What does photography mean to you?

This is one of the reasons I love photography. As we get older and life beats our inner child into submission, the ability to experience joyous wonder at the simplest things fades. Photography lets me experience it vicariously through captured images like this and in some ways I still feel it myself when looking for something to shoot. Screw drugs and therapy! I have a camera!

How about you?

Dave

With film I used to get pretty wound up because I only had so much of it, didn't get the instant feedback that digital now affords us, and stressed about all the factors that make a memorable photograph.

Now it is, as you say, like therapy - I "see" more and enjoy more the environment I am experiencing. If the "perfect" shot isn't there right now, something else good is waiting right around the corner.

But I must admit that on the flip side - I also like the "accuracy" part: Is the focus and depth of field just right, is there a power pole back there that I used to overlook, am I using the camera tools the engineers designed into it to their best advantage, etc. It's the evolving and never-ending learning that keeps it fresh for me. I don't think I will ever pull the trigger on more upscale camera body than my trusty Rebel because I'm afraid I would expect more from my efforts - and my efforts and the entire experience is satisfying to me as things are right now.

I'm proud of the one or two shots at an event that, when shown to others later, evoke a positive response - it's flattering to have something I created recognized as worthy of others' enjoyment and appreciation. I love to be able to look at a photograph from a week, a year, or more ago and relive that moment - be reminded how wonderful it was to be there and be a witness to it.

And that's all I need to keep picking it up and taking with me wherever I go!

Creating memories. I wonder how many more photos I would have of my daughters growing up if we'd had digital instead of film. After I finish my degree (December!) I want to take classes to really learn how to take photos. I have seven grands and five pets to experiment on. I want to be able to take a photo of storm clouds that makes the viewer sit back and say "wow". One that keeps the hummingbird in focus, or that shows the center of the rose to perfection. The sleeping cat or the flush of the grandchild's cheek in the sun.

And then I want to learn how to actually post/share them here. :rolleyes:

This is one of the reasons I love photography. As we get older and life beats our inner child into submission, the ability to experience joyous wonder at the simplest things fades. Photography lets me experience it vicariously through captured images like this and in some ways I still feel it myself when looking for something to shoot. Screw drugs and therapy! I have a camera!

 

 

How about you?

 

Dave

Precious and priceless!!

I take pictures for the memories.

Many times my DH will ask me if we have seen this or that at a certain port.

And I pull out the photo albums to remind him. Yes -- he has last some memory -- age does catch us with us. And pictures are great to bring back those memories.

This is one of the reasons I love photography. As we get older and life beats our inner child into submission, the ability to experience joyous wonder at the simplest things fades. Photography lets me experience it vicariously through captured images like this and in some ways I still feel it myself when looking for something to shoot. Screw drugs and therapy! I have a camera! How about you? Dave

Krazy Kruizers: I take pictures for the memories.

Appreciate the super excellent original question and very nice picture from Dave. Love the blunt comment on "Screw drugs and therapy!". Yes' date=' as noted above, so much for me is about [b']keeping the "MEMORIES" fresh and alive[/b].

We are planning a Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Silver Cloud Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days. It is lots of fun doing that research for this future adventure, plus thinking about all of the great visual images that will be possible to get and share. Am planning on doing a live/blog, again, for this trip.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 76,864 views for this fun posting.

From a week ago, here are two of the most recent candid pictures of our two grandsons in Virginia. First is the oldest, who will turn four in early October. Second is the youngest who just turned two in late July. So much fun capturing BOTH family and travel pictures. Great memories that stay fresh and alive!!:

Dave, throughout life my wife and I make memories that will last a lifetime and our photos help us to relive those memories and our photos allow our children to relive memories from their childhood.

Keith

I think the answer depends on what you intend to take pictures of. If I was on vacation and going on a trip, photography means documentation of the memories. If I was to go out and take pictures as a photographer (for me this means going out to take pictures for the sole purpose of taking pictures), I want the pictures to tell a story. If you come back wth pictures where you get asked more than just, "where was that taken", I think I'll be happy.

In loving photography I certainly appreciate the memories. You can re-live an day,event, special occasion all over again when you go back through photos you've taken. But that usually takes place after. After the thrill of capturing the shot.

The tech side of photography has a thrilling grip on me that I can't shake. I can't wait to photography Alaska! I haven't even booked yet but I'm I'm already studying and planning for the photographic experience. The what, when, where, how of it all is my right now moment of joy in taking pictures. Then--later with the images saved, keyword tagged, and categorized--I can print the best of the best, create a slideshow and/or video, share with my friends and family and re-live a great time all over again:D.

Thanks for the great question.

LaDonna

I tried to dig for some great life meaning, some reaffirming connection to family, some spiritual connection, some greater cause - but honestly, for me photography is something that I thoroughly enjoy - both the process of taking photos and looking at photos. There are bits and pieces of those other things there - memories of family, reminders of good times, ways to hold onto places, people, and things that are no more, glimpses of history frozen forever, time capsules of places seen and life lived.

But there are also the artistic values - capturing colors, light, structure, controlling composition, sending messages and meanings, making commentary, and so on. And there's having an excuse to keep me going outside, seeing and enjoying nature, wildlife, landscapes, going to new places, seeking out trails less traveled - just keeping life interesting and making it worth living.

There's the sharing aspect - showing photos to friends and family, not only to share my travels, my nature, my portraits, the course of my life, but to show and share my artistic vision too - a peek into my mind's eye and what I see and appreciate as I move through the world, as well as sharing and enjoying their photos for the same reason.

There's a bit of escapism involved - capturing places how I see them, or sometimes how I WANT to see them, even if that might not be the constant reality of that place...capturing a person in their best light, that might not be their common state, capturing animals in beautiful pose or setting, that might be otherwise dangerous or endangered.

And there's a little bit of 'geek' involved, because I think there's a side of me that would probably still be out taking photos with cameras even if the photo could never leave the device, and could never be shown to anyone...simply because I enjoy the challenge and the process - just feeling the controls and turning dials and hitting buttons and hearing that shutter trip and/or that mirror flipping.

There's even the appreciation of the imperfection that remains from film days- that little bit of surprise and anticipation of whether you 'got the shot' or not. That's the part of me that doesn't necessarily see all advances and evolution in the process as a good thing, at least for me, because it can strip out too much of the chance and luck and therefore the joy and surprise. When I hear of a camera that will take the entire depth of field in focus, and allow post-processing adjustments to shallow the depth of field as much or as little as desired while sitting in front of a computer, or I hear of the possibility of high-resolution video obsoleting taking stills of moving subjects because of the ability to just shoot a constant video and pull stills out from the perfect moment anywhere within...I find myself repelled by those ideas - take away the challenge and the skill and the risk/reward process, and it takes away most of the joy in the process and pursuit. Let me work for my results, and the failures and misses make the successes all the sweeter.

I dunno Justin...that sounded pretty philosophical to me! ;)

Dave

Photography to me is to create memories for family and friends and to look back and remember special days.

To capture the feelings and emotions of family and friends. To see how your children grow and their special occasions. Once the moment is gone it is gone, at least you can capture it with your camera.

Without photography I think may of us would be very sad.

"Today's Pictures Are Tomorrow's Memories"

One, five, ten or maybe twenty years from now what will you remember of loved ones, places traveled, special moments experienced, or daily moments to treasure

Take a picture of a special moment in time and you'll be able to treasure it forever!

Now everyone's standard of what constitutes a "picture" is diverging with FB, selfies and smartphones. I think many teens and tweens memories are line up with the snapchat and instagrams then what us oldies think and do. Technology is really changing how we file away our memories and life:eek:

Photography to me is memories of my Dad who was a Professional Photographer & had his own shop for many years, so we grew up in front of a camera! He even used me as a model when he was in photography school in Philly after the war. As you can probably guess, we have 100's of pictures & I would never give up taking & sharing photo's with family & friends, makes me feel like a part of my wonderful father is always with me. He gave me a Yashika (sp?) camera for my 16th. birthday as he did for my 2 younger sister's when they turned 16, I still have it. :D

"Today's Pictures Are Tomorrow's Memories"

 

One, five, ten or maybe twenty years from now what will you remember of loved ones, places traveled, special moments experienced, or daily moments to treasure

 

Take a picture of a special moment in time and you'll be able to treasure it forever!

 

Now everyone's standard of what constitutes a "picture" is diverging with FB, selfies and smartphones. I think many teens and tweens memories are line up with the snapchat and instagrams then what us oldies think and do. Technology is really changing how we file away our memories and life:eek:

Perfect post, love the comments you made

i'm not overly creative or artistic - but when i have a camera in hand and i capture an image that turns out well - i feel like i am.

"Today's Pictures Are Tomorrow's Memories"

 

One, five, ten or maybe twenty years from now what will you remember of loved ones, places traveled, special moments experienced, or daily moments to treasure

 

Take a picture of a special moment in time and you'll be able to treasure it forever!

 

Now everyone's standard of what constitutes a "picture" is diverging with FB, selfies and smartphones. I think many teens and tweens memories are line up with the snapchat and instagrams then what us oldies think and do. Technology is really changing how we file away our memories and life:eek:

One thing that worries me is that a lot of those memories will be lost, because of new technology. I suspect facebook, snapchat and instagram wont be around in 50 years let alone 200.

The floppy disk I used 20 years ago to store everything is now obsolete, but I have portraits of ancestors from the early-mid 1800's.

One thing that worries me is that a lot of those memories will be lost, because of new technology. I suspect facebook, snapchat and instagram wont be around in 50 years let alone 200.

 

The floppy disk I used 20 years ago to store everything is now obsolete, but I have portraits of ancestors from the early-mid 1800's.

That's the beauty of digital technology. As storage technology matures, images can be transferred to the latest media and converted newer formats with no loss of fidelity. My floppies and CDs are long gone but the images from them have new homes on multiple modern external drives.

Another plus is the convenience. We just shared Halloween photos with relatives in three states a half hour after they were taken. Having several copies of an oil painting made and shipped...:)

Dave

G'day Dave

Another plus is the convenience. We just shared Halloween photos with relatives in three states a half hour after they were taken. Having several copies of an oil painting made and shipped...:)

That is a huge plus.

But I suspect [with good reason I think] that not everyone is as careful about backing up before technology becomes obsolete as those with a passion. I fully accept that there are pluses and minuses with any advancement just worry that a lot of the memories will be lost forever.

I got my first camera when I was around 7 or 8 years old - about 60 years ago. :eek:

While I'm not particularly artistic I love being able to document our trips so I can share with family - not to mention there's no way I would remember everything we've seen. I'm not a great photographer but every once in a while I manage to take a shot that says WOW. And like a lot of other posters I sure wish we'd had digital back when our sons were small.

G'day Dave

 

 

 

That is a huge plus.

 

But I suspect [with good reason I think] that not everyone is as careful about backing up before technology becomes obsolete as those with a passion. I fully accept that there are pluses and minuses with any advancement just worry that a lot of the memories will be lost forever.

Tech moves fast but backward compatibility over generations of storage and the overall price of storage dropping like a stone makes it easy to protect your data. I agree that many, if not most, casual photographers don't pay attention to this important component of modern photography. On the bright side, it's easy to put together a simple plan to protect yourself from loss. Cloud storage and inexpensive portable storage can even prevent a type of "memory loss" that has plagued mankind since we stopped using cave walls as an art medium...the house fire.

It's a great time to be a photographer!

Dave

I've been thinking about this since posted and like Dave said, photography is better than therapy. It's an activity I can do with a group and share ideas or on my own if I need some time. Being a little bit of an introvert, it has brought me out of my comfort zone in talking with people I wouldn't approach otherwise and going different places I wouldn't have thought of before.

For the most part, tho, the creativity aspect is just a lot of fun. Working on different projects and developing techniques to get the desired result is relaxing. Yes, and at times mind numbing when it's getting to technical:eek:, but eventually things fall into place, then it's a rewarding experience.

So there are my different answers to the question, I'm glad I picked up that little P&S camera 12 years ago that got me started:)