Compromised by doing too much photography?

rayonline_nz · Jul 18, 2018

Anyone on this boat? For myself I have maybe concentrated too much on photography and compromised it.

For example, many would say you enjoy life and people and use the camera to capture the moments esp with say travel photography right or just people and event stuff even family vacations. I have times just stuck muesli bars in my bag because that lunch meal might had got me an extra roll of film and processing! When I am with others on a trip which is maybe something I don't do all that often, we visit somewhere, since I am to capture the golden sunset, I split up with the group. Oh how as XYZ holiday, oh it was fantastic, I stood outside for 2hrs during sunset and came back and got takeaways - hahah. Why but go anywhere, the expense just for that 2 week away I could get another camera with a lens. Then again you see non photography people and they have gone to more photographic destinations than myself. So often in the past I have just stayed home with my camera gear and when I have gone out it was within a 20 mile radius - I am talking about non stop for a good few years. Yup, not even jumped onto a plane or a road trip away, not even a statutory holiday.

As a result of this I have been more critical of my chance of getting good photos and ie - when I am out in the day time when the light is strong is maybe just shoot with a smaller camera body with a smaller lens and it's more street / candid / snapshot style. So I only take the big stuff out at night when I do have that moment to myself occasionally but I don't max it out, ie - I don't say every night I am by myeslf you guys do your off stuff. Yes, I have also shot off a tripod in summer at mid afternoon.

Cheers.

slackercrurster · Jul 19, 2018

Dunno about everything in your post. But if a photog is dedicated, sure they have to work unbalanced here and there.

Myself? I almost never shoot with a tripod.

darkosaric · Jul 19, 2018

rayonline_nz said:
Why but go anywhere, the expense just for that 2 week away I could get another camera with a lens

With this I cannot agree. For me most important part of photography is visiting new places. If you have 2 good cameras and 2 good lenses - that is enough for a lifetime (I have more than 10 cameras/lenses - more than I will even need, I bring on a vacation 2 cameras only, on rare occasions 3). But I understand that for some other this is not needed (I think for example of Josef Sudek who did lot of his work in his house and backyard).

rpavich · Jul 19, 2018

I started out that way (not that long ago) and then realized that photography (for me) is a way to document and celebrate my life; my experiences, my loved ones, the important events in my life...etc. I changed from trying to make good photos to trying to make photos that mean something to me. Photos that I can pull out of a shoe box in 20 years and relive moments and relive relationships.

Nobody will care that I got that perfect Eiffel Tower shot like thousands upon thousands of others, nobody would care that I took the perfect sunset shot...but to me, I will always cherish the images of my Mom's 87th birthday party last year, and I will always cherish the images of my wedding day...etc.

So the answer for me is: yes...take a camera with me at all times but forget it's there. Experience life first! Take pictures second.

Ces1um · Jul 19, 2018

rayonline_nz said:
Anyone on this boat? For myself I have maybe concentrated too much on photography and compromised it.

For example, many would say you enjoy life and people and use the camera to capture the moments esp with say travel photography right or just people and event stuff even family vacations. I have times just stuck muesli bars in my bag because that lunch meal might had got me an extra roll of film and processing! When I am with others on a trip which is maybe something I don't do all that often, we visit somewhere, since I am to capture the golden sunset, I split up with the group. Oh how as XYZ holiday, oh it was fantastic, I stood outside for 2hrs during sunset and came back and got takeaways - hahah. Why but go anywhere, the expense just for that 2 week away I could get another camera with a lens. Then again you see non photography people and they have gone to more photographic destinations than myself. So often in the past I have just stayed home with my camera gear and when I have gone out it was within a 20 mile radius - I am talking about non stop for a good few years. Yup, not even jumped onto a plane or a road trip away, not even a statutory holiday.
As a result of this I have been more critical of my chance of getting good photos and ie - when I am out in the day time when the light is strong is maybe just shoot with a smaller camera body with a smaller lens and it's more street / candid / snapshot style. So I only take the big stuff out at night when I do have that moment to myself occasionally but I don't max it out, ie - I don't say every night I am by myeslf you guys do your off stuff. Yes, I have also shot off a tripod in summer at mid afternoon.
Cheers.

I think it's fine to break away from the group to enjoy your hobby at the expense of social interactions. That being said, there's a balance that you want to strike and I find my more meaningful photos are ones that have memories of friends and family attached to them. I also don't think it's a great idea to limit your outings with friends to save the money for a new camera or lens. It's easy to purchase so much equipment that you can't decide which gear goes out with you when you want to take photos. I also find taking a lot of photos isn't always the best because you just end up filling a hard drive up with scans of negatives of flowers, sunsets, etc... and then never revisit them. Quality over quantity but I've found myself easily falling into the trap of just snapping away. I have thousands of photos most of which I'd never miss if my hard drive crashed or I lost the negatives. Personally I'm struggling with the notion of slowing down and taking fewer photos but I see a lot of benefit to doing so.

Now if you're doing this because you really just enjoy being in the moment of taking photographs and the process is what's important to you rather than the result, then I can respect that. There's a lot to be said for spending time concentrating on only a single thing, and it's likely good for the mind cutting out distractions.

TheFlyingCamera · Jul 19, 2018

I don't think you should feel that you have to travel to take good pictures, and I don't think you should feel that you can't take good pictures at home, either. Photography can be an excuse to motivate you to travel, and there's nothing wrong with that. The two activities (travel and photography) should be mutually complementary, IMHO. You travel to enjoy photography, and you enjoy photography because you're getting to do it on a level you would not get to do if you were not traveling.

Conversely, you should never feel that you can't take great pictures at home, or that not traveling somehow limits your ability to take meaningful pictures. I love to photograph when I travel, and I sometimes arrange trips around events or places I really want to photograph. But I also make it a regular exercise to bring my camera with me to work and shoot a roll or two on my way home, documenting what I observe on my commute. I think it really helps me become a better observer when I travel, because I'm always looking at things and thinking about them photographically when I'm somewhere familiar.

Sirius Glass · Jul 19, 2018

I have other things to do, some of which I combine with photography. It is good to have multiple interests.

Ko.Fe. · Jul 19, 2018

Where I'm more than 50% in taxes overall on single income, four children family.
We are here fifteen years now and no two weeks vacations at all. Simply no money for it.

I was happy like a dog to take pictures after work and I'm glad to document our town life, events and changes.
I met and knew good people.
Plus, family pictures at home. At least, we have family home.

I'm going to print some pictures tonight...
In the basement. Where we come from most of the people were printing at night, because the only place to print was single bathroom. But my parents place was not even this big. 24 square meters (250 sq.f.) for three people.

faberryman · Jul 19, 2018

Ko.Fe. said:
We are here fifteen years now and no two weeks vacations at all. Simply no money for it.

Sell your Leica to fund a family vacation?

Ko.Fe. · Jul 19, 2018

faberryman said:
Sell your Leica to fund a family vacation?

I have two. One is my mother gift to me. Would you sell your mother gift?
Another is M4-2 I purchased for 650$ by selling some gear I repaired.
It is worth of ... 650$.
Get real. First, not every Leica is luxury item.
Second, I never been in financial situation to buy Leica which costs multiple thousands dollars. My wife would divorce me.
Third, we need more than 650 $ for three plus two and two weeks.
If I sell all of my Leica gear exsept mother's Leica it is not going to get us anywhere.
Get real, stop brashing Leica enthusiasts as rich.

jtk · Jul 19, 2018

Ko.Fe. said:
I have two. One is my mother gift to me. Would you sell your mother gift?
Another is M4-2 I purchased for 650$ by selling some gear I repaired.
It is worth of ... 650$.
Get real. First, not every Leica is luxury item.
Second, I never been in financial situation to buy Leica which costs multiple thousands dollars. My wife would divorce me.
Third, we need more than 650 $ for three plus two and two weeks.
If I sell all of my Leica gear exsept mother's Leica it is not going to get us anywhere.
Get real, stop brashing Leica enthusiasts as rich.

My heart goes out to you.

rayonline_nz · Jul 19, 2018

darkosaric said:
With this I cannot agree. For me most important part of photography is visiting new places. If you have 2 good cameras and 2 good lenses - that is enough for a lifetime (I have more than 10 cameras/lenses - more than I will even need, I bring on a vacation 2 cameras only, on rare occasions 3). But I understand that for some other this is not needed (I think for example of Josef Sudek who did lot of his work in his house and backyard).

I know what you mean. It is not exactly GAS as I don't just buy and buy I have self control or assessment but maybe it is how I place more value on photographic goods than other things even thou I know I shouldn't do that. When I do look back at my images the better images were the ones I went away not the 90% of those images taken near home.

rayonline_nz · Jul 19, 2018

rpavich said:
I

Nobody will care that I got that perfect Eiffel Tower shot like thousands upon thousands of others, nobody would care that I took the perfect sunset shot...but to me, I will always cherish the images of my Mom's 87th birthday party last year, and I will always cherish the images of my wedding day...etc.

So the answer for me is: yes...take a camera with me at all times but forget it's there. Experience life first! Take pictures second.

Can clearly relate to this. I used to shoot a 12PM summer cityscape with a tripod (!). Funny that how I seem how to place more value on photographic equipment but it is not the all and end all. I appreciated more of the shots I have taken when I have been away and I have taken more shots that way, so I suppose 90% of the time when I have been home bound captured 60% of my images. It is that thought if I can juts manage a few yrs sitting at home I can get XYZ and it will be mine, under my ownership.

TheFlyingCamera · Jul 20, 2018

rayonline_nz said:
I know what you mean. It is not exactly GAS as I don't just buy and buy I have self control or assessment but maybe it is how I place more value on photographic goods than other things even thou I know I shouldn't do that. When I do look back at my images the better images were the ones I went away not the 90% of those images taken near home.

Then give yourself a project to photograph near your home. Doesn't really matter what it is about - it could be your literal backyard, it could be the neighborhood you live in, it could be your favorite park, it could be the barbershop where you get your hair cut. But just go and take pictures of that place/those people, and keep doing it even if you feel like it's been "seen out". The whole "best images when I was traveling" thing is a cliche - you think that way because you're emotionally attached to those images and they have a memory trigger for you. But you can learn to take images that do the same thing in your home environment, and in the long run, they'll be even more emotive once you realize what you're seeing in them and why you took that picture in the first place.

TheFlyingCamera · Jul 20, 2018

rayonline_nz said:
Can clearly relate to this. I used to shoot a 12PM summer cityscape with a tripod (!). Funny that how I seem how to place more value on photographic equipment but it is not the all and end all. I appreciated more of the shots I have taken when I have been away and I have taken more shots that way, so I suppose 90% of the time when I have been home bound captured 60% of my images. It is that thought if I can juts manage a few yrs sitting at home I can get XYZ and it will be mine, under my ownership.

Try shooting for a while with a "toy" camera like a Holga or a Lomo. They're actually quite liberating because they take so many decisions away from you, and all you really can do at that point is concentrate on making the image. This is coming from someone who shoots a lot with large format, a Rolleiflex and a Mamiya RZ. I've done my biggest long-term project ever with a Lomo Belair that shoots 2 1/4 x 4 1/4 panoramics on 120 roll film, and all I can do with the Lomo is compose, focus, and choose between f/8 and f/16. Now I'm playing around with a Lomo LCA 120, which has just zone focusing. It's fully auto exposure - you have no say in aperture or shutter speed. Working with a camera like that teaches you a whole new perspective on image-making and perceptions about gear and value for money.

hoffy · Jul 20, 2018

Is this, though, any different to any other hobby, past time, or indeed passion that you may take up? It comes down to priorities. I remember an acquaintance (no longer a friend - longish story) of mine who used to regularly complain about never being able to save up for a deposit on a house.... who would then drop $5K on a piece of photography equipment.

Is it a compromise when your passion is photography? Or is it what you feel is a priority?

darkosaric · Jul 20, 2018

Ko.Fe. said:
not every Leica is luxury item.

Last vacation: I am walking with my LTM and Elmar - value 250€. Makes superb quality photos. I see one tourist in Italian speaking group - he has Leica monochrome with 50mm APO summicron (value 15.000€).

Ko.Fe. · Jul 20, 2018

darkosaric said:
Last vacation: I am walking with my LTM and Elmar - value 250€. Makes superb quality photos. I see one tourist in Italian speaking group - he has Leica monochrome with 50mm APO summicron (value 15.000€).

No wonder many Italians live with parents

darkosaric said:
With this I cannot agree. For me most important part of photography is visiting new places. If you have 2 good cameras and 2 good lenses - that is enough for a lifetime (I have more than 10 cameras/lenses - more than I will even need, I bring on a vacation 2 cameras only, on rare occasions 3). But I understand that for some other this is not needed (I think for example of Josef Sudek who did lot of his work in his house and backyard).

Traveling and taking vacation and how days off are paid in Europe is totally different story from traveling and vacation here.
Our relatives are in Belgium and they are on vacay and traveling often, while on low qualifications job or on pension. Then we hear how much they are paying for train tickets and vacation packages within Europe it is like next to free comparing to ripoff here.

darkosaric · Jul 20, 2018

Ko.Fe. said:
raveling and taking vacation and how days off are paid in Europe is totally different story from traveling and vacation here.
Our relatives are in Belgium and they are on vacay and traveling often, while on low qualifications job or on pension. Then we hear how much they are paying for train tickets and vacation packages within Europe it is like next to free comparing to ripoff here.

That is true, here you have +/- 30 working days of paid vacation (6 weeks), for example if I want to go to Paris or Rome: 3*** hotel will cost me around 70 euros per night for me and my wife (with breakfast included), travel ticket cost around 100-150 euros per person. East Europe is similar, little less expensive for hotel. If you book travel in advance by agencies, or on line by supermarkets like Lidl, Penny - you can go even cheaper.

removed account4 · Jul 20, 2018

hoffy said:
It comes down to priorities. I remember an acquaintance (no longer a friend - longish story) of mine who used to regularly complain about never being able to save up for a deposit on a house.... who would then drop $5K on a piece of photography equipment.

i think we all know people like that !
i had a friend years ago who cried "broke"
and dropped some change on a computer
also know of people that cry " broke " &c
and dropped mucho$ on boutique lenses and cameras ...
yup its about priorities
=
OP i can understand your situation, i often times on vacation
with family, visiting family &c might get away for a while while
other stuff is being done and i miss out on some things, but
find a phew things to fotograph.. at the same when i am "local"
i probably don't go more than a stone's throw from where i live ...
a lot of people overlook their immediate environment because they
are so familiar with it, but sometimes the familiar is not as familiar as you might think.

have fun!

Saganich · Jul 20, 2018

There is a lot of anticipation involved in photography...gear, light, travel...stoking your drive and it all has peripheral motivations...getting out alone, impressing peers, documenting family, excuse to drop by the pub, etc. We all have a combination of these elements that may drive us to unhappiness or satisfaction or oscillations to and fro. It's correct to understand your priorities and then consider where they are leading you. Great images can be made regardless but it's never ok to sacrifice yourself in the process.

MartinCrabtree · Jul 20, 2018

I'm quite the opposite lately. For the past 10-12 months it's been drudgery to take photos. Either film or the illegitimate bastard stepchild. I go out w/o a camera regularly thinking I have the iPhone should something worth photographing arise. Not the first time it's happened and I'll get over it eventually. Briefly considered selling a camera or two.

jtk · Jul 20, 2018

I rarely take a camera along unless I have something specific in mind (location, weather, person).

When I do take a camera along I usually have happy surprises, either with what I anticipated or with something that circumstances gifted to me.

I'd like to do a project involving barflies, but I'm better off without more reasons to buy beer.

jamesaz · Jul 21, 2018

rayonline_nz said:
Anyone on this boat? For myself I have maybe concentrated too much on photography and compromised it.

For example, many would say you enjoy life and people and use the camera to capture the moments esp with say travel photography right or just people and event stuff even family vacations. I have times just stuck muesli bars in my bag because that lunch meal might had got me an extra roll of film and processing! When I am with others on a trip which is maybe something I don't do all that often, we visit somewhere, since I am to capture the golden sunset, I split up with the group. Oh how as XYZ holiday, oh it was fantastic, I stood outside for 2hrs during sunset and came back and got takeaways - hahah. Why but go anywhere, the expense just for that 2 week away I could get another camera with a lens. Then again you see non photography people and they have gone to more photographic destinations than myself. So often in the past I have just stayed home with my camera gear and when I have gone out it was within a 20 mile radius - I am talking about non stop for a good few years. Yup, not even jumped onto a plane or a road trip away, not even a statutory holiday.

As a result of this I have been more critical of my chance of getting good photos and ie - when I am out in the day time when the light is strong is maybe just shoot with a smaller camera body with a smaller lens and it's more street / candid / snapshot style. So I only take the big stuff out at night when I do have that moment to myself occasionally but I don't max it out, ie - I don't say every night I am by myeslf you guys do your off stuff. Yes, I have also shot off a tripod in summer at mid afternoon.

Cheers.

I do not believe it is possible to do " too much photography." Photography, like any medium for self expression, requires discipline to be effective. That requires practice. Being unusual or exotic is a plus, but being interesting is better. It doesn't even always have to be interesting. Like a muscian practicing scales or a painter with a sketch pad, it's just working ideas to see where they go.
I'm not sure this addresses your question though.

Arklatexian · Jul 21, 2018

rpavich said:
I started out that way (not that long ago) and then realized that photography (for me) is a way to document and celebrate my life; my experiences, my loved ones, the important events in my life...etc. I changed from trying to make good photos to trying to make photos that mean something to me. Photos that I can pull out of a shoe box in 20 years and relive moments and relive relationships.

Nobody will care that I got that perfect Eiffel Tower shot like thousands upon thousands of others, nobody would care that I took the perfect sunset shot...but to me, I will always cherish the images of my Mom's 87th birthday party last year, and I will always cherish the images of my wedding day...etc.

So the answer for me is: yes...take a camera with me at all times but forget it's there. Experience life first! Take pictures second.

+1

Compromised by doing too much photography?

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