Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Being a photographer has ruined photographs for me...
#1
Exclamation 

I've taken pictures for most of my life, got my first camera probably 35 years ago and I took photo's on holiday, hiking and just goofing off fishing or some such. I would then look at them and enjoy them.

Then around 12 years ago I became a "photographer", I got serious, learned the technical side and got a "proper" camera. I learned exposure and white balance, composition and focus... and it has ruined photographs for me!

Now when I look at pictures I don't see the subject, I see the out of focus, the camera shake.. the blown highlights, the distracting back grounds! It got so bad 3 years ago i found I would pull out my gear on vacation, look through the viewfinder, decide the light was terrible and pack it away, no picture taken.

2 years ago I bought a pocket camera, short zoom, 12mp, no viewfinder. It's my snapshot / vacation camera, if the light isn't right for me to be a photographer, I pull that out and be a tourist! I take the shot even if it will be "bad" to my photographer's eye, at least it reminds me where I have been!

I think all of us as "photographers" can benefit from stopping looking at the photograph and just admire the damn view every now and again!
Reply
#2

Nice points! There is a joy in taking photography, although learning to become better is a good thing too. Just need to remember the joy of the hobby and not get so focused as to lose the fulfillment which comes.

Barbara - Life is what you make of it!
Reply
#3

Oh how I agree. I too have become besotted with getting it absolutly right that I keep seeing my pics as all bad. Then I look at my wife's iPhone photos and think they look great just because I am not looking for any technical ability (she is just a snapper). I think we can get carried away with ourselves and forget that the major audience looking at our pics are not photographers and see the picture for exactly what it is.

It's as if we are only taking photos in a bid not to to criticised by other photographers !

I have had some of my photos published, and I often say to myself "why have they chosen that one ... it's got this or that wrong with it" but obviously they look at it from a viewers perspective rather than from a technical perspective.

I hadn't really thought about this until your post .... I think it's made me think differently and maybe just maybe I will try and be less critical my photography and hence enjoy it a whole load more.

Thanks !
Reply
#4

Nothing quite like taking a fine hobby and ruining it by taking it seriously.

Of course it's not just photography that's subject to this joy to work conversion. Most auto mechanics were youth that loved cars and loved to work on them, but by the time they're knocking their heads against the flat rate clock, the joy is either lost.....or worse.

One key method of keeping the joy in......is to keep the money out.

I used to be overly analytical about music, but one musician just told me to sit back and listen. Stop all that thinking. Save it for learning math.

Same for photos, I'll know in a glance if the glance suffices or if I'm going into a gaze.
Reply
#5

ahah well said! I suffer from the same! holidays and partys with friends became a nightmare!
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread / Author Replies Views Last Post

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)