What is your position in Photography?

terri · Feb 13, 2008

Soon I will be leaving photography in Jackson. I will for the first time in 12 years be in a very competitive market. Not like I'm scared, but I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Craig, this sounds exciting! Can you elaborate?

Personally, photography for me is a creative outlet that I love down to my very soul. As a film-only geek, I shoot mainly B&W so I can play with my enlargements - hand coloring, bromoils, lith printing, toning, or just plain old B&W fine printing (the hardest of them all).

I've had clients for print restoration and hand coloring, and sold a bunch of stuff over the internet and at art festivals. I teach workshops in beginner's hand coloring, as well. Do I consider myself a "pro"? Nope. I think of myself as an enthusiastic hobbyist. I don't want to shoot senior portraits or get back into weddings - that's not what moves me to pick up my camera.

Different strokes for different folks!

Fliphishermon · Feb 15, 2008

Somewhere during the past 5 years or so it suddenly dawned on me that there are people out there who have a singular passion. They focus a majority of their time, money and effort into that one thing, and in many cases either seem to be better off for it or happier than the rest of us, or sometimes both.

I've had things that interested me but they seemed to have come and gone. I've never been passionate about anything for a long period of time and have often felt like I was missing out.

And then I discovered digital photography.

Wow! It set me back on my heels!!

It is technical enough that it challenges my intellect. There's enough "stuff" that it fulfills my desire to "get more stuff." (well, partially fulfills, obviously) And, Oh Joy! Oh Rapture! there's always more new stuff! It's often immediately rewarding enough that I gain instant gratification. It opens doors that allows me to discuss common themes or argue incessantly, although civilly, with folks like you. And it allows me to get away with things that I never could without a camera. ("No officer. I'm not a terrorist.")

I also like the cross-over to the computer side since I am a long time geek and love to play with software. And I find that sitting and wasting hours “fixing” a picture using Photoshop is not only extremely rewarding, it also seems to be justified if the outcome is something truly pleasing, even if it's only pleasing to me.

Finally, whether I'm outside enjoying a fantastic view of Denali, or inside, taking pictures of my pugs' noses sticking out under the little gate between the kitchen and the hall, it's just downright enjoyable, often exhilaratingly so.

As I look forward to retirement and hours to fill, I think that perhaps I have at last found a passion. Something that I can do, not overly strenuous (mostly - although there was that one time the neighbor lady's husband caught me taking pictures through the blinds and he chased me for about 5 blocks!) and there's always more stuff to buy, more arguments to foment, always more Nikon users to convert to the light, and always another shot.

And it's fun.

So while I've been taking pictures for about 50 years now, I consider myself a noob, having recently discovered photography as a passion.

Now where’s my camera …

brileyphotog · Feb 23, 2008

I started in photography for myself. People liked my stuff and I figured out how to make some money doing what I love to do. If you can make a living doing your hobby, that's my definition of perfect (and that is my goal). I don't really care what I'm shooting, as long as I'm shooting. I also like making something that someone else will treasure.

domromer · Feb 23, 2008

I'm a blue collar photographer. I take pictures of homes for sale for the local real estate rags. It's nothing fancy. Just a tripod my d80 and what ever lights are in the house. Since I also go to school full time I don't work more than 20 hours a week. So in Theory I do earn enough to live on from my photography,
but then again I Live on nothing. Some people have car payments that are more than my monthly living expenses. Once I finish school I'd like to get some of my Landscape stuff in galleries. That's ideally how I'd like to make a living. Galleries and Books.

Igor39 · Feb 23, 2008

At this moment in time I would describe myself as an aspiring Photographer. I'm in my Junior year of High School and I just recently decided to pursue photography as a career. It kind of hit me by surprise because I always had more interest in painting and design than photography, and with both of my parents being painters, it seemed natural that oil would be my creative medium. But, as fate would have it, one day I was scanning through some old files on the computer and I found a pair of photos that I had taken earlier that year, looking at them I began to see the world a little differently. I made a few adjustments on the photos using some simple software and looking at the product I felt a sense of balance, much like a painter feels when he puts together a truly great work. Following that moment I began learning about photography as much as I could, history of photography, how-to books, and most things in between. Now I've broadened my knowledge somewhat, I have a new camera, and I'm doing my best to create photos that I can be proud of, and that I can share with the rest of the world. I have a difficult choice to make though. Fine Arts photography always seemed like the avenue for me but recently I have discovered the expansive catalogs of photographers like James Nachtwey, war photographers, and I can't help but feel drawn to their profession. I was born in a warzone in Bosnia and I lived through the NATO bombings of Belgrade and I suppose that left its mark on me because I feel drawn to that sort of photojournalism. Well anyway I suppose I wandered off track there but as I said for now I am simply an aspiring photographer, hopefully that will change as the years go by.