The egotistical photographer?

Fred G. , Jan 03, 2012; 11:18 p.m.

Part of what I love about making portraits is the interaction I have with my subjects. I've referred to it as a dance. There are other metaphors. But I like this kind of interaction which often becomes a kind of photographic collaboration.

In the past, I've thought that I might want to justify spending time photographing by some sort of greater good I am doing, like getting to know the people I'm shooting, making a social or political or cultural statement, expressing myself, enlightening the world about something, etc. That is still at play and important to me but I am also more and more realizing that the actual experience of being with the camera and relating to my subjects with camera in hand and all that that means is also a significant experience in and of itself, needing no outside justification. It is no less an experience to photograph for the sake of the photograph and nothing else than it is to photograph for some other purpose. And though a photo may be of a subject other than myself, I can find myself being extremely self absorbed, even in the presence of this other person.

A photo can be the result of and testament to important life experiences but it is also the photographic experience itself. Lately, I seem to be very in touch with the photographic act itself driving my sense of the experience rather than a particular life experience driving me to photograph. The act of photographing has become the point to a much greater extent than it used to be. I like that feeling of engagement with the process as process. Sometimes, it simply feels like the goal is the photo itself. I need no other reasons, though I may have them. There's a sort of self containment. And I think there's some amount of ego wrapped up in that.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts about how you experience photographing and how photographing mingles with other experiences or stands outside of other experiences . . . or some combination of those. Is the act of creation enough?

Responses

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Brad - , Jan 03, 2012; 11:51 p.m.

>>> Is the act of creation enough?

I'm happy when I snag a good portrait on the street. But am even happier with the engagement, bs-ing, and sharing/learning that comes along with the click. It's that interaction (and building of trust) with another person that jazzes me the most.

Alan Klein , Jan 04, 2012; 12:12 a.m.

Fred: I saw your pictures that you did of the disadvantaged children in that camp. I'm sure you used the photos for good purpose. I would think you got a lot of emotional satisfaction from that. Certainly I was very impressed with the care you showed in doing what you did. Maybe you can do something similar with these other pictures you're taking. The more you give away the more you get back.

Stephen Hipperson , Jan 04, 2012; 05:28 a.m.

An interesting question - in all honesty I was starting to frame a similar question in my own mind - along the lines 'Is the act of photography more or less important than the finished result?'.
I don't do many portraits, I take lots of pictures of 'things/objects' (as opposed to scenes/activity) and I really do enjoy the process of deciding what thing to photograph (and why), how to photograph it (lighting/camera settings) and framing (what to include in the photograph to provide sufficient context to add some sort of depth to the final piece). These subjects I shoot in situ, using available light. 'In situ' tends to be within churches which have histories going back up to 1000 years.
I really do enjoy this activity. I'm usually on my own, it's quiet, it can be creepy, it can be joyous (seeing the colours of stain glass windows silhouetted on light colour stone can be something else), it can be emotive, fascinating, perplexing, wonderous and absorbing. Intentions of shooting A can quickly turn to shooting B or C instead.
I'm usually happy with the results, either the images will do or I know what I have to do to improve them on my next visit but for the moment the images sit on my hard drive waiting for some yet to be defined purpose.
So, for this stage in my photographic life, the activity/creation of photography itself is the thing that 'gets me going'.

Michael Linder , Jan 04, 2012; 07:53 a.m.

Fred, the way you put the question provides the guide to finding an answer. It comes down to a single word - "photographing," which must be distinguished from "photograph." Stephen's response captures (pardon the bad pun) my way of looking at this. It is myopic to view photography primarily in terms of the finished product - a photograph. To do so is to overlook one of photography's most relational aspects. This is not necessarily how a photographer connects with a subject; rather, the connection is between the photographer and the process itself.

I'm not sure that the phrase "egoistical photographer" really fits the OP. I'd prefer "self-reflective photographer."

Alan Klein , Jan 04, 2012; 08:00 a.m.

Stephen: Why don't you produce final framed photos and give them to the respective churches. I'm sure they'll find a place to hang them, maybe in their offices or rector's or priest's quarters, or wherever. Then your photography will be really appreciated by other and they may be hanging there for the next 1000 years. Now wouldn't that be something?

Arthur Plumpton , Jan 04, 2012; 10:58 a.m.

“Know oneself” may be a cliché, but it is also a useful beacon in life. My own pursuit of photography and any art that may derive from it is very consuming of my time and passion. It is a consciously selfish pursuit, embracing much of my attention that might otherwise be directed to those of my immediate entourage or to a more altruistic community activity. The frequency of my use of personal examples probably speaks to a certain degree of egoism, but this is tributary of a passion for the activity and is accompanied by interest and curiosity for what others are doing.

More than one philosopher has described himself or herself as being an "ethical individualist," seeing a harmony between an individual's fidelity to his own self-actualization, or personal destiny, and the attainment of society's well being. This label, if one can call it that, is one I support and try to live with. I don’t think egoism and altruism are mutually incompatible. Where would we be without the great advances made by persons who (perhaps selfishly, vis-à-vis their entourage) devoted all or much of their time and talents to their passion? Many of us tend to self-impose our own destinies in some area or other. A certain dose of egoism may well allow us to achieve more for ourselves, and even for others, than if we were to be overly humble or passive in our pursuits.

Fred G. , Jan 04, 2012; 11:44 a.m.

It is myopic to view photography primarily in terms of the finished product - a photograph. --Michael

Then you may have to count me among the myopic. This is a question that I probably would tend to answer differently on different days and in different contexts. But there are certainly times where I would answer, as I did in my OP, that the goal is, in fact, the photograph. While I may be very much in touch with the process of photographing, it is not just for that process that I photograph. It is to get a photograph. It is to create. It is for that goal.

Sometimes, it's not about the so-called subject of the photograph. It is about the photograph AS subject.

Fred G. , Jan 04, 2012; 11:50 a.m.

'Is the act of photography more or less important than the finished result?'. --Stephen

This is not how I was framing the question for myself. I wanted to stay away from a "this vs. that" formulation. My own questioning had more to do with the experiences I bring to the table. How the act of photographing relates to the act of mingling with my subjects. How I can feel isolated and alone with the project of the photograph even while in the company of the guy who's portrait I'm making. How I'm NOT satisfied with the experience if I didn't get a photo out of the day. (By the way, being NOT satisfied is OK with me. It all eventually goes into the wash.)

Fred G. , Jan 04, 2012; 11:55 a.m.

The more you give away the more you get back. --Alan

I very much appreciate what you say about the photos I do in my nephew's farming community for people with special needs. I guess I wear different hats as a photographer, and I certainly get a lot out of the life experiences involved with that kind of photograph-making. There, indeed, my experiences getting to know the people and sharing time with others are very moving and significant. In other cases, for me, it's not the same story, and I don't necessarily want it to be.

(BTW, sometimes the more difficult thing to do is to give without getting back.)

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