Photography Masterclass Magazine
Why We Shoot: Photographers sharing the passions that drive them
Photography was first discovered by French-born Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. In 1826 he took the very first photograph outside his window in Burgundy. Since then photography has changed and grown and with the introduction of smartphones, everyone is carrying around thousands of images in their pocket daily.
Photography has faced backlash over the year from manipulation of photos to media influences. But what does photography mean to us today? Why do we care and why is it important in our lives? I asked these very questions to photographers around the world and here’s what they had to say.
AMANDA VANOSDOL, PARIS, FRANCE,
www.instagram.com/presqueperfection
For me, photography is about capturing a moment in time. I love looking at photos and being transported back to the time or emotion of the moment. Through photography, we are able to document a little bit of humanity in a world that is changing so quickly.
Being able to keep a small smile or a sidelong glance that only happened for just one single second alive forever in a photograph feels a bit like magic.
I am entranced when I look at old photographs, I lose myself in imagining what it must have been like to be there in the photograph and I hope that my photography will be able to show future generations what it’s like in our world at the present moment.
MICHELLE ARDIEL, VICTORIA, CANADA,
www.michelleardiel.com
Photographers reveal the beauty and joy inside the world, the pieces that are often overlooked or taken for granted. I wake up excited to shoot my clients because I know that the experience of the shoot will be fun — there will be laughs on both sides of the camera and that's not something to take lightly.
Laughter is the fuel that supercharges our lives. The joy they will receive from being in front of the camera and feeling beautiful will be matched only when they see the finished photo — when they see the beauty that I see when I click the shutter — and then proudly display it on their social media or website.
That connection to the image, that emotional quality of the experience, makes the hard work of a photographer a gift and what keeps me excited to create, shoot after shoot.
ERIN LODI, SEATTLE, USA,
www.erinlodiphotography.com
I love that I’m able to help people tell their stories through photography. In the same week that might mean helping an entrepreneur launch her idea to the global marketplace through branding images, and then also capturing family photos to help new parents introduce their baby boy to friends and family near and far. I never take for granted what a privilege it is to be invited into peoples’ lives and to share them with the world.
CHEN SANDS, ENGLAND,
www.chensands.com
Photography fulfills a need to create a chance for reflection. The endeavor to capture the spirit of someone or something that can be held in your hand and looked at and re-lived. And to me, it’s more than purely documentary. The pursuit to create a photo that reveals a new dimension to the subject or evoke a feeling to the viewer is what is so alluring.
What physical tools and techniques? What subjects matter? What emotions or state of mind shall I bring to it? Photography is an exciting, challenging, and wonderful never-ending journey.
TAYA IV, RUSSIA,
www.500px.com/p/tayaiv
Photography helps me tells stories, understand myself better, and connect with other people more authentically. No matter where I am in life, I have a reason to create because of my passion for photography. I wake up wanting to shoot because I know there are endless possibilities when it comes to my work, and that encourages me to constantly experiment with new things.
There's always an opportunity to grow, to learn more about myself, and to develop my style. On top of that, being a photographer allows me to meet all kinds of interesting people who enrich my life and share their wisdom with me. In essence, it's an endless cycle of knowledge and inspiration. There are no words I can use to adequately explain just how precious that is to me and to so many others.
KIMON KAKETSIS, SANTORINI, GREECE,
www.kimonkaketsis.ca
Photography is important to me because it literally saves my life. It’s like the food I eat, the water I drink, and the air I breathe. I need to consume photography to survive. It gives me what I need. Creating is my therapy and photography is my way of life. It’s how I identify myself. Without it, I cease to exist.
I wake up wanting to shoot because I’m addicted to it, in the location I am based in, I’m almost promised perfect mornings every day and I’m motivated to see and capture the sunrise.
The best part is I get to meet a new client with each new shoot.
It’s exhilarating to meet someone new from different parts of the world nearly every day. And that’s what I love the most. Photography is democratic.
It is the ultimate passport. Photography is important to the world because everyone has a right to have their story captured and everyone has the right to see it.
MANKICA KRANJEC, LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA,
www.mankica.com
When I started to work as a photographer, the idea of capturing a specific moment in time, transient in nature, completely overwhelmed me with joy. It has been the same ever since my photographic journey began. A photographer often needs to devote a lot of time and effort to their work. Simultaneously facing unpredictable, challenging, and exhausting circumstances.
At times, even during the most impossible hours of the day. Nevertheless, photography is one of the most fulfilling fields I have ever worked in, constantly pushing me to think as creatively as possible.
It is one of those jobs where exciting people can cross your path when least expected, as you often find yourself in the most surprising circumstances. Subsequently, you get to visit some of the world's most beautiful places and experience the most exciting things.
However, the most extraordinary appeal of photography remains that every shot contains the story of a particular moment frozen in time. The photographer's image will keep the memory of it alive for an eternity, and that's what inspires me.
BRITTANY O'DELL, NYC,
www.brittanyodell.com
Photography is important to me because it builds our understanding of ourselves, we can see ourselves and each other more clearly through a frozen moment. In real-time our anxieties and schedules and distractions all get in our head and cloud the moment we are living in on a constant basis but photography literally takes that moment out of time and holds it forever so you can absorb it in your own time with consideration.
You can let a photograph wash over you for seconds or hours or days and it transforms life into what it really is which is this mystifying beautiful force of love. Photography knocks me out of my reptile anxiety brain and hits me right in the gut so I know how powerful it is without effort. It is just pure magic and we take it for granted but it is magic!
www.juliawillard.com
Photography is important to me first and foremost because I love to document things. I don’t know why but I’ve always enjoyed keeping a record of events and places, and especially anything that marks a moment in time.
I am captivated by how both cities and nature evolve and change over time, and I think there’s something both fascinating and important about being able to see the changes side by side.
The record of things is important and therefore photography is key for archival purposes, but I also love that it is so accessible, and therefore more people can contribute to the full picture. In a world where news and even images are being altered in the sharing of information, I think more documentation of a time or of an event is critical in order to piece together the whole picture.
KEVIN LJ, NEW ZEALAND,
www.kevinlj.com
Photography is important to me because it’s the form of creative expression that I enjoy the most. I love that I can capture moments of time in single photographs. I love waking up with fresh ideas for photos or ideas that are the continuation of a project I am working on. I am driven by both my urge to make art and to pay my bills. There are so many reasons to take photos. I think it’s important for people to take photos to help preserve memories, create wonderful art, tell stories, and, at times, help promote change when it’s needed.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I have been a photographer for over 15 years now, photography means remembrance for myself. I use images as a way to bring up old emotions, to share my feelings, and to relive the things I love.
Even before the introduction of smartphones, I always took my point and shoot little pink Kodak digital camera everywhere.
Documenting outings with friends and family events. These photos mean the world to me because it takes me back to that very moment in time and helps me remember it all. All photographers share a common love for this medium but in different ways. I hope you found some inspiration in their words today.