Do you find photographs?

[ChristopherCoy]

Simple question.

Do you find photographs, or do photographs find you?

 

[Pieter12]

Both, but generally, photographs take me.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I find compositions to photograph. They don't come looking for me.

 

[removed account4]

I don't find them, I make them
( I’ve been making photos without a camera ... so I am actually making them )

 

[Pioneer]

Sometimes I make a photograph by purposely arranging people or objects and providing, or waiting for, the right light. Sometimes photographs find me. I will be walking or driving along and some scene stops me in my tracks and insists that I photograph it. I know that sounds a bit odd but it is true. Of course that scene or arrangement often needs additional development in order to make a compelling image. That brings us back to the "making" part. Even when I am out and about on the street, which I don't often do, I will frequently select a background and then wait for someone, or some group of someones, to enter the scene to complete the arrangement that I have in my mind.

But there is also the occasional pure shithouse luck photo that reaches out and bites me on the arse. But even then I have to be prepared with the right camera and the right film because those scenarios are usually quite fleeting. IE; Cat with paws on the window sill looking longingly at a bird sitting on the porch rail a couple of feet away with a yard of fresh fallen snow reflecting the gold sunrise sun. Didn't have the camera so I missed it. But I have managed to capture others.

 

[Vaughn]

Semantics, but I find images, the photographs come later in the process.

 

[awty]

I make pictures not photographs. Photographs are for taking, pictures are for giving. Now back to the darkroom to make some more, need to warm up a bit before going into the deep recesses of my mind, think I left a little bit of credibility back there, just got to find it.

 

[gone]

Most times the shots are usually there, we just have to find them. But taking a camera w/ me to take pics means I look at everything differently. I mean, it would, right? We have to look closer at our prey. My first drawing teacher (who I hated, but she was right about this. And only this) would always answer the question "What do I draw?" with, "just draw what's in front of you right now".

Obviously if you're a LF landscape photographer you need the shot to be there, but you need to be able to see it too, not just look at it. Drawing really puts me in touch w/ what's in front of me. It's impossible to draw anything well w/o looking very closely at it, When we do that we see things that normally aren't noticed.......the many colors in shadows, how a tree limb isn't black, that's really a shadow on it, etc.

 

[guangong]

Camera, mind, and eye discover a picture, whether photograph or drawing. Some are more talented than others, and can see photographs where some of us see nothing.

 

[Valerie]

I don't find them, I make them
( I’ve been making photos without a camera ... so I am actually making them )

Same... I make the image from objects/places that exist. But more often than not the result is nowhere close to what I thought I was capturing.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

I think in terms of the subject, is it something I'm interested in at the moment. Situation - do I have a camera with me, what camera, is the lighting good etc. - assuming those are there, do I have the motivation to "photograph" / expose some film etc.

 

[removed account4]

Same... I make the image from objects/places that exist. But more often than not the result is nowhere close to what I thought I was capturing.

. me too, its a surprise and too much fun

 

[MattKing]

Sometimes...