What Does Photography Mean to Me?

I just read this post by Rick Sammon about what my photography means to me. I can honestly say, OUT LOUD, that for the past six to eight months, my answer has been:

A living

That’s just wrong. That’s not why I started out in this business. Sure, I need to make a living. I’m the ONLY income provider for my bills and overhead. Sure, it should be part of my answer. But, it shouldn’t be what photography means to me as a whole.

So, I decided I wanted to really think about this and put my answers out there.

I started thinking about what I’m feeling and thinking DURING a shoot. I am in the moment, and I’m entranced. I see things through my lens that I probably wouldn’t see any other way. I also start to think about how I’m feeling prior to a shoot, or even after. The timeline of my job would give me different results.

Before the Shoot

• I am feeling creative
• I feel challenged
• I feel nervous and anxious
• I feel excited

During the Shoot

• I feel creative
• I feel challenged
• I feel happy
• I feel child-like

After the Shoot

• I feel nervous
• I feel excited
• I feel stressed
• I feel loved

So, looking those over, I was able to really put together a definition of what MY PHOTOGRAPHY means to me:

As a photographer, I am defined by my artistic outpouring of images by many. But there is so much more meaning to me. Before I shoot, photography means the opportunity to feel challenged in my artistic skills and thought process. Feelings of anxiety rush over me as I set out to present my best to my client. While I’m shooting, photography means that I get to feel just like a kid. I’m playing with no rules and smiling, a lot. When I am ready to share my images to the world, I allow myself to feel the pressure of stress, because I want to always strive to give my best to the client, every single time. Never feeling complacent. And, the love that comes from my client’s joyous cries and thank yous means more to me than ever. As a photographer, my photography gives me a sense of purpose and release that result in living a happy and balanced life, financially and creatively.

Think about your own meaning of your photography.

And, because every post needs an image.