Is this why we make photos? What compels us to pick up a camera and press the shutter button? And who do we make photos for? There are so many questions so, let’s dive in, shall we?
What made you pick up a camera?
Magazines have been an integral part of my life as a photographer. In my formative years, as bicycles rapidly consumed my conscious life, every month I’d get the latest issue of Australian Mountain Bike, then BMX Press and of course, 2020 BMX Magazine.
Each issue that made it to my filthy mitts would be read cover to cover. As I perused the shiny new product features and ogled over the stunning destinations or wild tricks being documented, it was the delicious photography that really drew me in.
They wrote wonderful words and stories and I connected thoroughly but it was the pictures that had me spending hours within those pages. There were tales of adventures, road trips, bicycle events and competitions. Riders were pushing the limits of what should be possible on bicycles and these incredibly talented photographers were bringing it to the world for all to see. I was so hooked I didn’t even realise it.
It was a life-altering injury that shone light on my appreciation for photography. While never at the very top of the field, being forced to stop a while had me heading to the camera shop where I picked up my first camera, the Nikon F65 35mm film camera. Then life just got more interesting.
What inspires you? (& why we make photos of it)
Inspiration is everywhere. We spoke about our inspirations in a previous post, but what is it that makes us want to shoot a photo of it?
Many of my photographs made it onto the pages of the Australian BMX magazines. At that time, and in the many years since, people still mention to me the impact those images had on them. That was the very external version of why I made those photos. Internally, I took great pride in knowing my friends were getting seen by more eyes. They were being introduced to the world in such brilliant light and were getting the appreciation they deserved. Occurring to me literally as I write these words, getting paid for this work was the side effect, not the reason. Having said that, my whole life has been lived this way, where getting paid is a cool bonus, not the reason.
Anyway, nowadays, with magazines so few & far between, inspiration and reasons have changed, but only slightly. Print is still my number one reason for making photographs. Jpegs are cool but holding a print in my hands or handing prints to people and watching them react as the paper changes in the light, that’s the reason I make photographs.
Anyone who’s been in one of our photography classes will know that the print starts long before the photo is even made but also, something needs to spark an emotion for us to consider reaching for our camera. Light. Emotion. Awe. It’s the child-like wonder that sparks joy deep within our souls that has many of us reaching for our cameras. When light trickles through a gap in the drawn curtains, or our dog rests carelessly half on, half off their messy and unkept dog bed. It’s daily life, it’s mundane, but it’s also our greatest achievements and our haunting failures. We document to remember all of these moments.
You know the saying, “Take a photo, it’ll last longer!” And what’s the best way for it to last longer? To print it, of course. To gift a real photograph to our friends, to hang it on our walls, to put it in an album. And that album will one day tell the stories of our lives. Forever.
Do I have to make money from my photos?
As I loosely touched on earlier, getting paid was always just the side effect, not the root reason for making photos. My real reason for making photographs was always art, expression and to share experiences with friends.
See the above photograph? It’s nothing special but I saw it and needed to pull over, jump two fences and make the photo. I liked how the tall, waist high grassed danced in the morning light. I enjoyed the yellow playing against the clear blue sky and of course, the two dead trees just screamed to have their portrait made.
Will I make money from this? Probably not. Did I print this photograph? Not yet. Why did I make it then? To show a small window into that day then, and in the future. Looking at this photo takes me back to the moment. All the things that happened before and after are etched in my memory now and hopefully always will be.
When I think about why we make photos, making money rarely comes up. When a business approaches me for a photography campaign, it is the creation that excites me, not the invoice.
Why we make photos - Recurring themes?
The recurring them in my work is probably obvious. I make photos of trees and people. Trees are just cool and people, well, people are my greatest source of inspiration. Being the one who helps people tell their stories is magical.
Do you have any themes dictating your work? What is it that you see regularly that you must shoot a photograph of? Is it classic cars? Ladders leading into pools? Or are you the one documenting your friends at parties? When we seek out the things that inspire us, we make better photos. We’re connecting more with those around us, seeing delight in our friends, family and anyone else privileged to see our work.
Recording the goings on in my world is how I’d describe the photographs I make and thus, what dictates my style. Leading into next months’ blog & newsletter theme, documenting the world around us is almost a universal reason to make photos.
Each one of us has a very unique perspective. Two people can stand at the same scene and see completely different images. It is exactly what makes photography so great. When you’re inspired to grab your camera, remember what you saw first. That unique vision, your unique perspective, is why we make photos.
Great read, Steve 👍
What is it about trees that is particularly or peculiarly cool to you? Curious to know
Oooh, good question, Andrew. Thank you.
I don’t know how to put it exactly. I feel an incredible, deep sense of connection when surrounded by trees. An indescribable, undeniable calm. Peace. They stop me in my tracks, for sure.
Nice images mate, I feel compelled to take pics to capture a moment in time, I don’t know why this is but it is so I go with it.
Hey Damien,
Thank you.
I’d say that’s as good a reason as anything, huh! It is your record of life!
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