Q: Why does photography interest you? (1 Viewer)

I am dissapointed in the traffic here as well.

I lurk around here because I have wanted a digital camera for a long time. Whenever I come close to getting one, something comes up. I was about to pull the trigger on a Canon S1 when I realized that a Canon SD-110 would be the perfect birthday present for the woman. I wish that had never occured to me. So there went my budget .

I have had a digital camcorder for 5+ years, it has and continues to serve me well, but I am starting to think that I can sometimes convey the feel of a situation/place better on "film".

Anyway, here goes:

I want a new toy.

I want a new hobby, this sounds like fun. I have been try to familiarise myself with the vocabulary and learn what makes a picture good, other than it's purtiness.

--
H - I started every sentence in this post with "I".

I like photography, specifically nature photography because it brings me just a little closer to what I love, the mountains, the wilderness, just being "out there". For the most part, pictures can't do justice to actually standing on a high peak or a flowing river, or just floating in a lake, however, they can remind you and perhaps touch upon the senses that is one's memory. Panoramics are cool and I've been toying with making more and more.

Wittenberg summit southern panoramic

That is a picture taken from the summit of Wittenberg in the Catskills from 9/19/04, which is day after Hurricane Ivan hit the catskills. Those two hikers are my friends Fred and Nancy who were moving about, hence the ghost image. The large body of water is the Ashoken Reservoir which is the major reservoir for NYC, the brown stuff is from the Esopus river feeding into the reservoir. Because of Ivan, and about 12 hours of torrential rain, the Esopus was raging, taking down trees and logs and lots of dirt, all winding up in the Ashoken. The sharp peak in front of Ashoken is Samuel's Point and if you look towards the right, you will see Friday Mt, and Balsam Cp, as well as Ashoken High Peak.

Photography, for me, is just a little way of recording the moment and reliving the nature.

Jay

I like photographny simply because the world is interesting. There's always something that's catching my eye, making me wish I had my camera with me. Simply put, life is beautiful. Photography is art. Some people have different tastes. Some like Nature, some like Urban. Some like seascapes, other landscapes. To me it really doesn't matter, as long as someone finds it interesting.

When I see something worth taking a picture of, I think: would I like to forever remember this moment? Would this be something I'd share with everyone? Is this art to me.

These words mostly apply to me:I took my first digital camera (actually my first camera ever), with me on a rare holiday in Malaysia and Singapore. In preparation, I learned how to use it and read up on photography in general some time before my trip. It was a lot of fun taking pictures of family and the surroundings. My relatives at first found it funny that I was always taking pictures (I prefer taking candids), then they quickly seemed to get used to me with my camera and act naturally.

Another major spark in my interest comes from movies even though one medium has motion and the other does not. I’m not claiming to want to be a cinematographer or that cinematography is what I think about when taking pictures, but seeing great work makes me appreciate the challenges of composition and getting the lighting right.

Most of my pics are of my baby daughter and family events. I hope to get more into nature photos this winter.

I agree that this "photography" section is very weak...maybe it should be combined with the computer section.

I like it b/c it allows me to capture moments and objects that I find interesting...and there's no shortage of interesting things if you let yourself see them

How about, "to create raw material for my mom's scrapbooking hobby".

That is what always seems to happen. The truth is, gadgets are easy and very few people are willing to put in the time and effort to really understand what they are doing. For 98% of the general public, photography is equipment and shots of the family, not creative skill. It hasn't happened much recently, but people used to comment all the time that I must have to buy all new equipment every year or so since the technology changes so much. They were always surprised when I told them the technology of photography has barely changed in 100 years and the people who constantly buy new stuff are really more interested in gadgets than photography.

Seriously, the camera I use most, a Cambo Master PC is not much different from what William Henry Jackson used 150 years ago. The only differences are, it is smaller and the emulsion isn't on glass anymore. Other than that, not much has changed.

Anyway, my main point is, photography will probably always be perceived by most people as a hobby or something to satisfy their hunger for gadgets. It's a real shame.

I am just a casual photographer. I enjoy taking pictures of people, places and things just for the heck of it. I find myself framing everything around me and taking a "picture" of it in my mind. A lot of times I wished I brought along my camera. If I had the money I would buy the T1 or something small that I can carry everywhere and take pictures. I have also been designated by my family and my wife's family as the "photographer" as I seem to have the knack of taking decent pictures. A lot of the pictures I have taken are on my online gallery at http://www.gunnerx.com/gallery/

My current camera is an ancient SONY F505v which is good enough for me right now. I would love to upgrade to the 828 but i just don't have the money for it right now. My ideal would be a DSLR which would give me a lot of freedom and control of the settings.

Great question Man-Fai. Yeah, you should have asked it sooner!

It's actually funny how photography got under my skin. It basically amounted to my just deciding to take up photography when I was 15. I borrowed a bunch of books from the library and had my dad's old Mamiya 35mm to practice with. I look at those initial photographs and see something in them I don't think I've really reproduced since. Maybe I'm confused by sentimentality?

Honestly, my motivation and enthusiasm about photography has come and gone as I've become interested in other things, but I find that it really has been the one persistent interest in my life. I may not always feel like taking photographs, especially on vacations (ironically), but there's always something great about being able to capture a scene or moment just as I saw it. It doesn't happen often - which is the frustrating part - but when it does happen it's a reminder of why I love it so much.

I'd say my favorite subject would be people, but having a non-intrusive personality I find formal portraiture challenging and ultimately prefer the candid (or photojournalistic) approach. The thing is I love a good studio portrait, so more of the love-hate thing going there.

The types of photographs I'm inspired by most are actually those done in the photojournalistic style and it is ultimately what I strive for. One of those books I borrowed as a teen was by Harry Benson, and that made an immediate impression. As someone mentioned, it may be that I'm a sentimental person and like to have moments in life "frozen."

I think digital imaging is a godsend. The instant feedback has helped me get past some persistent issues I've had around exposure and I think made me a better shooter on a technical level. Of course there's more to learn, more to try, and the ultimate goal of not just being technically proficient but aesthetically aware. Technology may change and other interests may divert my attention but I feel like photography will always be there, my "first love" so to speak.

Oh, and I would like to consider myself a Level 5: Amateur. And the essay only confirms my fears about becoming a professional

Two years ago I bought my Minolta Maxxum XTsi to take to Florida on vacation. I came back with some nice shots of indiginous wildlife, girls in bikinis...oh, yeah--and a few of the wife, as well.


The next month I carted it to my eldest neice's wedding. Everyone said I took better photos than the so-called "professional" they hired.


Photography has been in my passion ever since. Problem is, I live in a visually boring place, with little or no time for serious travel.

quote:

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Photography has been in my passion ever since. Problem is, I live in a visually boring place, with little or no time for serious travel.

Click to expand...

Depending on your exact passion, it can be pursued even in a boring place. Here are a couple great examples of that I've come across (although these two guys do not necessarily live in boring places). You do need to be more creative/imaginative of course when that's the case -- and will need a darkroom for the postprocessing since you're using film.

[url=http://www.imageattic.net/gallery/]http://www.imageattic.net/gallery/[/url]

[url=http://www.pbase.com/luminous]http://www.pbase.com/luminous[/url]

And here's one I recently made on a lark while thinking about a similarly philosophical topic on photography (that I posted over in DPR's Samples & Galleries forum):

[url=http://www.pbase.com/mandnwong/image/34112897]http://www.pbase.com/mandnwong/image/34112897[/url]

In case you're wondering, no, it's not a PS manipulation. Just simple mirror effect.

_Man_

Just felt like looking back this fine Saturday morn... and came across this old thread of mine...

Unfortunately, I lost my pbase account sometime ago and haven't gotten around to setting up another to share photos -- mostly just been sharing on FB these days... though I really should use a better platform for photos...

These days I just haven't been shooting that much outside of some family snaps, kids' recitals and some occasional vacation snaps...

Any of the old commenters still around (other than John and Cameron)?

_Man_

I see I contributed with some of my usual grumpiness. Photography has been a dysfunctional love/hate relationship for me my entire life.

I'm not even sure why it interests me.

I must have missed this thread from 15 years ago, although I was on the forum then. I think I got into digital photography in early 2005 (the earliest digital photos I can find are froma trip to Hawaii in January 2005), so back when this thread was created I would have been transitioning from film to digital.

I shoot for my enjoyment -- mostly when we travel, but also to capture family moments. The walls of our home are covered with enlargments of photos taken from the places we have visited. The oldest one is of St. John's Bay from our honeymoon over 30 years ago, and the most recent are a couple from our visit to Iceland last summer. My primary subjects of interest are landscapes and wildlife, and my camera kits have always been put together with those two subjects in mind.

My dad gave me an old camera before one of our trips when I was quite young, and I just took to the idea of capturing scenes from our travels ever since. I always remember my mom complaining to my dad to "just take the picture" as he messed with the dials on his camera when I was young -- not understanding until I was older what he was even doing with those dials.

My dad stopped taking photos at family gatherings after he discovered camcorders, and his videos were always long and boring, so I was left as the only photographer in the family to capture moments via still photos during those times. Shooting people is not my favorite thing, and I don't have a great talent for it, but I still continue to do so. Most of my family photos are missing me, as I am always the person behind the camera. That can be a sad thought at certain times, like now -- my dad just passed away last Wednesday after a long illness, and I have very few photos that include both of us. I do have a lot of great shots of him, alone and with other family members, though.

Cause I can't draw, paint or sing. =)