This is the big 25 for Scott Thomas‘s photography assignments. He really took it in a different direction and is looking for our photography passion. I delayed as long as I could on this and even as I write this I’m not completely positive the direction I will go.
I’m not confident I am far enough along in my journey to identify or even understand what my passion is. I do know I love being out with the camera. I carry the thing with me everywhere I go. I will stop along the road and chase after a view I spotted. I’ll get up early and stay out late just to catch the light at the bookends of the day. Even tonight, I was getting ready to do the dishes after dinner and I spotted an illuminated solitary dandelion under the pine tree in the back yard. I dropped everything, grabbed the camera and tripod to headed outside. I’m not sure anything will come of the image but I had to try and capture what I saw.
Scott kindly provided a few links about photography passion in a separate post and I am going to borrow a few lines from one of them. In a post on the Psychology for Photographers website this passage caught my attention:
Passions are often confused with hobbies, but there is a critical difference. A hobby is “a pursuit outside one’s regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation.”
Passions, on the other hand, are not relaxing. Passions don’t leave you alone. Passions insert themselves into your life whether you have time for them or not. Passions soothe you and drive you crazy at the same time.
We think of a passion as something we love, an overwhelming feeling of devotion and obsession. But in older English, ‘passion’ also meant ‘suffering‘. And even now, passions will exact a high price from us – but one we never seem to mind paying.
By that definition I know I can identify a few passions in my life. One is Disney. As any reader of this blog might have concluded by now I am a huge fan of Disney. I’m not just talking about the theme parks but more about the man and what he built. I know it isn’t perfect, what is, but I enjoy it immensely. I travel to Walt Disney World numerous times a year. I enjoy reading about Walt, the company, the theme parks and just about anything I can get my hands on. I troll eBay for used books I can’t get new any more. I have close to 75 books on this subject alone.
The second passion in my life, although it has been on the back burner lately, is video games. I grew up when the whole culture was just beginning. I never had any of those early systems myself but would spends hours playing on anything I could when at friends houses. And then I grew up and could afford my own stuff. I’m writing this in a room that has an entertainment system in one corner with just about every modern video game system there is. Don’t look in the other corners… there are shelves full of Disney memorabilia. LOL
My third definite passion is photography. My only problem is I can’t identify what my photography passion is. I like to capture landscapes. I’m pining over a macro lens so I can get better close up images. I’ve recently discovered I really enjoy long exposure and intentional camera movement photography. And I have found I want to create images that do more than capture the scene. I want to try and capture the feeling or mood. I want the image to evoke an emotion. I’m not always successful and not every image has to bring that emotion forward. Sometimes, an image is just a pretty picture.
So for now, to answer to Scott’s question: my photography passion is photography. I’m passionate about learning everyday. I try new things, make mistakes, turn and try something different. I’m passionate about using the camera to let this unknown creative side come out. A side I think I forgot I had. And I’m passionate to share what I have created. The feeling I get when someone comments about an image is fantastic. I’m not sure if this is what Scott was looking for in this current assignment but I will say it had me thinking.
The dandelion under the pine tree…
Illumination
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6, 1/320s, 200mm, f/5.6, ISO 200
You can view an assortment of my favorite types of images by following these links: landscapes, long exposure, intentional camera movement and Disney.
MLCreations Photography 
Wow! Not your typical image of the nasty dandelion ‘weed.’ You’ve magically captured its better side. Not an easy feat.
Thank you. Looking out the window, this little ‘weed’ shined so brightly I just had to capture an image… and then I do have a thing for dandelions. LOL
That is a beautiful dandelion. 🙂 I’m having trouble with this assignment, too, for similar reasons. I may have to do what you did and just jump right in and see what happens.
Thanks Robin. I was at a loss but once I started typing everything poured onto the keyboard. Go for it! I’ll be waiting to see where it takes you. 🙂
A crisp capture Mike and the natural lighting is spot on . I can empathise with you on the direction of your passion for photography as I too fall into this category of having a passion and yet in a dilemma as to whether to follow my heart and try to stick with B+W photography. I would say that you have to go with a gut feeling as more often than not this inkling is often a good one to follow. I have found Otto’s blog to be of great help in understanding our own creativity and I hope you do not mind me posting the link http://munchow.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/energy-enthusiasm-and-emotion/. I hope you have a great weekend and I look forward to reading more about you thoughts and passions. Best regards, James
Wow! Thanks James. No issue on the link. I’m actually working my way through some of the posts on Otto’s blog. Thank you for the resource. From what I’ve enjoyed of your photos you should have no troubles which ever path you choose to follow. Enjoy your weekend… –Mike
Cheers Mike for the encouragement and Otto is just a great “rock ” of information. Once again enjoy the weekend ahead, best regards, James
How I understand you, and what a great subject. The lines from the Psychology For Photographers post are so true… Sometimes it feels like an obsession. And at times I try not to think about photography too much, I have to let my brain rest ! But it never last long. As for what is our photography passion, I think it’s possible to love many photographic style at once and try to be the best we could at them. I love creating still life and I love capturing outdoor scenes as well as flower photography. I don’t think we have to narrow it down to one style only.
This photo of the dandelion is perfect, the light is remarkable, it’s a great shot !
I have to admit Jocelyne, this assignment really had me thinking. Sometimes I might think too much. Once I started and just let it flow I was amazed where I ended up. I agree with you. I don’t think I will ever narrow my photography to one or two styles. I’m having way more fun trying them all! Thanks!
Mike, I think we were thinking very similarly when we wrote our blog posts for this assignment of Scott’s. I wasn’t absolutely positive where my writing was going when I sat down to write it very close to the deadline last night. The lines you quoted from one of Scott’s links resonated with me as well, and I had them in mind as I tried to cobble my post together. Love the composition and light of your dandelion shot.
Thanks Karma, there’s something about those darn weeds that always has me pressing the shutter button. 🙂 That quote just summed it up nicely for me. It let me make sense as to why I was in the middle of a creek on a -5F day in February to capture an image. Why I’m either driving to someplace in the pre-dawn morning or driving home at night well after dark, happy that the camera is full of images to process. I have to give Scott credit, he got me thinking on this one.
I see it came out darn good, Mike. Sometimes there are no answers. I know you are still early in your passion of photography. Though I would say you are consistent in the subjects you post. Isn’t it nice you can mix it with your other passions?
Thanks Scott! It was a great assignment. One I dreaded but ended up happy to finally work through. I almost decided to skip this one! It’s funny to think that wanting to take a little better picture at Disney is what started me learning more about my point & shoot almost two years ago. As you said, one passion mixing with another… 😉
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