Why do I do photography?

A college student writing a paper asked me to answer the simple question; why do I do photography? 

The simple answer is; because it’s fun and I like it. But that’s obvious. 

The real answer is I do it as a form of self expression, a way to get a message across and because I love long hair flowing in the wind. Oh, and to immortalize myself. 

Photography is but one means of expression I’ve come to rely on, writing is a close second. I started out in fine art painting classes and thought I would end up a painter. Turns out photography is much faster. 

I prefer the immediacy of photography over drawing or painting, and since I shoot only digital, it’s much cheaper and faster to get my results than shooting film. I can afford to experiment in ways the other media wouldn’t allow and I love that the result is something as compact as a digital file. It doesn’t need to have a material existence to be appreciated, unlike developing film or slathering some surface with paint. My photos are like visual thoughts. 

I seek to convey a variety emotions in my photography and in some cases tell a linear story. I’m drawn to photographing long haired male models in particular because I’ve always loved long hair on guys and the models I shoot with exhibit all the traits I seek to portray. They have the intense, masculine energy that works well with my shooting style, they know how to pose and convey different emotions and then there’s that long hair flowing in the wind! On men or women, I’ve always loved shooting that because it’s visually interesting, all the different shapes it can make and moods it can convey. I think it’s the greatest natural accessory one can wear. 

When I do an editorial with a specific message I shoot with that in mind and I love using photos to tell that story. Photography is unique in that it can be used to capture reality, or an enhanced version of reality, or even used to create a new reality and I love having all those options at my disposal when figuring out how to convey a message. 

The work that any artist does, whether it’s fine arts, music, writing, etc, these works will (hopefully) survive the artist when he/she dies, and thus art making is a great way to leave a legacy others can appreciate long after death. To me, it’s like having children in that my photos are my creations, they will be around after I pass on and they will hopefully have some influence on the world for a long time to come. This excites me and motivates me to create images others might enjoy and be able to relate to as well. 

At the end of the day I enjoy all aspects of photography, from concept to creation and this is reason enough to do it, for me, but the bonus is that others will see it and hopefully be entertained, perhaps inspired and may even learn something about themselves and the world around them.