I’ve been reading the book “Photo Therapy Motivation and Wisdom: Discovering the Power of Pictures” by award-winning photographer Rick Sammon. Unlike the typical photography book that contains a lot of pictures and technical details, this book does not contain a single photograph.
Instead, Mr. Sammon’s intent with this book is to make you think about your photography and how using your brain can make you a better photographer. In fact, the title of the first chapter is a question Mr. Sammon states he often asks during his workshops and seminars: “What does your photography mean to you?”
That seemed like a simple enough question until I realized I had never really thought about that. It occurred to me that if I wasn’t able to understand what photography means to me there was no way I could ever convey that meaning to anyone else through my pictures. As I pondered Mr. Sammon’s question, the answer I kept coming back to was freedom.
When I’m photographing and I’m really in that zone, the only thing I am thinking about is my photography. At those times, nothing else really seems to matter all that much. I am only focused on what I am doing at that moment. Since my mind is not using its limited resources to ponder other things, it is free to explore different ideas and consider different things. What if I included this element in the picture? What would happen to the image if I tried this or did that?
So, photography, for me, means freedom. Freedom from the demands of everyday life. Freedom to be creative and try new things. My time is my own, and I have no deadlines and no responsibilities. This gives me the freedom to explore the world around me and create what I hope are beautiful photographs of that world.
What does photography mean to you? Let me know in the comments below.