How many times have you re-invented yourself as a photographer?

[Dusty Negative]

So, I've been doing this (film) photography thing for over five years now, and photography in general for something like 15...maybe almost 20.

I find that I periodically re-invent myself as a photographer in terms of how I like to shoot (aka my "style") and what I like to focus on.

While I'm sure some re-invention is critical to the artistic process, it makes me wonder just how prevalent/frequent this phenomenon is for you all, and what you feel you've learned along the way regarding those changes.

I am only now coming to terms with what I *really* want to be doing with this hobby/obsession. That's both a relief and, to some extent, a frustration, given how much time I've diverted my attention (and money) to other photographic pursuits. I say this because, ultimately, I'm really just circling back around to what I initially wanted to do, but was simply too insecure to stick with. I have spent years fiddling with others styles, other mediums, etc., afraid that I might be missing something, or, worse, that I should actually be trying to make money along the way. This last has been a real challenge artistically because it derailed me onto the gravelly shoulder of "well, since I need to make money here, I'd better focus on X, because that's the market, and I'll do Y (what I really wanted to do) in my spare time," which, naturally, I very rarely got around to.

So....photographers, how long did it take for you to commit to your photographic niche? And, once you committed, what was the road like since you made the commitment?

 

[wiltw]

I started off shooting professionally,

1. doing fashion events and headshots.
2. time as a photojournalist.
3. time doing weddings & receptions.
4. time doing medium-sized and large-sized products

My time in each was merely due to the kinds of clients that were commonly available to me at different phases of my life. The requisite skills and temperment are quite different, and I had to 'bone up' on the unique set of skills needed for each. The most hectic and stressful, and requiring the greatest amount of rapid thinking and solution findinging was weddings, and the most demanding clients were there, too...lots of pros try this for a short time, and then abandon it!
And now I am merely (re)tired.

 

[Rick A]

I started very young, over 60 years ago. I haven't stopped, but I am slowing down a bit. Seems like any time I became bored with photography I found a new way of looking and thinking that spurred me on. I was a pro portrait and wedding photographer right out of college. I worked with a wedding photographer in my teens, was the school year book staff photographer in HS.

 

[AnselMortensen]

Hmmm...

Photo student
Photo student again.
Photo Lab Tech
Studio & Location Assistant
Freelance editorial
Staff photographer, museum
Newspaper editorial photographer
Race car photography
Currently doing personal work only... multiple projects going on simultaneously. It depends on what I'm photographing, where I am, and what camera I'm using.

 

[grahamp]

Since I have never tried to earn a living by photography, my images generally reflect what my life allowed me to do over the years. Personal work, by definition, reflects the person, and people are rarely static. I have noticed a tendency to larger formats over time, but I put that down to eyesight more than artistic sight!

 

[Philippe-Georges]

Not enough, professionally nor 'artistic'...

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I've been evolving over the years but there have been certain constants, regardless of the camera format or printing medium. I guess that is in part because I always was into photography for personal artistic reasons. Trying to sell my photographs has always been an uphill challenge and will require whoever manages my estate to do something with it. The money I've made has mostly been from teaching and advocacy. But I've always been into human figure studies, to a lesser extent portraits, and travel photography. 90%+ in black-and-white, 95% film based, and probably 50% medium format, 45% large format. I did do some still life from time to time, but got into it in a serious way during the pandemic. I think the biggest evolution was back in 2002-2003 ish time frame when there was the big scare that analog materials were going to go away, and so I got into alternative processes so I could keep shooting my large format cameras without being dependent on industrially sourced materials.

 

[guangong]

I've been evolving over the years but there have been certain constants, regardless of the camera format or printing medium. I guess that is in part because I always was into photography for personal artistic reasons. Trying to sell my photographs has always been an uphill challenge and will require whoever manages my estate to do something with it. The money I've made has mostly been from teaching and advocacy. But I've always been into human figure studies, to a lesser extent portraits, and travel photography. 90%+ in black-and-white, 95% film based, and probably 50% medium format, 45% large format. I did do some still life from time to time, but got into it in a serious way during the pandemic. I think the biggest evolution was back in 2002-2003 ish time frame when there was the big scare that analog materials were going to go away, and so I got into alternative processes so I could keep shooting my large format cameras without being dependent on industrially sourced materials.

The word “evolving” is key. If one doesn’t grow and change there is only stagnation and repetition. This is true of any art. My photographic interests are very different now than they were 60+ years ago. The same is true of my artistic endeavors in other areas.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

It's never been a business for me... I guess I committed myself to photography when I picked up a book back in '92 about Ansel Adams, which showed to me that one could have control over the process, and be creative. I dropped drawing, which I have done since childhood (I still do it now and then as it is a part of me and I'm an art teacher ). The power of the photographic image didn't become apparent until I had an exhibit back in 2002. I never saw people cry at a showing of my drawings, but I did at this exhibit... My photography itself has gone through a few changes. From gel silver printing to full on alt printing, for example. That in itself has been an amazing journey. All along though, subject matter has pretty much stayed the same. I continue to work on a few on going projects over the past 25 years... and I've realised that there is more than one way to photograph a scene... soft focus/short DOF is plenty fine!

 

[jvo]

I started out doing photography because I loved it
10 years in, I thought maybe I can make some money at this... doing what I love!
year 1, kept my day job, did weddings, dogs, engagements, etc. on weekends and some nights. made a small profit on photography.
year 2, less day job more photography. made larger profit.
year 3, quit the day job, paid expenses with about 10% out of savings.
years 4, made a tidy profit, expanded in other areas of work.
years 5, profitable, livable wage and realized I could do this AND wasn't enjoying my photography, doing what I love. Went back to a day job.

Now I sell photo's here and there, also freely give them away.

I also learned that very few hobbyists look to make money from their hobby, except photographers... and there are a lot trying.

 

[Steven Lee]

Zero. I am yet to invent myself before I could proceed to re-inventing. My understanding of photographers, based on their interviews or books they've written, is that they care deeply about the image. I lose interest in an image the second after it's done. I haven't kept a single silver nor color print from my high school and college days, and I never look at my digital images after about a year or so. I believe that a framed color print on a wall is a sign of the wall owner's bad taste, but I enjoy the top B&W masters and occasionally duplicate their work. So it's definitely not about the image for me.

But the process is... it's like meditation. I absolutely love the process of taking a photo, film development, and scanning/printing. By my own definition, this doesn't make me a photographer.

 

[Hassasin]

Is this a question of re-inventing oneself or evolving ? Two different things. Re-inventing would be closer to Mozart switching to RAP, when his shows stopped gaining attention. Evolving would be what a good or better musicians show over their long careers. Sae could be said about anyone in art, of course.

In (pro) photography there is a difference between those who "re-invent" their "photography" because their target market dried up or original audience got finally bored and those who continually yet subtly fine tune their still original way of seeing. Looking through some most prominent names in photography I see the same. When Kertesz started shooting his Polaroids in the window, was that re-invention? None of those looked like anything before, yet Kertesz was in them through and through.

Can one change how he/she sees the world? Of course.

Historically the art world has gone through vastly different periods, but most of it was not really driven by evolvement, but rather a need/desire to distance from known form, seek new audience, shock in some cases in order to gain attention. A forced change of how things are done, essentially "they do it that way so I will do it in another". In this sense nothing changed, and it applies to everything in life, not only art.

I would be wary to claim re-invention and agree with evolvement being far better approximation of how one changes over time.

Re-inventing is too premeditated with potential to be dishonest.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Is this a question of re-inventing oneself or evolving ?

I'm of the evolving type. To reinvent my photography I'd have to switch to being a mall Santa photographer, high school graduation photographer, forensic photographer, catalogue product photographer, etc.

The first evolutionary turn was in my teens when I bought a medium format camera and a good tripod because the images (colour slides) I was coming back from hikes with were nothing like the scenes I had photographed.

The second came in my early twenties after seeing books by E. Weston and A. Adams, getting a 4x5 field camera, turning my parents laundry room into a darkroom, and starting to make my own prints.

The third came several years later when I showed some prints to a nationally recognized photographer who, while sifting through the photos chuckled & muttered to himself, "I remember taking photos like these". His comment stung and stuck with me, because he was right.

I had made very pretty photos of Nature following 'centre of the road' (not challenging in any way) traditional images in the large format West Coast Photography style. They weren't expressions of how I really saw the environment where I live, and while the compositions were formally pleasing, they didn't express how I saw or experienced the north coast of BC.

Some forty seven years after starting down this path...now going all in with polymer photogravure.

I'm following barely heard whisperings from my images, who don't want to live as selenium toned fibre based silver prints that are dry mounted, over matted, and framed under glass...they want to live as art objects to be held in the hands, made of printmaking ink infused within mulberry bark paper fibres with potential life spans of 1,000 years.

I've made traditional silver prints that made the hair on my arms stand up. The new goal is to make a photogravure that generates a tear large enough to roll down my cheek.

 

[Vaughn]

...

In (pro) photography there is a difference between those who "re-invent" their "photography" because their target market dried up or original audience got finally bored and those who continually yet subtly fine tune their still original way of seeing. Looking through some most prominent names in photography I see the same. When Kertesz started shooting his Polaroids in the window, was that re-invention? None of those looked like anything before, yet Kertesz was in them through and through.

...

Some photographers have had to re-invent their photography due to the disappearance of the materials they requires for their past work. Such as the multiple changes in Portriga Rapid (an Agfa paper) and its eventual disappearance.

I am not some much a re-inventer or evolver -- more of a refiner. Using photography to slowly improve my skills -- mostly with seeing, now that printing is a bit more controlled with experience.

 

[cliveh]

Never. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and have never changed my MO or purpose.

 

[mshchem]

I'm not sure. I've been fascinated by the technology forever. So many different ways to approach photography, never gets boring

 

[Dusty Negative]

I also learned that very few hobbyists look to make money from their hobby, except photographers... and there are a lot trying.

Oh, boy, yes there are. But...I would guess that photography ranks as one of the more expensive hobbies. I'm sure it's nowhere near *the* most expensive...Flyable "toy" airplanes must cost a few ducats, for example.

 

[Dusty Negative]

Never. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and have never changed my MO or purpose.

That's a very fulfilling position to be in.

 

[awty]

I have niches I haven't even invented yet.

 

[BMbikerider]

Like Rick (reply 3) I have over 60 yrs of film photography using a mixture of 35mm 120 and 645 under my belt. Plus a bit of 5x4 when I was working in the Police photographic section in the 60's. I tried digital a few times since 2001 and was never happy with what they produced, so now back to 35mm film anything bigger is just to big the heave around now.

So counting 3-4 short forays in to digital it is only once I have changed direction but always came back.

 

[warden]

I have niches I haven't even invented yet.

Bravo!

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Like Rick (reply 3) I have over 60 yrs of film photography using a mixture of 35mm 120 and 645 under my belt. Plus a bit of 5x4 when I was working in the Police photographic section in the 60's. I tried digital a few times since 2001 and was never happy with what they produced, so now back to 35mm film anything bigger is just to big the heave around now.

So counting 3-4 short forays in to digital it is only once I have changed direction but always came back.

NOT trying to convert you away from film in any way, but digital has come a LONG way since 2001. If they announced tomorrow that all film was gone, and that all film cameras were now illegal, I could be satisfied with using my Fuji XT5 or splurging and bumping up to a Fuji GFX. But since that's a purely fantasy exercise, with no reflection on reality, I'm very very happy to keep working with my large format film cameras and my Rolleiflexes.

 

[Vaughn]

... If they announced tomorrow that all film was gone, and that all film cameras were now illegal, I could be satisfied with using my Fuji XT5 or splurging and bumping up to a Fuji GFX. ...

I would just spent the rest of my life printing the negatives I already have. My 'shooting' has already decreased a little due to too many unprinted negatives! And have enough film stored to keep me happy until the end of days.

 

[BMbikerider]

NOT trying to convert you away from film in any way, but digital has come a LONG way since 2001. If they announced tomorrow that all film was gone, and that all film cameras were now illegal, I could be satisfied with using my Fuji XT5 or splurging and bumping up to a Fuji GFX. But since that's a purely fantasy exercise, with no reflection on reality, I'm very very happy to keep working with my large format film cameras and my Rolleiflexes.

Each to their own, but I started with film and if it is still available I will finish my days with film. The very first few films I developed in a blacked out bathroom back in the early 1960's go me so hooked, I am still fascinated at what film can produce and still throw up unexpected surprises even now. Like most film photographers past and present we developed a skill and that is something I do not want to loose. Whilst it can never be classed as a 'friend' to loose the ability is something I would not like to contemplate.
As good as it is, Digital for me is lifeless.

 

[Miquel Julia]

As an amateur photographer several times, however the transition from analogue to digital photography meant a break of several years for me. The processes disappeared and I no longer understood photography nor did I like the result. Now I combine both, but I spent several years without photographing except for my personal and family memories.