Why Do You Photograph?
Iridescent Glow on Water Mount Rainier N.P. Washington © Jay Goodrich
It’s a simple question isn’t it? I am interested to see what you have to say. In order to help you think of a response here is why I do it.
I was classically trained as an architect and in fact designed and built houses for 15 years. My love for photography began right out of college when after graduating, I moved directly to Colorado. Coming essentially from the bowels of New York City, or the “Tri-State Area”, I was dumbfounded by the natural beauty of where I had moved. The desire to share this beauty with everyone I knew back home became so overwhelming that I bought my first camera with my first paycheck. It wasn’t long after that my girlfriend at the time bought me a book–Light on the Land by Art Wolfe. Now the flood gates were completely opened and a journey of now close to 20 years began. What started as a weekend thing to highlight camping, backpacking, and cycling trips grew into something much, much larger.
I began creating snapshots and then progressed into something a bit more in-depth to see if I could create like that book I had been given. This lead to the life pursuit. I photograph now to highlight an image of the world. It may be the beauty of a sunset, the drama of skiing an unbelievably steep line, or just the way our society hangs out at an apartment building during a parade. I do try and sometimes succeed at diverging from the obvious, although sometimes is not often enough.
For the most part, I draw my inspiration from abstract painters, from architects, musicians, designers, and the like. I have found that I can translate many of those disciplines directly into photography. The power of the composition is becoming my mantra and I want it to be as fresh as possible. I now look back to my design background to produce more graphically produced compositions. I have found that knowledge base is giving me a more unique look at the world and it is fueling my personal creativity and inspiration unlike anything prior.
To sum it up, I guess I photograph to share what few thoughts bounce around in my head with the world; and possibly highlight a fresh perspective of how everything I see gets translated in the grey matter and then sent out there for you to see. At some point I am hoping to stumble upon greatness, or finally know enough to actually create it. Now tell me why you do it?
Jay Goodrich is an internationally published and celebrated professional photographer, writer, and workshop instructor. His work focuses on nature, architecture, and adventure subjects, and his clients have included fortune five hundred companies, trade publications, national and international magazines and books, graphic designers, architects, builders, commercial printers, and many others. For more information visit one of his websites at:
web: www.jaygoodrich.com
blog: jaygoodrich-blog.com
licensing and prints: jaygoodrich-stock.com.
In addition, you find him on facebook and twitter.
Tags: Ask, Engage, Jay Goodrich, photography, Reasons, Why
October 28th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
I photograph to preserve memories.
My main subjects are my kids. I love scrapbooking, and take pictures with the pages in mind so that the pictures alone can tell it’s story.
I love the everyday memories I capture. They are the ones that make me smile the most.
October 29th, 2010 at 7:14 am
Thank you for commenting Amanda.
October 30th, 2010 at 7:38 am
Good article, good question.
I find the whole process of photography, especially outdoor photography, both soothing and exhilarating at the same time. It’s often exhausting and frustrating and I love it every inch of the way!
I’ve always been a person that’s not happy unless I’m in the middle of creating something. I could make a million dollars an hour at a regular job and I’d be miserable at that job!
I’d rather be flat broke and working at something that allows me to explore our world, both natural and unnatural , and revel in all the wonderful and fascinating details of it.
October 30th, 2010 at 8:55 am
My reason is that I find some sort of escape in photography. When I hold the camera in my hands it’s like the whole beauty of the world stands at my feet, ready to be captured and shared with others.
I hope that some day I’ll become a pro, taking that kind of pictures that make you say “Wow.”
October 31st, 2010 at 8:29 am
It’s scratching an itch, pretty much. I’m just driven to do it.
October 31st, 2010 at 9:37 am
Originally, I started photographing the world around me as most people do; to simply share what I found. Now 30+ years on, I think it’s still a desire to share those images I find, but I am becoming interested more in documentary work; which getting down to the basics is still about sharing – but with a purpose. Similar to your own statement Mr. Goodrich, I draw inspiration from abstract painters and the like. As much as I love to document the world around me, I’m equally as interested in making my own abstract images.
October 31st, 2010 at 4:36 pm
I photograph in order to capture an image we wouldn’t normally see. Whether it is the perfect fraction of a second of an athlete’s performance, the abstract macro world, the layering of multiple exposures onto a single frame, or the build-up of seconds/minutes/hours into one single moment, photography allows us to see things that our eyes on their own cannot.
October 31st, 2010 at 7:05 pm
I want other people to see what I have seen, something unique, beautiful, or different.
November 1st, 2010 at 12:30 am
I photograph to see the world in a different way and focus on its beauty. I photograph because I love sharing all that beauty with friends, family and whoever is interested. It’s a lot of fun as well and I find sometimes you feel like you’re in a completely different world when focusing on a particular shot.
November 1st, 2010 at 5:04 am
I started photographing out of high school as well. I was huge into sports, so my passion was to create that Sports Illustrated image from a high school basketball or baseball game. I kind of lost touch with that passion in the late 90’s when digital came along and I had a family. Still loved to take pictures, just not with the same enthusiasm. Earlier this year, I bought my first DSLR and with living in East Tennessee an hour away from the Smoky Mountains and even closer to the Cherokee National Forest my interest has moved to more of capturing the beauty of my surroundings. It is amazing how you see things when you have a passion for photography!
November 1st, 2010 at 10:59 am
I want to thank everyone for commenting on this post. It is truly amazing to read all of your reasons for becoming photographers. And in the same breath realize that we all have chosen to do it for much of the same.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:44 am
I photograph because I have spent a career looking at the dark, ugly, evil side of the world. When I see a beautiful moment, I want to capture and hold on to it. It reminds me that this part of the world still exists.
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:34 am
After so many comments already in, an original one was almost imposed…and the hope is that, this statement will be accepted as as joke.
Thus, here it comes:
In 1637, the French philosopher Rene Descartes said ‘Cogito ergo sum.’, and the meaning is: ‘I think, therefore I exist.’
Then, that is my reason, to photograph is a way to exist. The wish was to do it as a professional, but it didn’t happen, and even so, I’m still taking pictures any time I can.
November 3rd, 2010 at 1:55 pm
I started getting more serious about photography last winter, when I got contact lenses for the first time, and realized what I had been missing out on seeing for most of my life!
I was so in awe of how beautiful things were, even simple things, like the leaves on the trees in my own street, that I had to take pictures. I rushed out on an impulse and spent $1000 on a new DSLR. It turned into a compulsion.
I just want people to see the beauty that I see, because it’s obvious that many family and friends don’t see the world as something beautiful, they are stuck in problems and dilemmas.
Photos are almost a spiritual thing for me, in that they do what Buddhism and Hinduism (and any form of meditation) asks us to do, stop thinking so hard about ourselves, and look up and see what is Greater, and what is Beautiful, and what is given by Grace all around us.
I put in 2 years at art college in my early 20’s and got sick and had to leave, and that artistic urge got pushed underground for years, only recently reemerging.
It’s also a means to express the occasional irony I see in life too, not all my photos are ’serious’, and I try to capture funny and slightly twisted things too, as well as the beauty. I also like my photos to encourage people not to take life so seriously, and to stop and question things.
Photos are a great way of expressing the ordinary in non-ordinary terms.
November 4th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
I photograph for several reasons. I have an intense creative energy that must be satiated and since I can’t paint worth a crap, photography was a logical option. I photograph because I want to share the beauty of the wilderness in which I recreate with those who may not otherwise experience it. I photograph because I hope that my photos will inspire others to visit a national park and fall in love with it and support it. I photograph because when I’m tired and don’t feel like going for a hike, photography gives me a reason to get outside and do something. I photograph because reviewing photographs even years after an adventure allows me to relive the moment – a mini vacation from reality. Lest I forget, I also photograph because it’s incredibly fun!
November 5th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Thanks for contributing Bret. You are not alone.
November 8th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
I love photography and a few years ago the bug bite me to the point of wanting to share it with others. I love nature photography the best. My son said that the money was in wedding photography but after doing a few weddings, for friends, it wasn’t my cup of tea. No thank you. I love the creation that God made and it’s so amazing. I sometimes just shoot away at stuff and not find the time to just look at it with my two eyes, not just behind the view finder. Stop and absorb. I’ve found it to be a great souvenir to bring home with me. I’ve stopped selling at shows since there is no money in it. I share my work on my blog. I share it with friends through greeting cards and calendars. Money isn’t everything although it’s easier to get through life with a reasonable amount. I love what I do and thankful for spending money on learning how to get good at it. Why repaint a wall when there’s so much of my photography I can just frame and hang! :0) Thanks for your thoughts, Jay.
November 10th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
I think Bret really sums it up already. Photography has also taught me to see the world around me with new eyes and appreciate it’s beauty even more. When I photograph I just get lost in it and don’t think about anything else.
November 11th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
I photograph to hopefully capture that one shot that when people view it, it brings out an emotion and feeling, making them be glad to be alive.
November 17th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Thank you for sharing Becky.
November 17th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Thanks Beate. I am glad to hear it directly from you, knowing that your images portray your reasoning.
November 17th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Nice Bill, thanks for commenting over here.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
[...] blog post by Jay Goodrich he asked “why do you photograph”? (you can read his post here) My answer to that was that I enjoy being out in nature and photography has taught me to enjoy [...]
December 8th, 2010 at 9:24 am
I took this from my About page because it sums up everything I’ve wanted to say about why I have a camera. It was one of those thoughts that popped into my head just before I fell asleep that forced me to stay up for a little while to write it out…
My camera comes with me everywhere. Not just because of the old “Ya never know.” saying, but because when I look through my camera, I see the world the way I want it to be. I see majestic landscapes and detailed beauty complete with dramatic colors and bold contrast. The viewfinder acts as a window to this pristine, natural world that I can enter into at any moment I choose. It’s my release, my getaway and my freedom. I take my camera with me everywhere so that I can get to that place no matter where I am, or what I’m experiencing. It’s always there to keep me in balance and to continue creating the world in which I want to live. Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole, Wyoming have provided me with an unfathomable and never-ending amount of scenery and experiences to help me escape to. Despite the unending beauty however, I’m constantly searching for new lands to discover to add to my own, personal world. I have my camera to document the development and remind me of which direction I want to be moving in, all simply by looking through a viewfinder.
With so many people focused on so many things going wrong with the world, I prefer to see a rich, pure Mother Nature thriving around every corner. Thanks to my camera, I can capture Her beauty as I want to see it and remember it in just that way.
Thanks for the great post!
December 8th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Hi Jay
I photograph to capture those ‘moments of beauty’ that surround us and we ignore in our fast paced lives. The opportunity for me is to learn to capture and translate the beauty I experience into a moving experience for the viewer (whether they feel it is beautiful or not)!
This looks to be a life-long adventure, as I learn how to capture and then express the beauty that was/is in my mind so that others can experience it in their way.
Thanks for sharing and listening.
Gerry
December 8th, 2010 at 9:49 am
And thank you Mike for the wonderful comment. Very inspirational.
December 8th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Thank you Gerry. It seems that we are photographers to share at least some aspect of who we are or want to be. Thank you for contributing.
December 8th, 2010 at 9:51 am
I used to think I photographed because I can’t sing, or dance, or paint, or draw, am lousy at golf and because I was tired of fly fishing all the time. But now all these years later, I realize it’s because nothing is more rewarding than sharing little slivers of light and time with others that appreciate the true beauty that abounds in the world around us, as well as with those that never imagined its existence.
December 8th, 2010 at 10:06 am
Pictures make people happy. They make me happy. I shoot because it makes me smile.
A day—camera in hand—is never a bad day, even when I make bad pictures. Bad pictures are still better than none. They remind me I went somewhere. I saw something. There was delight in the world to share. To remember. To remember also that there is something to be learned from days of taking bad pictures—about things we can’t possess. About the necessity we have to feel—to sense the shifting of the wind, the softness of moss, the scent of cedars warming under the sun. To be there. I shoot to remind myself I am there, I’ve been there; I shoot to bring myself back. And if I’m lucky, I might take a photograph that inspires someone to join me on that trail.
December 8th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
I love beautiful and inspiring things. I love to see a photograph and be drawn in by how someone has captured a beautiful moment in time. I re-create opera lighting in NYC for a living and naturally I love good light, so lately I find myself on a mission to chase good light in nature and capture what I see. I hope someday to get that shot that stops someone in their tracks.
December 8th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
I remember watching an old movie (not sure of the name) but the orchestra director asks one of the musicians why he plays and the musicians responds. Why do you breath? The director answers. Because I have to to live. And the musicians answers. That is why I play.
And that is why I photograph!
December 9th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
[...] I was reading Art Wolfe’s website today and he has a post titled Why Do You Photograph? by Jay Goodrich. Jay Goodrich is a regular blogger for Outdoor Photographer, you can read the post here. [...]
December 10th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
[...] by Jay Goodrich that makes a similar inquiry and features some interesting responses see, “Why Do You Photograph?” To see some new, innovative photographs see also the blog post, “Breaking New Ground [...]
December 12th, 2010 at 7:32 am
I love nature and wildlife and my photography allows me to share that with other people. There is also a competetive element in photography which makes you strive to create an image which nobody else has done or one which is better than anything done before. This goes back to my days in a ‘Camera Club’ when I entered competitions and did quite well in. Mainly I like to share and communicate this love of our planet and all the creatures that share it, including people now and then!
December 13th, 2010 at 9:36 am
At the uncertain age of 18 and a recent graduate from high school, I have ushered into a reality definitive of labor and ambition orienteering. However, I developed a infallible affinity towards digital media ( accrued from countless hours of youtube browsing). I love photography and I’m inclined to the aspect realm of kinetic photography (i.e. videography). And I have decided to follow this impulse…wherever it may lead me.
And here’s a crafty reason for the extracorporeal compulsion:
( Story Format)
Unfortunately, since a young age I have lived with a tormented mind, which my parents as well as other adults have mistaken with precocity. I suffer from a insatiable thirst to comprehensively understand everything that comes across my plane of thought. I guess that by fate I have been destined the quest to learn about all sides of an argument/story and actively seek point of views. Similar to a moth’s fatal attraction to a flame, I am drawn to videography because of its diaphanous properties. Film has the capability to bring into perspective things the are obscure and insignificant as well as things that are significant. Nevertheless, it can expose the peripheries/ peripheral aspects of our world. This leads me to believe that videos are a crucial and mobilizing element of our humanity. Films, in whatever format ( except adult rated); may be it serious documentaries to artistic expression, never fail to influence, inspire, affect and provoke action. I believe that films are also dissolvents. Images can communicate a wealth of knowledge and experience that can either dissolve or alter outlooks on misunderstood entities or at least deposit tolerance and understanding. I hope that in the future I could use film as a medium to bring light and honor to enigmatic, marginalized stories. Initially, I had a career interest in animals and the environment. I was aspiring to become a zoologist and something of a “Do-Little”. However,as interested as I was about the field, I didn’t like the idea of pre- packaged academics(i.e.: stoic, “uni-focal” study for a specific major). When I was 16 I made a goal to be a polymath and a life-long scholar. A career in film production will be a substrate for education. As a videographer, I might have the opportunity to film or work with knowledgeable people/experts in a vast array of fields,talented individuals, animals and etc. A career in film production will also be a substrate for personal growth for I would be exposed to new ideas and experiences and would be collaborating with many people with various personas and world-views…… And Perhaps, only film-making can provide a hearty remedy for the maladies of my psyche.
December 13th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Like you, I found Art Wolfe inspirational. His photography is a dissolvent. Breaks our world down, simplifies it, beautifies it. Reminds me that there are elements, peaceful and turbulent. Harmful without a vengeance. I find solace in his art and the conduct of his work. I really don’t see ego… and that is what makes his images vocative. It gives me hope for the profession.
I really like the team behind Travels To The Edge. A kinetic art form that documents one that perpetually frozen. The show is simple, with subtle hints and tips for shooting.But I’m actually acquiring knowledge through his rudimentary passion. From his choice of attention. From the angle/position of the camera that is capturing a photographer who is immortalizing life.
Coolness
December 13th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Thank you for the comment Dave. Love the connection between all of the other aspects of your life too.
December 13th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Thank you Lene (sorry don’t know how to put the ‘ above the e yet). Your comment reminds me of the bumper sticker…A bad day of ___________, is better than a great day at work.
December 13th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Kirt, make sure you show us when you get that shot.
December 13th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Thank you Len. Great response.
December 13th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Andy you are not alone. Thank you for the comment.
December 13th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Umnh? How old are you Nafiisa? Great comment!
December 13th, 2010 at 10:47 am
He is a great friend of mine and all of your insight about him is entirely correct. He makes travel fun and other than my wife, there is no one else I would rather explore this great planet with.
December 13th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
As for your question, I’m a 18 year old Seattlite. I’ve just embarked on this media diaspora, operating from a meager Nikon point & shoot that can sometimes take good pics. Thank you for replying!!!
It means a lot.
December 13th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
You have a way with words.
December 14th, 2010 at 3:22 am
Beautiful artistic representation of a nice subject.
we do photography to share the wonder of nature with the world hoping that others feel the same sense of wonder and do everything they can to protect this beautiful planet.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:39 am
When I am behind my camera, it is just pure joy. I first fully understood this when I realized I had been shooting some birch bark for over an hour. I was so excited to create new compositions with the same subject. I kept moving around and having fun. When I was all done I realized that creating those photographs got me just as excited as photographing a lion in Tanzania the year before. Birch bark as cool as a lion. OK! I photograph for myself, if others like what I do that is a bonus. I feel blessed to have been trained in painting long ago. The composition skills serve me well and make it a fun challenge. I think play is very important with creating. I don’t have to pay my bills with my photography(luckily)so I have that luxury.
Passion and Joy!
Thanks Jay!
December 15th, 2010 at 10:02 am
Thank you for the comment. It is great to hear all of these responses.
December 15th, 2010 at 10:05 am
Thank you Jon, for the wonderful comment. And thank you for staying connected.
December 16th, 2010 at 10:34 am
Photography is like dreaming to me.
“Dreams can become reality, if you are prepared to have a go”.
December 23rd, 2010 at 10:51 pm
Thank you Werner. I have lived this statement for a decade of my life now.
December 26th, 2010 at 4:50 am
That´s good on you, Jay- I just started it after quitting my old job ((::
January 1st, 2011 at 10:58 pm
I don’t photograph what I see; I photograph what I imagine.
January 2nd, 2011 at 7:35 pm
NIce Joseph. I really like that.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:06 pm
Why do I photograph? If you’ll excuse the grammar, because I can’t not make photographs. After nearly forty years of photography, I make photographs all the time, whether or not I’m holding a camera. I see with a photographer’s eye, and that, to some extent, defines how I perceive my world.
Mike.
January 4th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
I like the grammar Mike. My wife thinks I am crazy because I view the entire planet through a rectangle. I try to explain that it is a “Golden Rectangle” but it still falls by the waist-side.