Why do I love photography?

My photos suck, so why do I love photography? Can anyone relate?

I have been into this for a few years now, but I am yet to take a photo I am proud of. I have a few ok photos, but none of them are special, and a lot of them are just plain boring.

So why in the world do I love this so much? I always thought you enjoy something because you are good at it.

What I am hoping is that I have a talent hidden in there somewhere, that just hasnt come out yet.

Do you think you love photography because you are good at it?

I love photography...it just doesn't love me back!! Not yet anyway! Last fall I took a photography class with my 14 year old son. After getting homework assignments from the prof., I would spend hours trying to get the best shot to impress the class...really....all week till the next class. My son would spend on average 10 minutes to take his shots and yet his were always the ones the professor and class loved. Life is NOT fair!:p

After finding this forum, I decided I'm just an okay photographer for most, a great one for the family. I used to inherit any and all camera gear that my Oriental relatives were ditching. I didn't have the money to really take a lot of pictures with film when I first got married and had my older kids. I had a lot of wide angle lenses on all the cameras so I had little people in big backgrounds all the time. As I started inheriting better gear from my brother, I discovered, it wasn't me that was taking bad pictures. The tools I had were basically all wrong for what I needed. I got a 50mm lens for an AE-1 Program and my life changed and photography became a lot of fun and the pictures much better. Still not at the level I want to be, but getting more good shots. I started photography because I love taking pictures, but stay with it because sometimes, and that's not too often, I feel I have accomplished the goal of capturing memories that can last for me and for my children.

If you are consistently enjoying the hobby, even if you "think" you are not brilliant at it, it's okay. I know I love dancing, but won't be performing at the MET anytime soon. Does that mean I shouldn't enjoy it? Heck no! I love cooking, but my kids won't eat my food, does that mean I should stop cooking? Heck no! Our passions define us. Not everyone is best at everything, thank heavens.

I love photography because I hate fishing!!! (stay with me here) Every summer my dad and brothers would go out into the Sierra's with some other church friends for a week long pack packing trip. The first couple of years, I brought my fishing pole like everyone else, but I hated having to fish. By the time I was a teenager, I had discoverd photography and so one year, unbeknownst to my dad, I brought a camera instead of a fishing pole. Boy was he irritated! Anyway, instead of fishing on that trip, I hiked around, took pictures and have been doing the same since.

I'm terrible at golf, but I still enjoy it....and I love riding my bike, even though I'm not going to be riding in the Tour De France anytime soon. Like any hobby, I think the enjoyment comes from the activity itself, not necessarily how good at it you are. If I like looking at the images I create, the satisfaction and enjoyment comes from either remembering the moment that image was created, or possibly from some technical challenge I overcame to create that image.

Likewise, if I don't really like a particular image, I receive a certain amount of enjoyment from trying to figure out how to improve on it so the next one is better.

I think it all comes down to the difference between a hobby and a profession. Hobbies are activities you do for an intrinsic level of enjoyment on some individual level. Professions are what you do to earn a living, and (theoretically) should be "good at" to some extent.

I find that most people who love something and dont think they are any good at it usually are doing one of a couple of things.

1)over thinking the thing they love. Keep life simple and enjoy it, whether you are a picasso or a hack, just keep trying to improve with realistic expectations.

2)being too critical of thier work. Being a perfectionist is a terrile way to go through life.

People who draw and paint start off terrible. Ever see beginner paintings!? Whoa. thank god some of them don't get discouraged. ... also thank god a few of them do!!

Capturing beauty, visually, I think borders almost on craft versus art. Where a craft is something that is refined after years, and art has a more romantic spotaneity to it (I presume). the fact is; the more pictures you take and the more pictures you look at the better you will get. The 'natural talent' part, I believe, is the difference of just how many pictures betweeen various people.

I also think people into photography are people who are moved by beauty and feel a need to participate in it, or preserve it to some degree. When I take a picture, I'm always moved, to an emotional point even, by the beauty of whatever I'm capturing. I try as hard as possible to replicate that for others and, like you, I'm often dissapointed. By just like you as well; sometimes you nail it. And man those times feel good.

But more importantly, it's just personal. For example, I've taken vacation pictures, pet pictures and baby pictures that aren't much to others, but are heaven to me - because on a personal level I nailed it. I have this picture I've taken from Kaui, just breathtaking green foiliage and this unbelievable, almost surreal ocen, taken from a trail on the way to a waterfall. Sounds lovely, right? Nope! It's boring. It's just plants and water without anything to separate it from other boring pictures except the plants and bright blue water. But the memory!

I'm sorry to blab. My belief is that photography and the pursuit of is just a cover for what really matters, and that's what we perceive to be beautiful.

I love photography because it is not my job. As long as I keep it that way, I will continue to love it. It is my escape to creative indulgence, good or bad.

Spot on JayHawk !

I breathe photography and mother light and they breathe me in return...

nuff said

I think if you've been shooting for a few years and have no images you're proud of, you're either not trying to improve hard enough, or more likely you're being too hard on your own work. My work isn't as good as the great photographers in magazines and in comparison, yes it can be discouraging but the secret is to be honest with yourself about where your photography is. I can be proud of my photos for what they are at my skill level, and that's honestly when I'm happiest with photography. I get discouraged when I think of where my photos are and where I'd like them to be, but I suppose if anything came easy it wouldn't be worth doing to start with.

Appreciate your photos for what they are and their good points, while being honest about their weaknesses and you can still feel proud of them IMO, so long as you keep in perspective how much work went into just getting to that point.

I love photography because it allows me to exercise the creative portion of my psyche and I don't have enough talent to draw. If I didn't have photography, work, family and house maintenance would eat up all my time and my creative needs would get buried.

Creative needs, now that's deep. Can I use that for my husband when he asks me why I spent $2000 on a new lens?

I love it becasue it's the only thing I can do right

I've learned that some things in life have a higher learning curve than others. and learning curves depend on the person. I love to ski. I'm not overly good at at, but I still enjoy the sport.

Stacie