What to shoot?

Once you get a camera, what do you use it for?

Your live revolves around it:

1) Going on photography outings, whether by yourself, or in groups. You go out on trips to places with sole purpose to capture photos. You seek the best sunsets, the best spots. You travel to places where beautiful landscapes exist. When you head home, you look at your photos, and feel a sense of accomplishment you captured something amazing. But sadly, very soon you will realise there will always be another landscape/street/whatever photographer who has captured that moment better than you. You start to think on ways to improve your craft (gear upgrade, gear purchase, change of timing, etc) and the photos do get better. You improve.

I look at my old photos and my previous outings I did. I feel these are a complete waste of time. I have no idea why. They just seem….so meaningless. I delete all these photos. There are not worth backing up. (What photos do you back up?)

2) Your camera is a companion. You go about with your lives, to your workplace, family outings, but the camera accompanies you and capture those moments. You are unsure what to shoot, but beautiful moments do happen, and you are thankful to have your camera with you. You know you have a camera phone, but it just isn’t the same, especially when you start printing your photos (more on this topic soon in an upcoming post).

I profess, I have never enjoyed Long term with the former. After a while, those photography outings feel meaningless. We capture some awesome scenes, and then what else? Five years later, how does that image resonate with you? I have joined camera groups. We go out and hang with each other, to talk about our gear, and then we shoot and share. I do enjoy these trips, but mainly for the fellowship with the other members, rather than photography itself.

After I am married, I stop going for such outings and spend more time with family, and later on, with my children. Capturing photos of my family has become very very memorable. They preserve the memories I have of them, regardless of the happy times, and the trying times. Check out the COVID-19 album inside my portfolio. I went to the zoo recently with them. Did i capture any awesome images of the zoo animals? Nope. Did I capture any superb images with I went with a dear friend for a photo walk recently? Nope. But what I do get is memories of these, and the preservation of these events through the photos I took.

Now with all that said, i am perfectly fine with heading out with strangers for shoots. It is not pointless. It is an opportunity to learn from one another. Gear comes and goes, but relationships are here to stay.