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What do you do with your images?

johnvanr
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · What do you do with your images?

This doesn't really belong on a gear forum, but there doesn't seem to be any other place and I'm looking for like-minded photographers, at least in the sense of people who are for some reason dedicated to photography.

I'm facing the age-old question again: what do you do with your images?

I recently moved continents (still not settled, but will divide time between various countries, plus travel) from the US to Europe. My wife retired early and I'm not sure whether I'm retired.

I do have more time for photography and find myself in new surroundings. But I also find that I don't shoot that much, actually. And often I wonder why I'm shooting at all, other than just enjoying the process of shooting. I don't really care for the results and kind of know that when I do take the shots.

Last night I found myself driving for a shot because I thought it would make a decent shot for a stock image (I'm with Alamy, but haven't posted anything in years). That was an external trigger instead of the internal triggers I find harder to justify.

I know I'm overthinking this and should just shoot. I should add that I don't believe in Instagram or other social media (with the exception probably of YouTube for video). I'm never going to shoot toward an algorithm or to be popular.

So, I hope to get some inspiration from fellow photographers: what do you do with your images i.e. why do you shoot?

May 19, 2024 at 01:58 PM

eriknfoto
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · What do you do with your images?

I mostly just let them sit on my hard drive after editing, with multiple backups of course. Some of my photography is of everyday life and may become more interesting in 20+ years when society has changed.

The stuff I really like I print and put in a photo album or on a wall, and post to Instagram and possibly here on this forum. If I'm lucky I get 5-10 likes on Instagram because I don't play the algorithm so my account has very little reach.

Some days it feels pointless but I keep doing it because I love it. I still have hope that some day I'll meet people who truly appreciate my photography.

May 19, 2024 at 02:07 PM

markhout
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · What do you do with your images?

I bought an Instax Wide portable printer hoping to share some portrait pics IRL.

May 19, 2024 at 02:16 PM

RoamingScott
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · What do you do with your images?

I print them...some small (4x6), some big (60" wide). I post them to IG and FM from time to time. I showcase high res versions of them on my website. I file them away on HDDs and clouds to ensure they are safe from disaster. I sell the best ones to people that are interested.

The one thing I have yet to do is make a photo book but that's on the radar.

If you simply enjoy the process of photography, that's enough beyond whatever happens when you get home.

May 19, 2024 at 02:19 PM

chez
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · What do you do with your images?

I make a photo book from my travels. Easy way to let others live through your adventures when people come over. I also print many of my images, some to sell, others to hang on walls and others just to matte and store in archival boxes.

May 19, 2024 at 02:50 PM

Abbott Schindl
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · What do you do with your images?

I shoot for myself and to learn and get satisfaction from things around me and that I do. No social media, websites, or things like that. So my uses are pretty personal.

I make photo slideshows of my travels and special projects (like documenting bird behavior). Some I share with special people, some just for myself.

For stills, I make large prints to frame and hang, make cards for special occasions, sometimes give photos to local nonprofits to use for fundraising and other things. I also use them in slide presentations given to various classes and workshops.

And I keep a selection of my favorite images on various devices that I share with others as I wish (or they ask).

May 19, 2024 at 04:28 PM

OwlsEyes
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · What do you do with your images?

This is such a good question, and one that I ask myself quite often. For me, it's about the shooting and being there. I know your question is about the images you make, but I think if you ask yourself... "why do I make pictures?' the product of your shooting may be far less important than the act of being engaged with a subject, life, and your camera.
I am recently retired and have also moved to a new and unfamiliar place. As such, I now have a lot of time on my hands, so I fill it with hours in nature, on trails, and with wildlife. Every once in a while I make a picture that moves me, and this is what keeps me going. Unlike some, I abhor sitting behind a computer, selecting bests, and doing the processing. While I am competent, it is not as fun as being behind the camera.
As for the pictures,... I have a website that I need to update, an IG that I post to 4 or 5 times a week, make books for fun, publish the occasional article, and show my work at coffee shops or wherever I can get it hung. But in the end, I shoot because it allows me to be engaged with the life I am living...

cheers,
bruce

May 19, 2024 at 05:45 PM

EverLearning
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · What do you do with your images?

My interest in photography is driven in part by being in awe of the beauty of nature and trying to capture that, and partly because I wanted to pursue something creative given that my work (about 35 years, before retiring) was highly technical (aside from photography, my artistic talent is drawing a great stick man,

!).

Maybe 10 years ago I set up a web site in hopes that I could sell some of my photos. After I got by that delusion (I did sell some, but not a lot and I wasn't going to shoot a genre just because it might sell better than wildlife), I just enjoyed the photography for what it was.

The web site did/does serve many purposes though. One is it got me to put extra focus on technique, composition, background, etc. my photography improved. But I still use the site to share my best photos with family and friends. I do have some photos up around my house. For family trips (now "wife and I" trips) and Christmas I make DVD photo albums. I have made a few photo books too.

May 19, 2024 at 05:47 PM

philip_pj
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · What do you do with your images?

Maybe heresy, but I believe photography works best as a means to an end. You can develop the goal then plan its achievement using photography. You are living in a world that will very soon not exist in its present form, so any 'documentary' work you do is very valuable, not just personally so. With today's equipment, you can produce imagery that is way ahead of even large format from 30 years back.

Europe still has many great remaining cathedrals and ruins and relics of bygone ages. And nearby, Roman and Greek civilisations left so much of great value in North Africa, Turkey and Greece as well as the Med nations. I'd love to arrange trips to the Mediterranean countries do do this. I had the idea to track one or two of the great rivers from source to sea, but in my locations it's very dangerous to do this with say, the Indus. You have the Scando countries, incredible nature, very near.

The aim is to choose something you are passionate about and that would be of great interest to other people, even if only a small group of them.

Nothing motivates like developing an achievable yet challenging goal. We don't have long in this world, after all. All photography becomes nostalgia in time, and our times are, to say the least, interesting. Time is moving very quickly now.

Images? I post them here, and nowhere else.
I've produced a series of descriptive photo books, I'll PM you more on this.

I'm wary of all digital, so I advise putting the best of what you do in hardcopy form, for which materials are now wonderful and affordable, even from specialist shops. Anything digital can be deleted in an instant, so I don't use the 'cloud' or anything under anyone else's control. Digital is provisional, a necessary step towards permanence, but not permanent itself.

May 19, 2024 at 06:22 PM

theobserver
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · What do you do with your images?

Interesting philosophical question - one that many of my friends ask me when I buy or rent expensive gear. "Who needs a 10 millionth picture of a warbler, a lion or a tiger?" is the essential question (that covers a lot of variations). I retort by saying, "who needs another Jim in the world? Is there any purpose to us being here, in the grand scheme of things?".

For me, it is a way that gets me into nature, see more of the creatures around us in their natural habitat and beauty. I get energized by being in a soft grassy meadow, at sunrise, listening to birds in the trees, soft breezes OR sweating it on a hot sunny day (as long as it is outdoors!!)

I also like going to meetups/trips with like-minded people, which gives me a chance to meet new people, learn from them and keep learning.

A part of me also thinks recognition in the form of social likes, stock photo sales or even comments on forums is a way of saying I exist and I matter.

Long-term health research says that being in nature, having a purpose in life, working/moving as long as you live AND having an active social life are direct contributors to a long, healthy life. Wildlife and Nature Photography gives me all these, so there is that.

May 19, 2024 at 09:33 PM

torifile
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · What do you do with your images?

My photography interest picked up in earnest after my wife passed away. She was only 45 (as was I at the time). I couldn’t bear the thought of these years of my life being uncatalogued. With a life partner, you had someone else who could remember that trip or experience. Without one, these experiences would be lost to the vagaries of my memory. Not that every experience needs to be remembered, but I don’t want to forget these years and photography helps me capture them even if imperfectly.

So, what do I do with my photos? Mostly fill up storage, post to various social media places and share them with friends and family. But the main thing I do with them is use them to keep my eyes open when I’m living life.

Otherwise what’s the point?

May 19, 2024 at 11:04 PM

GroovyGeek
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · What do you do with your images?

There is a reason I only do landscapes - it is a very solitary activity (when done "right") and I get a lot of satisfaction from my improving ability to imagine what a landscape may look like from a topo map, figuring out how to get there, and then nailing the forecast to be there at the right time of year and the right day when the light is interesting. If all these things come together the image itself becomes secondary. I don't do social media because I am turned off by the mindless two-word comments, particularly "great shot". I would love to find a place where brutally honest opinions are shared, but I am yet to find it. The landscape forum here on FM is pretty lame in that respect, and expressing considered but frank opinion is mostly frowned upon. I don't need my ego stoked with positive comments. I would like to know WHY you like the image expressed in a paragraph or two, what you would do differently in post if it was your image, and how you would have composed it differently or at different time of day/year.

For those reasons I only post images on my website. The people who view it are almost exclusively direct family and maybe a friend or two, and a couple of lost souls from here

I don't print much. Getting it right in print requires spending even more time in front of a monitor and that to me is the least enjoyable part of photography.

May 20, 2024 at 03:17 AM

johnvanr
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · What do you do with your images?

eriknfoto wrote:
I mostly just let them sit on my hard drive after editing, with multiple backups of course. Some of my photography is of everyday life and may become more interesting in 20+ years when society has changed.

The stuff I really like I print and put in a photo album or on a wall, and post to Instagram and possibly here on this forum. If I'm lucky I get 5-10 likes on Instagram because I don't play the algorithm so my account has very little reach.

Some days it feels pointless but I keep doing it because I love it. I still...Show more →

I should have made it clear that I have grown children and no grandchildren (yet?). I know the grandchildren would get their fair share of exposure without any doubts.

I hear you on Instagram. When I lived in Cyprus, years ago, I posted to a photo sharing site (now long gone) and since I didn't play the game of mutually liking other people's pictures, I got little feedback, but the saving grace was a guy in Portugal who played the role of curator for the site and picked weekly winners, which often were my images.

May 20, 2024 at 04:02 AM

johnvanr
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · What do you do with your images?

OwlsEyes wrote:
This is such a good question, and one that I ask myself quite often. For me, it's about the shooting and being there. I know your question is about the images you make, but I think if you ask yourself... "why do I make pictures?' the product of your shooting may be far less important than the act of being engaged with a subject, life, and your camera.
I am recently retired and have also moved to a new and unfamiliar place. As such, I now have a lot of time on my hands, so I fill it with hours...Show more →

I am looking forward to shooting in the cities I will spend most of my time in (Vienna and Valencia) and the challenge of walking around and observing these places with images in mind. I'm not really a landscape shooter. I used to shoot raptors, but don't plan on doing much of that in Europe.

Not sure I would want to go through the hassle of hanging images in coffee shops etc., but we'll see.

May 20, 2024 at 04:06 AM

johnvanr
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · What do you do with your images?

philip_pj wrote:
Maybe heresy, but I believe photography works best as a means to an end. You can develop the goal then plan its achievement using photography. You are living in a world that will very soon not exist in its present form, so any 'documentary' work you do is very valuable, not just personally so. With today's equipment, you can produce imagery that is way ahead of even large format from 30 years back.

Europe still has many great remaining cathedrals and ruins and relics of bygone ages. And nearby, Roman and Greek civilisations left so much of great value in North...Show more →

Thanks for your PM. I'll respond in a bit.

I sometimes think of doing projects, just like I sometimes think of doing video for YouTube. The nice thing about projects, esp. if they involve people, is that your photography becomes more engaging and your life potentially more interesting, as you are less of a tourist in the places you visit. The former journalist in me then struggles with the notion that I used to only get up and do those kinds of things for hard cold cash, not as a personal pastime.

May 20, 2024 at 04:10 AM

johnvanr
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · What do you do with your images?

theobserver wrote:
Interesting philosophical question - one that many of my friends ask me when I buy or rent expensive gear. "Who needs a 10 millionth picture of a warbler, a lion or a tiger?" is the essential question (that covers a lot of variations). I retort by saying, "who needs another Jim in the world? Is there any purpose to us being here, in the grand scheme of things?".

For me, it is a way that gets me into nature, see more of the creatures around us in their natural habitat and beauty. I get energized by being in a soft grassy...Show more →

When I did raptor photography in the States, it was very much about the fun of the 'hunt,' the skill of capturing the best shot and not so much about the shot itself. After all, I was mostly shooting with several other photographers getting the same shot. Also, as you say, the hanging out with others was nice.

Street photography in Europe doesn't work like that. I need to be alone for that. Still fun, though.

As I said in another post, I'm not really a landscape guy. I prefer street and city stuff. I also shot birds. And I probably pick up model photography again in Europe. The problem with anything but landscape is that my wife isn't very keen on having images of birds, people or models hanging in the house.

Stock was interesting, but I only submitted to Alamy. No penny stock for me. That's just ripping off creators. Alamy pays for usage, but doesn't say where your images were used. So, I found my older images on Conde Nast Traveler and in the UK Daily Telegraph and got paid a few hundred dollars, which was nice. I may do that again, but keywording is a real hassle and the main way to get hits and sales.

May 20, 2024 at 04:16 AM

sjms
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · What do you do with your images?

it is a combination of business and pleasure. it allows me to look at the world from varied perspectives.

May 20, 2024 at 09:27 AM

jwpstl
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · What do you do with your images?

I do photography for my mental health. A simple walk through the park or my neighborhood focuses my mind and, even if temporarily, alleviates anxiety and depression. The results are secondary to being out in my world. I post to a couple of sharing sites but get few likes because I have a lot of abstract and chaotic images and I don’t really play the social media game. I print some and show them to my wife and a couple of friends. The question I need to ask is will that be enough?

May 20, 2024 at 09:40 AM

cypressblend
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · What do you do with your images?

I would like to use an example of Chinese Calligraphy. (Just providing a view from other side of the world, definitely not trying to lecture people with longer and deeper life experience than me.)

Many people in China will develop a hobby after their retirement because they may feel empty with so much free time (at least that is the reason why my father told me why he would start calligraphy after his retirement). So many people just practice calligraphy every day. And those who feel good about their writings will gift their friends their calligraphy on an important day. Many would also frame their writings and put them on the walls of their rooms. All of that sounds similar to what we do with the photos we feel good about, right?

The fact that calligraphy is popular for them is not only because it is time-consuming, but many also mentioned that doing calligraphy builds their inner peace. And to be honest, most of the people will not produce brilliant art after years of practice, but I guess no one will regret doing it because of that inner peace.

So I guess the question might not be what to do with our photos, but how do we feel when we take photos (yes, even when they are not stunning). Do we feel that inner peace?

May 20, 2024 at 05:46 PM

jimmy462
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · What do you do with your images?

The winters have gotten milder-still in the past ten years and the "dawn paparazzi" no longer assemble at the river's edge. Their prey remains north on open water further up stream and I wonder, some times, how many have changed their routines to chase those wintering eagles.

My sweetie and I remain, observers of these changes, whilst we continue our own local hunting adventures. "Going outside" feeds our cores, more than "just a walk in the woods" it's always "a treasure hunt", seeking out our naked neighbors going about their daily lives.

Tens of thousands of images fill our ever-expanding hard drive collections, a select few will see closer attention from any particular day's jaunt. Perhaps some of those will find their way into a text amongst a few close folks with whom we share images, perhaps a rare post to eBird from me.

"It's what we do" or "it's how we spend our free days" seems almost off-hand to type out and read, because, there's more. I've thought about your post the past couple of days, and it's given me pause to look deeper into why I keep an eye on the weather, and tides, and the sightings lists from around the area, and what endlessly keeps me excited to head out for another day's adventures. And it brought me full-circle around to knowing what I've always known about myself all these years, that "I am just a curious fellow" (and, "yes", on both both counts, both odd aaand inquisitive!

). And, I can't think of a thing that brings me more joy or satisfaction than sharing in those same passions with my equally, er, "curious" sweetie (and, daughter, too!)! Ha! But, it's also something we also do when the other cannot join in!

It's my daily passion, and I don't stand in its way. Tonight the starry sky beckons me to join it. And tomorrow's dawn already (and always) calls me to attend. I've told both my sweetie and my daughter that should "they" find me dead along the beach, or some woodland trail, with my camera around my neck, that I died a happy man...doing exactly what I wanted to be doing, seeking about for the next joyful surprise just waiting to be discovered around the corner.

May 20, 2024 at 08:29 PM

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