Your goal?

danalec99 · Mar 18, 2005

When you take/make a photograph, what is your end goal usually?

a. Technical perfection
b. Convey the mood
c. both

ferny · Mar 18, 2005

It depends on what I'm doing. Sometimes I want to reflect emotion into the photograph. Those last two self portraits I posted for instance. I wanted to give the viewer a sense of sorrow. But for that to happen it'd have to come out how I wanted it to so technical perfection was there as well.

When I'm doing still life and macro it's pretty hard to set a mood so I just try to get it right. I'm not saying I do, but I try.

Hertz van Rental · Mar 18, 2005

To put on film the idea I have in my head - either that or to make some money.

panocho · Mar 18, 2005

I know it'll sound stupid, but my main goal is to have fun :crazy:

I tend to see the camera as a toy :shock: then, of course, comes the second part of it, which is to see the results. This means that to have fun involves playing with the camera in order to try and get a good picture: find out what should be the correct exposure value, etc etc and in this sense it also comes as a goal what you mention: so, choosing among your options I would go more for the mood than for the technical perfection, definitely. Maybe 'cause I just cannot get technical perfection... :crazy:

mrsid99 · Mar 18, 2005

I just want to capture the scene as I see it.

lopix · Mar 18, 2005

For me it is more mood... I mean, there are a lot of pix out there that will blow you away - and they are not "by the book". Impact on your audience is more important than accurate shutter speed...

SLOShooter · Mar 18, 2005

For me it's to get images out of my mind and into a medium that other people can enjoy or at least understand.

lopix · Mar 18, 2005

I usually have a location or concept in mind, but the actual images don't come to me until I am there and start shooting. Even then, sometimes it is after I get them off the camera and onto the computer, that is when I start to "see" them...

Nikon Fan · Mar 18, 2005

For me it's to allow people to see things from my perspective and point of view, and enjoy what I enjoy seeing...

mal · Mar 18, 2005

To create images that are striking or engaging enough to make people feel something when they look at them.

elsaspet · Mar 18, 2005

I go for real expressions. I try to make people forget I'm there. I joke around and have fun and when they aren't paying attention to me anymore, I take the picture.

That's probably not the right way to do it, but it the way I go about it.

mrsid99 · Mar 19, 2005

Just an observation but it seems as though most people here are trying to produce pictures for other people, I guess I'm a selfish old sod since my main purpose is to please me.

Hertz van Rental · Mar 19, 2005

mrsid99 said:
Just an observation but it seems as though most people here are trying to produce pictures for other people, I guess I'm a selfish old sod since my main purpose is to please me.

That touches on one of the fundamentals of Photography.
Pictures are taken to be looked at - even if it is only by the person who took it.
Bet if you take a picture you like then you want to show it to people.

What is the difference between taking a picture for your own pleasure and taking a picture to please someone else - remembering that giving pleasure to others is a way of getting pleasure for yourself.

ksmattfish · Mar 19, 2005

mrsid99 said:
Just an observation but it seems as though most people here are trying to produce pictures for other people, I guess I'm a selfish old sod since my main purpose is to please me.

I'm with you. If my photos please others, that's great, but I've been dissatisfied some of my photos that have been very popular with viewers, and it doesn't make me any happier that they can't see the faults that are so glaring to me.

Back to the initial post I would have to choose "b. Convey the mood" as most important to me, although I think that technical know how only helps do this.