When I started my own photography, years ago, it was to record the beautiful new landscapes that I encountered in Oklahoma. You see, I grew up in North Carolina and went to Oklahoma for the first time while in the Army. I was stunned at the landscapes and with camera costs being within reason at the PX, I bought my first SLR and my interest in photography began. I met others interested in photography and began my journey. But that's just how it started, not the reason(s) it has lasted so long.
Fast forward to today, so I pause and reflect on why I love to photograph. I could make a list but that doesn't seem to be an appropriate way to define my passion. So let me try and communicate my feelings. First, I love the still image. It's ability to speak without motion or voice. At it's finest, it tells a complete story, moves people in ways words often fall short, stirs emotion beyond reasonable bounds, and marks history. This level of image is rare yet every period in history is marked by these pictures which define events.
So when I pick up a camera, I know I have the opportunity to create something special. I simply have to possess the vision and skill. Sounds oversimplified and maybe from a practical application it is. I have been photographing for decades, but feel as though I have just started. The more I learn and develop, the better my images become, and that keeps me shooting. There is no plateau or place where I'm satisfied. But it is not discouraging as you would think, quite the contrary, the closer you get the more you raise the bar. All you have to do is look back at your images, the progress is obvious even if some of your past work makes you cringe. Underlying all of this is a feeling of reward. Not financial reward, that's a totally different matter, but personal reward. This personal reward from your efforts is the driver as it is with anything worth working for.
So when I ask myself why I photograph, it is for some internal reward that I feel from my images. It's not something that comes from others, but affirmation doesn't hurt. It comes from finding that thing you are looking for, developing the skill to see it and the technical expertise to capture it. And the "it" is not a destination, but an ever evolving space in your imagination. A personal creation that continues to develop. So likely it will never be over, and knowing that eliminates the anxiety of pushing on. I simply continue to grow, knowing I will never "grow-up". Sounds sort of odd to say it that way, but that's what it's all about.
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