Tuesday 19 June 2012

Why Photography?


time will last forever
I felt I needed more time than I actually had to contemplate the question of 'why'. For inspiration I turned to the image above where time feels as though it will last forever. Why do I take photographs? What are my motivations? What keeps me excited and interested?

I photograph for pleasure. I feel satisfied, excited, challenged and rejuvenated when I am able to spend time with camera in hand. The excitement of waiting for a film to be processed has now been replaced with the thrill of uploading memory sticks but the zing is still the same. The goal of mastering, what I call "Goldilocks images" ie "just right images" drives me to continue. Primarily, I take two distinct types of photographs; The first being, of  people I love and appreciate and the second are images I create to love and appreciate.

My dad was an avid photographer and took many pictures of our family growing up. Being fortunate to have such gorgeous photos from my childhood inspired me to capture memories of my own family. I have a heartfelt desire to freeze frame the people I love. I am motivated to capture moments in time which enable me to later bask in memories that reignite emotion and love. I value old photographs of my grandparents from early last century as precious historical artefacts that document their life in times gone by.

The second type of photograph I take, can not be chronicled or time-lined, they are timeless images that are expressions of my creativity. They are images that through my eyes are aesthetically pleasing. I greatly value others' opinions of my work but intrinsically create them to satisfy my own desires. It is not a perfect world we share but I feel compelled to capture its' perspectives regardless.

To help identify what motivates me to create such images I formulated a string of 'I' statements, as follows:
I thrive on experimenting with composition.
I feel passionate about using depth of field to focus on fine detail.
I am prompted to turn everyday objects into creative art works.
I relish in vibrant colours, especially the hues autumn has to offer.
I am challenged to find irony and oxymorons.
I am driven to see things beyond what they appear to be.
I get excited to first get close then get closer.
I aim to be original, unique and less predictable.
I love the fortune of opportune moments. 
I am impulsive about grabbing candid moments.
I am addicted to making the next shot even better. 
I feel empowered when I press the shutter at just the right moment.
I am passionate about repetitive elements.
I desire meaningful connections with the subjects I capture.
I celebrate the beauty in nature.
I crave balanced compositions.
I am drawn to the stillness of inanimate objects.
I believe we view the world we share through different perspectives, each should be valued and respected.
I am perplexed as to whether the craft of photography happens in the taking or the editing of an image.
To conclude, ultimately I pursue photography as an interest because I find the feeling of "stilling life" rewarding, it enables me to document my life and allows me to express myself and be challenged by how I see the word we share. Thank you Kat at  kat eye studio for giving me the opportunity to mull my photographic purpose.
Maxine

grandmother 1915
#1 people I love

#2 images to love

kat eye view


5 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed your "I" statements! That's a great way to explore this topic, which is so personal. I love the way you concluded, "Ultimately I pursue photography as an interest because I find the feeling of "stilling life" rewarding, it enables me to document my life and allows me to express myself and be challenged by how I see the word we share." You pulled it all together, with that. Beautiful! I look forward to seeing more!

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  2. You have a way with words Mrs J!
    Beautifully put and I agree with Kat... your summing up sums it up!

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  3. thanks for your extensive list!;-() a lot of it resonates with my own vision
    i love how you combine those two seemingly opposite motives: wanting to freeze the people you love in the frame to capture special moments that pass and become history, and creating images that are timeless in their subject and beauty...
    i think both opposites attract me too, but always had the idea they were mutually exclusive and could not be combined in 1 vision lol!
    now i know better...:-())))

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  4. A thorough post for sure. One comment, on your statement "I am perplexed as to whether the craft of photography happens in the taking or the editing of an image": It has always been my goal to capture the shot, as is. Natural light can be so spectacular in how it picks up and interprets color and atmospheric texture. Hence, editing for me is an afterthought, or a craft to dabble in off to the side. Not judging. Just opining.

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