Whats my motivation..

heartyfisher

So what gets you to take out your cameras and press that shutter button?

for me sometimes it just that shiny new lense i got..! lol yeah a gear head :-)

John

My motivation?
I guess there are quite a few things that motivate me.

- To create a beautiful image.
It really give a warm and fuzzy feeling when you see a beautiful 120cm by 80cm canvas print (featuring your image) with gorgeous colors and lots of detail hanging on a wall. Same goes for photo books or big, framed prints. I have my images hanging in a few households already and each time I see the results it just makes me happy. So I guess it's not just about creating a beautiful image but also about sharing it.
- To capture a memory.
This mostly refers to travel photography. Here my goal is to capture the moment as a beautiful memory that I can look back at years later. My goal is still to make as many beautiful photo's as possible; photo's I would love to frame and hang on my wall. But my intent is also to document the vacation.
- To do something new.
It's always nice to expend your skills and experience something new. Your first studio shoot, your first long exposure, your first newborn shoot,... All are interesting learning experiences and keep the hobby from getting repetitive. Of course this doesn't mean that you can't be happy shooting what you love. I consider myself mostly a landscape photographer. But that doesn't keep me from enjoying the results of an infant shoot using studio lighting.
- To test new gear.
Hey, if I spend hard earned cash to by something new I'm definitely going to play with it.

rschnaible

Good topic....
For me, enjoyment and looking at the world in a different way than if I did not engage in photography. It also is a great hobby for those of us who can't sit and do nothing

donaldejose

Just trying to develop a skill set.

Sometimes I look at a rainy day and wonder "What photos can I make in these conditions?" The Hosta leaf on todays PAD was shot a few days ago on a dreary rainy day.

Sometimes I see something pretty and wonder "How could I capture the beauty I see?"

Sometimes I want to produce an image for a person, such as a portrait and I wonder "How can I make a portrait look professional?"

Recently, a baby was born in the family. Now I am wondering "How can I take compelling photos of a baby?"

Generally, my motivation is wondering how to do something and trying it.

paulr

Cause tomorrow is the day I take the best image ever

Vipmediastar

Lately to relieve my stress. New dad here.
Also to capture and document my baby grow.
I love nature and many things and im bad a communicating and through my lens I try to let people know how I feel.
But really photography is like fishing. Very relaxing.

Msmoto

People...everyday types...

PB_PM

Motive: I love the outdoors and nature, so I photograph it.

mikep

loads of reasons

i like:

technology and gear
art
computers
internet
creativity
business
outdoors / indoors
new experiences

and photography allows a combination of all of the above. its the hobby that has it all. and you can make money at it too!


whats not to love?

well, i walked for 6 hours today and took 400 pictures. my body is sore all over. thats the only bad part !

dissent

What motivates me? . . .
Sometimes, frustration; when I see that interesting subject/moment - and I don't have my camera with me.

There's just something about being able to capture the essence of an image. When I can get even a little close to that, it's like, Wow!

Symphotic

I feel that if I don't make a record of it, it will cease to exist.

bland

My motivation comes from capturing people while they're in their happy doing what they enjoy. Makes for an uplifting adventure each and every weekend.

John

I feel that if I don't make a record of it, it will cease to exist.

That's actually a very noble motivation.
Nothing lasts forever. Landscapes change. People are born and die. Cultures change. Nations rise and fall.
Paper turns to dust. Old photos fade.
...
But for the first time we now have the ability to (at least theoretically) preserve "information" indefinitely tanks to the digital revolution.
When my future kids finally leave home they can take all the memories we build together with them. It will fit on a few hard disks (or whatever storage medium we use at that time).
And when they have kids they can share the images taken by their grandparents with them.
And so forth...

I know that it's unlikely and that it would require a lot of careful backup strategies but a part of me hopes that a thousand years from now one of my descendants will browse through my images and think "Wow, so that's what Yellowstone National Park looked like back then."
(Just to give an example)

It always saddens me when people don't backup their memories and end up loosing them due to a computer crash.

Rx4Photo

To create a lasting imige of something that 99% of people will merely pass by without giving a second thought to. Photography helps me slow down and smell the roses. It's interesting to see how many people slow down to look at what you're photographing - and to think that if you weren't there, they would probably just walk on by. On the other hand, many people still fail to see what we as photographers see.

I photograph to not only "see" but also to create. I attempt to create an image that, within the borders of the photo, gives more significance to the immediate subject than seeing the subject in the unbordered view that our eyes receive.

I once read a passage that went something like "don't let your camera be a mere Xerox machine." Don't just copy...create. Whenever I can, I try to pull a little of that thought into my stuff.

heartyfisher

Nice thoughts all. After reading through them, I find I have mixed feelings. Part of me feels more motivated and another part fells like I have lost so much .

ibecamewe

This post is such nice and informative.
What motivates me?
With my passion for photography, my motivation has always been a deep desire to show others the beauty in this world. Since shifting my photography focus from landscape to people and street photography, I've noticed that my the fires of my passion have been stoked, so to speak. I'm not sure if it's about learning something new but I find myself almost obsessed over learning how to take better photographs of people. Photographs that tell a story or bring out someone's beauty is what fuels me and motivates me to pursue this art form.

Alfonso

Photography can be combined with various human activities, and in my case has been with me at various stages of my life and the varied tastes and hobbies that I have.

With photography, I can preserve my experiences, looking for an aesthetic that expresses my feelings and that can be shared with others over time and distance

Like many of us, I also enjoy technology and to discover the best way to use it to achieve a goal and improve over time.

Greetings

Alfonso