Why do you still do it?

[runnah]

I am driven by the desire to gain popularity on online forums.

^^ An acknowledgement from random, unbiased people with kitty cat avatars.

Even the highest praise in the art world pales in comparison.

 

[Ilovemycam]

I enjoy freezing time.

 

[Trblmkr]

For me it's something I can share with others. In our busy world these days, most people fail to stop and look around at the beauty and/or uniqueness in our environment. When I take a picture of a sunset, for example, it's me capturing a moment that technically is shared by Millions (I live in Washington DC area), if only they stop and lookup.

 

[Mike_E]

a moment in time captured

collected before the storm

polished for posterity



Why? Eh, our lives may not have meaning but they've happened, honor the important bits of yours and those around you. They may not be pennies in Heaven but the good will you collect has good value anyway.

 

[KenC]

Can't improve on what Joe posted, but my two cents is this. I have done this since I was in college some time ago and cannot stop. Everyone needs activities in life that are important to them and this one of the biggest for me. I've never made any money doing it, or tried to - it's just something I can't stop doing. There's nothing like that feeling of stopped time you get when stalking a good image. I get that from looking at things most people have no interest in, but as long as they do it for me, I'm happy.

 

[HughGuessWho]

“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” -- Goethe

Ysarex said it all.

And, I love the quote. I may steal that for my signature.

 

[imagemaker46]

It's all I've ever done. I've never had any other jobs in life. I know I'm very good at it, comes easy for me, and I enjoy it when I'm working. I've hit the wall several times in my career and have considered hanging the gear up, but something always comes up and changes my mind. When I went from film to my first digital camera I found new life shooting. It went from being an easy way to make some money, to an easy way to make good money, and now it's getting harder to make any money.

The wall is getting closer again.

 

[snowbear]

It is a creative outlet and it lets me visually preserve memories. Besides, a nice heavy tripod makes a half-decent urban melee weapon!

 

[pixmedic]

The wife makes me

 

[Ballistics]

It's all I've ever done. I've never had any other jobs in life. I know I'm very good at it, comes easy for me, and I enjoy it when I'm working. I've hit the wall several times in my career and have considered hanging the gear up, but something always comes up and changes my mind. When I went from film to my first digital camera I found new life shooting. It went from being an easy way to make some money, to an easy way to make good money, and now it's getting harder to make any money.

The wall is getting closer again.

Why is it becoming harder? Flooded market or low demand?

 

[imagemaker46]

It's all I've ever done. I've never had any other jobs in life. I know I'm very good at it, comes easy for me, and I enjoy it when I'm working. I've hit the wall several times in my career and have considered hanging the gear up, but something always comes up and changes my mind. When I went from film to my first digital camera I found new life shooting. It went from being an easy way to make some money, to an easy way to make good money, and now it's getting harder to make any money.

The wall is getting closer again.

Why is it becoming harder? Flooded market or low demand?

Part of it is the flooded market, changes in what my long time clients are making, when they get into any kind of financial crunch they drop photography, or cut their budgets to the point where they don't want to pay me to shoot, but look for some local photographer that is willing to shoot for very little. What they don't do is even offer the shoot to me and allow me to negotiate lower fees for them, I can always piggyback other clients on top of most shoots that will work for everyone. The demand for good sports images is still there, but clients are expecting the same quality from inexperienced photographers, so they accept less and justify it by the budget bottom line, with one of those "It's the best we could afford, so it will have to do" mentality. I had one client that dropped me 3 years ago and have been using a couple of amateurs for all their pictures, thing is that they are still using the pictures I shot for them 3 years ago.

The other side and this may not come out right. I've done so much in my career, that I am running out of assignments that really excite me anymore, it is a bit of a burnout factor. I have had the opportunity to shoot most sports photographers bucket lists several times over. I have always felt really fortunate to have had the opportunities to shoot what I have. I still look forward to every shoot that is presented to me, and the work I produce is still at the level that I have personally come to expect of myself. When I get to the point where I can't deliver consistent high quality images from every assignment I will know it's time to walk away.

 

[Alex_B]

I simply do it for several reasons:

1. I like to show other people what I see - sort of through my eyes, using my vision (in many senses)
2. Because I "see more" ... look more intensely ... visual experience of the world around me is so much more detailed and intense than when I do not photograph.
3. I simply like visual memories.
4. I really enjoy the process of taking a picture and processing it ... that is also one reason why I also ventured into analogue large format.
5. I like to impress people

 

[Steve5D]

This is going to sound really conceited but...It's the only thing I'm good at

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up for me, too.

I'm a pretty good guitar player, but I just don't have the drive to get out there an play anymore. I love photography.

I love shooting and getting paid. But the truth of the matter is that I'd shoot just as much regardless if I ever made a dime...

 

[Steve5D]

I am driven by the desire to gain popularity on online forums.

Well, yeah, there's that...

 

[imagemaker46]

I am driven by the desire to gain popularity on online forums.

Well, yeah, there's that...

I'm not the most popular person on this forum, and that's fine. I am honest with what I say, at least everyone knows where I stand.