Sat 14 Apr 2007
Photography can be a solitary avocation, giving you time along, just you, your camera and your subject. In such a way, photography can be a highly meditative and contemplative hobby or job, depending on the type of photography you do, obviously.
But photography can also be a shared activity, whether this is with a close friend, spouse, child, camera club or your assistant(s). Even as a shared activity, there is much solitary time, as people concentrate on their own shooting. But with this, shared photography activities can add greatly to your enjoyment. Over the last year I have been shooting with a good friend, my daughter, a local photographer I met through an online list and with a great group of professional photographers, including DIMi columnist Mark Alberhasky. All have been different but all have also been the same.
In all the above situations the following occurred:
• I taught someone else something
• I learned something from another
• I got to see things differently through another’s eyes
• I widened my view of photography
• I had a very social time and I enjoyed myself
I’ve illustrated this article with photos from two such occasions: my time in Arles with a group of photographers and a trip a week ago I did with my daughter. My time in Arles had me out shooting on a number of occasions with a small group of great photographers. Here there was obviously many opportunities to learn and gain a different viewpoint. My day out with my nine year old daughter, one would think, might be mainly about teacher her. And this, in and of itself, is immensely valuable, not only to her but also to me. Anyone with significant teaching experience knows that you always learn from your students. Lauren has a fresh, young and innocent view of the world and thus shooting with her is always refreshing. Plus she has another set of eyes, meaning that sometimes I see things I would have missed if I had been out alone. Plus it is also a wonderful sharing period and great father-daughter time.
If you are a mainly solitary photographer, I’d encourage you to try sharing the experience some time. If you are only a social photographer, try some solitary time. Mix it up. Look for opportunities to get out with other photographers, whether it is a camera club outing, a meeting you setup with some local members of some photography mailing list, a friend or whatever. Give it a go, you will probably not regret it.
