defining moment in your life

[Sirius Glass]

Listening to Alan Shepard's suborbital flight on the school PA, I decided to go into electrical engineering.

 

[railwayman3]

No real definining moments here as regards life choices generally, I think that my career and interests have just developed gradually from many outside influences....perhaps sometimes influenced too much, and I would always now tell a young person to do what they want and what they believe is right for them, not what other people say they ought to do.

On the photography interests, I remember the first time my Dad showed me how to make contact prints, having bought me a "Johnsons of Hendon" kit for my birthday (following on a chemistry set for Christmas!). This really sparked my interest and I have enjoyed the various aspects of our hobby since then....not always with the best of practical results, but also with viewing about other photographers work from books, magazines and exhibitions, and, now, the internet. Even just "thinking about" the hobby and planning photographic objectives and visits has been a great relaxation from life stresses at time.

 

[Arklatexian]

I remember one moment in particular. I was fifteen years old and had been heavily into photography for about two years. I'd taken many very decent photos and had them displayed on a wall. My mom invited one of her acquaintances over for coffee and to talk to me about working in her family's photo studio some day. The nice lady pointed to a portrait of my grandfather and commented that she really liked it. She asked, "Other than technical accuracy, do you know what makes this a very fine portrait?".

I could not answer her question. I was completely stymied and somewhat stunned. I thought I was pretty darned good at photography because I knew more (technically) than the professionals I'd spoken to. The thing I'd fallen completely in love with (photography) had suddenly smacked me down and let me know I didn't know as much as I thought I knew. I could see and feel... and I could take the images... I was good at the technical aspects... but I didn't know what made them good. That one question made me think and wonder for a very long time.

That one simple question led me to learn more about the emotional aspects of photography and it still affects everything I do. Until that moment, I never thought it was important to analyze the emotional aspect of anything that's so technical in practice. I think this question affected my photography as much as any other thing before or since. I wish I could thank that fine lady right now but she's long gone.

I wonder how many of us wish we could thank someone for their positive influences in our lives but failed to recognize it at the time and we waited until it was too late.

Old-n-feeble, isn't what you described above what photography is all about? I am rereading one of Ansel's books anf that seem to be what he was really talking about, not technical excellence......Regards

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

Old-n-feeble, isn't what you described above what photography is all about? I am rereading one of Ansel's books anf that seem to be what he was really talking about, not technical excellence......Regards

Mostly yes and sometimes no. Some photography is completely technical such as repro work in which the goal is to copy precisely what is presented... no emotions to inflect and there shouldn't be. In most other photography I do believe there is at least some emotional content... even landscape and architecture. What I had failed to "actively" consider up to that point in my life was the importance of emotional impact in portraits. I could do it but I had no idea why. That very kind lady helped me to grow not only photographically but as a human being too.

 

[benjiboy]

Wow, that photograph made the hair on my arms stand up.

Yea man, it made the skins on my bongos creep.

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

Yea man, it made the skins on my bongos creep.

Please stop talking dirty on this forum.:confused:

 

[blansky]

My epiphany came when I decided to think for myself and question everything.

Around 12 years old.

From that point on I started to re-invent myself about every 7 years.

I thought about stuff, pondered it for a while, evaluated my ponderings and around the 7 years mark, I evolved into something else, usually in a different place.

 

[benjiboy]

Please stop talking dirty on this forum.:confused:

You obviously misunderstand, read this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongo_drum

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

You obviously misunderstand, read this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongo_drum

It was a joke.