Why do you take photographs?

[Cage]

Yep, that's mine. I couldn't think of a better place to showcase it. It's odd, but first I got "discovered" in Europe, then USA, Russia, China and Japan and now Australia.

We on this forum have known for a long time that your work was special Steve.

But geez Mate, you have set the bar high for yourself, although I'm sure you are up for the challenge.

[ricktas]

For me.. 'Why do you take photographs'.

The taking of the photographs is secondary for me. Yes I love taking photos, but I love even more, to be alone. To go out by myself and get onto a beach, even before the early morning runners, or dog walkers. Just me and the beach, the waves. Or going up a mountain by myself, or bushwalking to a funghi spot... the places are endless. But I simply like being by myself, away from the noises of humanity. Me, the natural world., and my camera.

[Steve Axford]

For me.. 'Why do you take photographs'.

The taking of the photographs is secondary for me. Yes I love taking photos, but I love even more, to be alone. To go out by myself and get onto a beach, even before the early morning runners, or dog walkers. Just me and the beach, the waves. Or going up a mountain by myself, or bushwalking to a funghi spot... the places are endless. But I simply like being by myself, away from the noises of humanity. Me, the natural world., and my camera.

Another really important reason. I too will often go into the forest and the photography will keep me there, alone and happy for many hours. Any photos are a useful byproduct. This is probably why I don't really like doing a lot of post processing. It's because I don't really like working on a computer.

[jim]

Another really important reason. I too will often go into the forest and the photography will keep me there, alone and happy for many hours. Any photos are a useful byproduct. This is probably why I don't really like doing a lot of post processing. It's because I don't really like working on a computer.

Yeah, same. And Rick's reason works for me too.

[Lizzy84]

I used to take photographs to document life events (Birthdays, Christmas, Family outings etc.) Now I take photos as a creative outlet.

[Mark L]

Now I take photos as a creative outlet.

Is that creative outlet simply observed by you. Where do you share it? Maybe you don't because you don't need to.
Please share the creative here because some of us like to look. Possibly that's you with low posting.
(I'm not being critical, just wondering in a tired state.)

[Steve Axford]

I'd be curious to know if the campaign to get people to post is having the desired effect. It strikes me that it is just as likely to encourage people not to post at all. Now you, Mark, have been very gentle in your approach but it is not always so. If Lizzy looks again, perhaps you could volunteer your opinion?

[Mark L]

Now you, Mark, have been very gentle in your approach but it is not always so. If Lizzy looks again, perhaps you could volunteer your opinion?

I'm guessing you think my opinion was somehow misplaced or something?

[Steve Axford]

No. We are all entitled to our opinions. I may even agree, in part. It's just the way we go about persuading others to see things the same way that can sometimes be a bit tricky.

[Liney]

I guess I primarily take photos because I see something that I like the look of and want to keep the image. I get the satisfaction of making an accurate representation of the image, and if I feel the need I can manipulate the image I have made (but within reason).

If I take something I like then I tend to use it as the wallpaper on my work computer (until I take another image I like). We have a few photographers in the office, and the rest just take selfies and snaps of the kids. The warm fuzzy feeling is when someone spots the wallpaper and comments, if it's one of the photogs we discuss techniques and lighting, if it's one of the others I usually have to explain what the image is.

[nimrodisease]

I really relate to those who have said they like getting out in nature, the solitude of it and being immersed in your surroundings. Sometimes even the camera is a distraction to that so the photography takes a back seat.

I also like having beautiful photos to look back on and remember the beauty of the world. It gives me more motivation to get back to the wild places when I've spent too long in the city.

I also like having a record of things we have done, places we have been, who we are. I love printing photo books and having something I can hold in my hands and show to people.

[MissionMan]

Sounds like a simple question, but I suspect that the answer can sometimes be quite complex. I'll tell you why I take photos.
The main reason is communication. It is a way for me to show people what I see. In my case it is showing real things, usually nature, and the attempt is to show those things as they really are. In turn that makes me slow down and really look at what I am photographing, and then read up on what it is, and get in contact with experts in that field.

And then there is the how.
Reality comes in many shades and it is far too complex to show in a simple photograph. For a start, we live in time and a still photo is, well, still. And the camera is imperfect and gives a representation of reality, not reality itself and it is a slightly different reality than our eyes show us. So I have to make decisions as to what shade of reality I show.

There are some things that a camera will do that our eyes cannot. For example: slow shutter speeds allowing the blurring of some components to a greater or lesser extent. Our eyes almost always blur to the same extent.
And some things that a camera can't do that our eyes/brain can. Cameras are limited to about 4,000 times the brightness form the darkest to the lightest pixel. Our eyes/brain can "see" scenes with up to 1,000,000 times. Actually our eyes can only can only measure light differences with a factor of 10 difference between adjacent pixels but our brains can construct the rest by combining images (sort of an in house HDR).
Then there is the way our brain interprets things. Some things that we can easily ignore in a moving scene becomes very obvious in a photo. A gorilla walking across a basketball court may be virtually invisible in a moving picture, but isn't in a still photo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQmdoK_ZfY . Power lines often aren't a worry in a real scene, but can become intolerable in a still photo. We have to allow for things like this as we compose a photo and that is a challenge, and that becomes part of the attraction as we learn more of how to do it. It becomes an art, even when the aim is for reality. I seem to remember some comment that taking pictures of reality isn't art. I don't agree with that.

Then there are the choices of which reality I choose to show. Perhaps that involves decisions as to what time of day, what lighting, what angle, what instant, what camera, what lens, what settings, etc, etc. There are often almost infinite ways in which a photo of any one thing can be taken and again that is a challenge and a lot of fun. Of course it helps to know what your objective is.

Because I'm a crap painter...

[Steve Axford]

Fascinating! What else can't you do?