This past winter, I took a trip to northern Norway to try to capture the northern lights. This video showcases just how hard it can be to show up to a beautiful location and walk away feeling like we got nothing at all. It leaves me questioning myself: "how on earth can I be somewhere this beautiful and not capture anything?" Most importantly, I speak vulnerably about how the experience left me feeling, and it's something I think every photographer needs to hear, no matter what genre you shoot.
As artists, we tend to put heavy, many times unnecessary, weight on our shoulders to create new work, to stand out in a sea of millions or, at the very least, find satisfaction in ourselves. We create expectations based on all of those around us, and many times, there is no upside to these feelings. Satisfaction with our work is completely defined within ourselves. If you stick around for this entire video, it will hopefully connect to your own experiences.
I wish more people got to see what struggles we can go through to capture an image rather than just the final result. We all consume the end product and never quite know what it took to get there.
Oh heck yes. Every day. Especially as it's not my day job, and I am using my day job to fund my passion. But then every day I get up and start again, I pack a camera in my bag, I choose the lens(es), the film, knowing that sometimes I will have inspiration, and I'll take the photo, and sometimes I won't get the damn camera out of the bag because I'm uninspired, either externally or internally.
And then I look at my albums, both online and printed, and realise that just taking the camera out is half the problem, and it reinforces my desire to take photos again :)
This was a great though provoking video... I am recently retired, been taking photos for almost 60 years. Always as a hobby, that every now and then made me a few bucks.
My biggest percentage of shots are of local bands putting on shows at various venues. 99% just for fun, periodically specifically for a band that tosses me some cash. When I'm just doing it for fun, the big thing is IT NEEDS TO BE FUN!
If I get to the venue and there is a ginormous crowd, and absolutely no photographer friendly vantage spots, I tend to lose my motivation. I'm not a youngster that can climb up on makeshift ladders to shoot over people.
I try landscape photography to keep the wife happy. Get somewhere that's crawling with other photographers, and I lose my will to fight for that special shot.
It's good to hear someone talk about the challenges photographers face. I have enormous respect for the pros that do their jobs day in and day out, and the semi-pros that will sit by a freezing river for 8 hours to get one super shot of that eagle snagging the fish. That ain't me...