Thanks for the response – sublimely stated, as always.

Cheers

Carl

Great post, and something that really strikes home for me. I started out as a bird photographer. I would occasionally photograph mammals that would come by during my outings, but I never took it too seriously. Through a series of “evolutions”, I began trying new things … mammals, flower macros, insect macros, abstracts, landscapes, reptiles/amphibians. I grew up on nature – I’ve always loved every little bit of it, so it just didn’t make sense that I was only photographing birds. I eventually ended up loving to photograph everything in nature that I found when out and about, and my level of appreciation and skill at capturing a variety of subjects at this point in my life couldn’t make me happier. Of course, I’m still in the self-imposed box of the “nature photographer”, but at least I can say that it’s not because of any outside influences. I don’t think you’ll disagree with this – it’s important to photograph what you love. If I set out to expand my box and start doing portraits of babies, my heart certainly won’t be in it!

Richard, that’s a very good observation, not only about photographers but also when you think about how many other people these days feel a need to apologize for or dismiss what they do for a living as having little to do with their own goals and beliefs.

Carl, I don’t have a problem with anyone doing what they do, however narrow-scoped out of love or passion for something very specific. What I do find though is that so many nature lovers get into photography to share their joy at the natural world, only to be overtaken with the restrictions and expectations of the “art world” that they feel their work has to take on characteristics removed from the passion that fueled it in the first place.

Jim, I’ll look into updating the links. Thanks for the reminder!
Personally, I wouldn’t distinguish “artistic vision” from normal everyday vision. If we pursue what we love and find creative way to express it, we are all artists.

Guy

2nd for someone that prefers journals your journal is looking quite nice.

3rd I would take your argument even farther… first and foremost we are not just nature photographers we are photographers. A well trained eye isn’t just locked into one genre of photography. A great photographer is able to learn techniques applied in other genres or applied in other niches and creatively apply them to their area of interest. This expanded view nurtures creativity and improved technical ability.

The following could not be more true…

“It’s very easy to get locked into a mode, to preconceive expectations and to ignore opportunities once we condition our brains to seek out very specific things. And yet, by doing so, we are denying ourselves not only photo ops, but also experiences which may enrich our lives, enhance our understanding, joy, and excitement at the wonders around us.”

… but I see an even larger space for photographers to operate and challenge their perceptions retraining their eye and mind to recognize, execute and achieve their artistic vision.

Just got some time to check in on your site here. Nice post, but I think it’s not quite that simple. Artisans have for centuries worked and reworked their chosen field into what you might call ‘niches’ .. repeating their work over and over and over also specialized and ‘perfect’ it.

Cheers

Carl