Why are you a photograher?

If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all. -Michelangelo

As Jenn and I were making the move to NYC last week I spent most of the ride here questioning if I’m cut out for this. After all the education, time, and money invested in becoming a photographer would I have been better off becoming a 9-5 cubicle monkey? We all know the answer to that. Yet I still have those days where I question if I have what it takes and if my pictures are any good?

We all know we don’t do this for money, fame or our sanity.

So why do I do this? The consistent is that I love to create. That has never changed. Every so often this desire to create leads to an image I like enough to call a keeper. Often it leads to mounds of trash but as we all know it takes only one great image to make up for the thousand miscues before it. Or as Tom reminded me of this Cartier-Bresson quote:

“It’s seldom you make a great picture. You have to milk the cow quite a lot and get plenty of milk to make a little cheese.”

Other than that my reasons for doing this seem to change as I evolve as a person and photographer. I have my moments where I enjoy the steep, winding and blizzard like conditions that being a freelance photographer bring. Other times it’s the tranquility and calm I feel when I bring the camera to my eye. It drowns out all and any noise allowing me for a few brief seconds to live in the moment.

I’ve also been enjoying the process of refining and finding my voice or vision if you will. What am finding though is it’s something that can’t be forced. It comes only naturally and without thought or pressure. It comes when you forget everything and let your instincts take the wheel. Your vision isn’t something that you find. It finds you in time. I just need to keep feeding it more pictures.

Why are you a photographer?

Calvin is one of the many amazing Tuskegee Airmen I photographed and told me his greatest asset was his smile. I agreed.