameras, you start to realise they are impossible. The fact is we still dont know how he took some of them; the contrivances and advanced techniques needed to capture these images were not known at the time. They look startling even today because they are startling. There is far more to Lartigue than meets the eye; he didnt seek fame for his photography because that wasnt his life goal but, he set a very high bar that I doubt many photographers today could reach; he was simply unique ;-) P.S. Oh yes the question, how old was I? I was 6 in 1957. My father was a wedding and society photographer and, as usual, he hadnt bought me a birthday present so, he pulled a Kodak Brownie out of the shop window,loaded it and gave it to me with a "Happy Birthday" Vici, give it to the girls for processing when you have finished and they will reload it. The rest is history, I was going to be a photographer like him, I went on to wander the streets with a Rolleiflex, even finished my foundation course. So what went wrong? I became a Nuclear Scientist - sigh
What a great comment!
Great Comment. JHL's story is fascinating indeed. And it is sad that the word amateur has (as Alex says) sort of lost its original and literal meaning of something that does something for the love of it.
Simply brilliant!
Many thanks! It was a pleasure to have you watch it.
pure wisdom; thank you
A great reminder. Thanks again
Excellent video and sentiment to it. Couldn’t agree more with it. Thanks.
Thanks ever so much, that's great to hear.
Excellent discussion piece, thank you. I hope you don't mind a comment: Lartique came from a wealthy and privileged background. He never had a 'proper job'. He was able to indulge his considerable skill. The majority made do with a Box Brownie, sticking the family snaps into albums. I think I understand why people seek approval on social media and it's down to technology. Why keep an album when the pic can be seen on screen? Why do a slide show for friends, neighbours and family, of our holiday Kodakchromes when we can scan and email them. In Lartique's heyday the photo album was part of an evening's entertainment, like gathering round the old piano. Now we would sooner fester in front of second rate TV. We have lost our sense of community and seek validation through social media and that's a shame because you are right: Personal photography can be just that; fine art printing is expensive for most but what's wrong with some 6x4's from Bonus print? Looking at prints is by far the best way to view our photos. So I am going to start keeping an album and visitors can view them on the table whenever they like and if they don't they'll hear about it on Twitter!
I have a Canon SL2 with 24mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.8 and a 75-300mm lens. I take a lot of photos just for the art. Some are great, some are not so great. I am retired and have the time to take the photos that I want to take.
Brilliant.
Love this, thank you.
Absolutely fantastic video. So important massage.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Ralf
Hi my friend injoy watching your channel
Well said. Genuine, great word.
My pleasure!
Zappa reference 👏🏼
BTTF reference right back at you :D
Good Zappa reference.
Did you see that recent documentary?
www.thezappamovie.com/
@@ThePhotographicEye oh yes! Enjoyed it very much but want more. As is always the case with Frank.
You taste some really interesting points . I am sure that we have all engaged at some time with groups that offered each other a form confirmation of their work . However, these are tiresome and more often than not, unhelpful in developing the individual style . I take as many of my best work on my phone as much as I do my camera . The reason is simple ; it is with me every time I go out and I am forced more often than not, to forgo on thanking shots that would make a special place in my annual photo books . Still, there it is. I take photos for the most part to satisfy me and secondly to share those images with others who for the most part do not consider them themselves amTera
I do like uploading photos to social media/photo sharing sites but it doesn't consume me. For one, a lot of my friends do like seeing what I've gotten up to on my photo trips and it's nice to share my moments with them. But after years of using Instagram and only getting "Growth" organically, I've come to realize that any given upload gets about 17 likes and usually from the same friends who enjoy my photos. And that's just fine with me.