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Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

Ross Martin
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p.10 #1 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

ruthenium wrote:
Most should be familiar with Harry Potter books and movies. There is one particular part of the stories that I connected with ever since the first time reading this in the book, and after watching the movie. This is about Dementors. One can say that Dementors personify depression and despair. As you may remember from the stories, confronting Dementors requires concentrating on a single, intense, and vivid happy memory. I expect that every human being should have this experience of confronting their particular Dementors throughout the life time, for all the usual reasons: loss, sickness, financial difficulties, etc.
While I count...Show more →

I really appreciate what you are expressing here, Dmitri. No, you are not alone in this.

I�m in the middle of reading the Harry Potter series now and your metaphor about the Dementors and the power of the happy thought is good stuff.

Mar 21, 2026 at 09:51 PM

chatcher
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p.10 #2 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

chez wrote:
Experience for me. If I don�t enjoy the experience, my images reflect this. Many times when I arrive at a new location / place, I�ll go out without a camera to get a feel of the place, be it landscape or street, before I decide to take some images. I never get the fear of missing an image as there is a world full of images I�m not taking. I get the vision of the image I want, then go out with my gear to get that image.

You say �experience�, yet you end with �get that image�. And I don�t disagree. It�s the same thing.

As this thread has evolved, so has my thinking. I was all set to present my logical answer, but as I typed, I noticed flaws in my logic, and my argument collapsed before my eyes. When I choose to carry a camera, is my intention to photograph things? Or to obtain photographs of things? I was leaning toward the former, but it would be meaningless if I came home with an empty camera.

Mar 22, 2026 at 07:50 AM

nightnight
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p.10 #3 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

philip_pj wrote:
On the experience of getting the photo, do you look back on images of loved ones from 10-20 years ago and instead think to yourself: 'man, I remember how good it felt to press that shutter release in that shot, how comfortable the camera was in my hands'? It's like a restorer remembering turning the torque wrench on his now pristine 70s' Ducati.

Photography has the unique ability to stop the passage of time in an instant, and make it potentially visible forever. And time is the great mystery, and all photography eventually becomes nostalgia. Don't get sidetracked by trivia,...Show more →

I don't always see a photo and think about the particular "hows" of how I shot it, but sometimes I do. For instance, my dad gave me his FM2 to take to summer camp once in the late 90s. The photos were the photos an 8 year old would take so, admittedly, not the peak of my artistic output, but when I look at those, I really only remember the camera, and how it felt to carry it around those days in the woods, and my dad, etc. I don't think about the camp at all. Again, case by case.

My experience with photography is not that it is separate and alone from life but that it rides alongside everything else. At the risk of getting too romantic and anthropomorphizing a piece of consumer electronics, the camera is like a friend along for the ride. And just like actual friends, I value the things that make cameras cool or quirky or unique. Sometimes I really care about resolution, or don't want to think about autofocus at all, and so I take the Canon. But sometimes I want something that starts a conversation, or that I can pass around a group of friends and have them all take pictures of each other, or that just looks smart with my outfit. Then I take the X100. It's not that I don't care about the output, it's that in a lot of circumstances, at least for me, the output is secondary to being in the moment and having a good time.

Mar 22, 2026 at 07:59 AM

nightnight
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p.10 #4 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

ruthenium wrote:
While I count myself among the happy, and regularly count my blessings, I do have the need to concentrate on a single intense happy memory sometimes, e.g. at night. In the last few years, I tend to think of some recent happy photography experience, as an immediate intense happy thought and memory.
The reasons for doing photography can be different, but I believe I wouldn't be alone to acknowledge that photography is good for mental health. This is in addition to the physical health benefits of going on hikes with a camera, and capturing memorable photos. There's certainly considerably more...Show more →

Agreed completely. I've been an ICU nurse at one of the largest hospitals on the US east coast for many years. Lots of death, lots of devastation, lots of stress, every day. Photography has consistently been one of the things to help keep me sane and (on balance) happy. After a long stretch, I love going for a hike with a camera, or going out with some friends and having some fun photos to look back on. I could do those things without the camera, but they feel more meaningful with a camera in tow, and it's been a really important (for lack of a better term) coping mechanism for me after a tough run at the hospital. And while it's nice to get a nice photo every now and then on one of these days, it's definitely not the point for me.

Mar 22, 2026 at 08:06 AM

aCuria
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p.10 #5 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

When you have your lens trained on something you are really excited about, and the entire sequence comes up OOF that sinking feeling really sucks.

On the other hand if the camera is causing your hand to cramp up thats not fun either.

Mar 22, 2026 at 09:53 AM

chez
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p.10 #6 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

chatcher wrote:
You say �experience�, yet you end with �get that image�. And I don�t disagree. It�s the same thing.

As this thread has evolved, so has my thinking. I was all set to present my logical answer, but as I typed, I noticed flaws in my logic, and my argument collapsed before my eyes. When I choose to carry a camera, is my intention to photograph things? Or to obtain photographs of things? I was leaning toward the former, but it would be meaningless if I came home with an empty camera.

It�s not the same thing. To me visualizing the image I want after taking the time to look at the environment is done with no camera in my hand. Then once I know what image I want�the �hunt� to get that image involves a camera. Both processes, before and after camera I love irrespective if I actually accomplish in getting the image I visualized. Yeh, I love looking at the images I captured when I get home�but my enjoyment out in the field is not about just getting an image�it�s the entire process of being immersed into the environment and searching for the image.

Mar 22, 2026 at 10:11 AM

taildraggin
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p.10 #7 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

People have different goals in photography.

My photos tell the story for my life and are priceless to me. In a bargain with the devil, I'd throw all the gear away for one more great shot. (He took the Canon PowerShot S100, below). They're my story, If someone else likes them, great. But I'm no pro and I'm not trying to sell anything.

Some of my favorites were taken on cheap cameras, iPhones or very expensive gear. Some are just snapshots but all mean a great deal to me. When you can make the image better with good gear, great, but it isn't necessary. It's simply entertaining to capture life.

After the crossing. Panama Canal, Quarantine buoy, Howler monkeys, Cuba Libre, Partagas, Tinder.

Stoof tails

(I hope you don't find any dust in the images.)

Mar 22, 2026 at 10:12 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.10 #8 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

I suspect that we�re starting to take the word �experience� in a couple of different directions here.

On one level ��and I assumed this is what the OP referred to � is the experience of operating camera gear. People say that they enjoy using some piece of equipment, manually focusing, the feel of some lens, etc. Some will say or suggest that this is the thing that they love about their relationship to photography � collecting and operating equipment, etc.

On another level, photographs are, arguably, _about_ experience. They can allow a viewer to experience the photographer�s way of seeing the world. They can provide some contact with experiences not directly available to the viewer. Many will not visit the moon, climb Mt. Everest, get inside a political campaign, view sunrise at remarkable places, stare a tiger in the face, etc.) A photograph can also let us hold onto things that have passed � history, departed relatives, places that no longer exist, our own childhood.

I�m not entirely immune to that first type of experience � a warm feeling about operating a good piece of equipment. But that is an experience that is far more general than �photography.� I could have it with a musical instrument, a tool, cookware, a fine jacket, almost anything. It isn�t intrinsically a photography experience.

The second is a photography experience � creating a visual image that evokes for me or other viewers some kind of emotion al engagement and responses along the lines of those in the second case. For this, the goal is to produce photographs that both express my experience and, I�m hopeful, suggest something about that experience to others.

FWIW.

Mar 22, 2026 at 11:16 AM

DWOfPaul
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p.10 #9 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

Admittedly, when I started this topic, I was not thinking about tying memories / experiences to gear, but it is an interesting thought. While I have memories with every lens I own, most I wouldn't call a strong connection. For example, while my 24-120mm f4 S is one of my favorite lenses, I can't say I have a strong emotional connection with it, and I often can't say which photos I took with it VS another Nikon lens without looking at the EXIF data. But there are lenses in my kit I do have a strong connection with and can often call out in my photo catalog without looking at the EXIF data, such as my Canon 17mm TS.

I was interested in adding a wide angle TS lens to my kit for a few years. At the time, the Canon 17mm TS was basically the only option, and I didn't have a Canon DSLR. Then Nikon put out the 19mm TS in 2016 for $3,400. Around the same time, Sony was gaining popularity, people were talking about how much better mirrorless was for MF lenses, and Sony had better dynamic range than Canon. Fast forward to 2017 and I got a chance to get an a7rII from a local photographer for a good price, and I realized I could get the Sony camera and a Canon 17mm TS for less than the Nikon 19mm TS. Add in that the Sony sounded like it would play nicer with my Zeiss lenses than my D800, and I was sold. I joined the Sony world and spent quite a bit of time mastering the 17mm TS and experimenting with the new compositions it opened for me. Eventually, I even added ND filters for it into the mix.

Now I am sure part of the reason I can call out the 17mm TS photos is due to the unique compositions it allows, but I do have a strong emotional connection there, too. It's one of the lenses I miss using more often since getting the Z8.

This brings up another point of personal reflection. Some gear has pushed me more than others to try new styles of photography and broaden my photographic skills. Something I have always enjoyed about photography is that there is always something new to learn or improve on, it's practically impossible to run out of things to learn or improve on. This probably explains part of why I am usually much more tempted to buy a lens with a spec I have not had before than to upgrade a lens I already have to a newer and "better" model. For example, the Sigma 35mm f1.2 is interesting to me because I have never had a 35mm f1.2 lens and have never had an AF f1.2 lens, but while the new Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG II looks like a very nice upgrade over my Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art from 2012 I am not really tempted to replace it.

Mar 23, 2026 at 12:29 PM

DWOfPaul
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p.10 #10 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

Interestingly, when PetaPixle attended an event for the Zeiss 35mm f1.4 ML, Zeiss focused on the art and artist instead of the specs:
https://petapixel.com/2026/03/26/i-flew-to-atlanta-for-a-zeiss-lens-event-but-found-something-more/

Mar 27, 2026 at 10:31 AM

Nifty Fifty
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p.10 #11 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

A clever marketing move. You have to appeal to people's emotions if you want to extract a lot of money from them and prevent them from making objective comparisons. However, I doubt that Zeiss will ever be able to play the game even remotely as well as Leica.

Mar 27, 2026 at 11:33 AM

DWOfPaul
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p.10 #12 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

Nifty Fifty wrote:
A clever marketing move. You have to appeal to people's emotions if you want to extract a lot of money from them and prevent them from making objective comparisons. However, I doubt that Zeiss will ever be able to play the game even remotely as well as Leica.

On one hand, I completely agree. For example, with how good AF has gotten, is MF really worth it today, especially at such a high price point. On the other hand, if you want a MF lens, Zeiss probably has the best build quality outside of Leica. So Zeiss definitely has high end tech too.

Mar 27, 2026 at 12:12 PM

RustyRus
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p.10 #13 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

DWOfPaul wrote:
On one hand, I completely agree. For example, with how good AF has gotten, is MF really worth it today, especially at such a high price point. On the other hand, if you want a MF lens, Zeiss probably has the best build quality outside of Leica. So Zeiss definitely has high end tech too.

I agree with you about AF being so good- I sort of hate shooting my nikon gear for that reason-

For example this shot-

I shot with the a .95 Leica lens wide open. I had to track it and fired one shot. I have been shooting Range Finder MF lenses for a 4-5 years but it 100% had some luck as well.

If I shot this with a Nikon 50 1.2 S- I would have had 80 frames, had to comb through them, pick what I like, blah blah blah- I hate that. Its removes my enjoyment of it and this shot is much more meaningful to me-

So on a day out exploring Tokyo- This form of photography is much more enjoyable and gives me the experience I want. I didn't care if I missed this shot but glad I got it-

LEICA M11-P Noctilux-M 1:0.95/50 ASPH. lens 50mm f/1.0 1/4000s 64 ISO 0.0 EV

Mar 27, 2026 at 12:18 PM

chez
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p.10 #14 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

RustyRus wrote:
I agree with you about AF being so good- I sort of hate shooting my nikon gear for that reason-

For example this shot-

I shot with the a .95 Leica lens wide open. I had to track it and fired one shot. I have been shooting Range Finder MF lenses for a 4-5 years but it 100% had some luck as well.

If I shot this with a Nikon 50 1.2 S- I would have had 80 frames, had to comb through them, pick what I like, blah blah blah- I hate that. Its removes my enjoyment of it...Show more →

What makes you shoot off 80 images if you have AF? For the vast majority of my street shooting I use single shot.

Mar 27, 2026 at 12:59 PM

Xysterz
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p.10 #15 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

DWOfPaul wrote:
When taking photos for yourself, do you find yourself prioritizing getting the photo or the experience of getting the photo?

For example, do you find yourself gravitating towards superzooms that let you capture a larger variety of photos quicker, or do you prefer sticking with a few MF primes because you enjoy the experience better, even if you miss some photo opportunities along the way? Similarly, on the camera side, do you prefer a larger camera with better AF, higher FPS, and more features, or a smaller, lighter, and more portable camera?

For me, I think it's both and/or it depends on the situation. If I'm walking around in the city or in nature and I have my camera, and come across a nice scene or portrait I want to photograph, I'd lean towards experience. My main purpose of being there was not to get photos, it was something else (relaxing, having fun, etc). If I'm at an event, say my. kid's high school tennis match, I'd definitely say capturing a really cool moment is the priority. I'm willing to contort myself, be uncomfortable, etc., to get my shot. In either case though, I prefer the most capable camera I can afford, with better AF, FPS, etc at the expense of size and weight. I'm a gear head, but to me, the equipment is just a tool in helping me craft something. Now, all things being equal (which they never are), I'd definitely go for the lighter, less cumbersome camera.

Mar 27, 2026 at 01:30 PM

Spectro
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p.10 #16 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

gdanmitchell wrote:
I suspect that we�re starting to take the word �experience� in a couple of different directions here.

On one level ��and I assumed this is what the OP referred to � is the experience of operating camera gear. People say that they enjoy using some piece of equipment, manually focusing, the feel of some lens, etc. Some will say or suggest that this is the thing that they love about their relationship to photography � collecting and operating equipment, etc.

On another level, photographs are, arguably, _about_ experience. They can allow a viewer to experience the photographer�s way of seeing...Show more →

These descriptions both resonate with me. I have gear that I don�t NEED but purchased to enjoy using. The caveat to that experience is that I�ve evolved to putting the camera down even briefly to enjoy the experience of the subject or environment. An example of your first description would be seeing a cloud formation an hour before sunset that I know will likely produce a beautiful sunset. I will choose a location and take gear that I know I will enjoy using to get the sunset. I will also consciously stop the photo exercise for long enough to ensure I also enjoy the sunset.

The second description for me is usually less emotional and more challenging to get something unique. An example might be that an NHL game at ice level is rewarding but less about the experience of taking the photos than getting top quality editorial photos for the client. Within that experience there is always the desire to get a unique photo that others cannot see unless they are in my location and sharing that photo if allowed within my contract/agreement. It may even be as simple as a sharp portrait of a player in the background between two players taking a face off or a player showing emotion between plays.

Mar 27, 2026 at 02:16 PM

jimmuller
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p.10 #17 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

DWOfPaul wrote:
Admittedly, when I started this topic, I was not thinking about tying memories / experiences to gear, but it is an interesting thought. While I have memories with every lens I own, most I wouldn't call a strong connection. ... But there are lenses in my kit I do have a strong connection with.

I started reading this thread some time ago, don't remember when. Today I started by reading the thread back to front and eventually I ran out of patience.

That being said...

I bought my Z5ii and FTZ last fall as a way to use the three lenses I had bought for my Nikkormat back in the 1970's. I had and still have a strong emotional attachment to that camera and those lenses, a 200mm f/4 in particular. I carried them everywhere, hiking, x-c skiing, to parties and relatives and in-laws. I now have 11 Nikkor lenses (several redundant, long story) and one Tamron macro, all manual focus F mount. None cost me more than $100, a nice benefit.

With focal lengths that cover 28mm to 300mm and many choices in between I still have to choose the lens, do manual focus, aperture priority or manual only, and check what the camera selected for shutter and ISO. It's an experience process. I love getting a great shot, or at least as great as I can manage according to my own eyes. But the getting is more than half the fun. Just playing with the camera is half the fun. You could say I'm doing it the hard way on purpose. It's more engaging if I have to be engaged. I certainly miss some shots but no more than if I wasn't trying in the first place.

Lately I revived my Nikkormat and two bodies, an F and F2, that a friend gave me. I've shot some film with the Nikkormat with the intent to scan the pics. Doing it the hard way? Well YEAH! But it's the experience that matters, not the goal. I'm not a pro, don't get paid to take pics of anything. A zoom with AF would let me get lots of pics in a hurry. But what's the point? I do it for the experience. The pics are just gravy on the potatoes.

Mar 27, 2026 at 04:45 PM

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p.10 #18 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

I get the best of both! I have a long-term project to write a coffee table book about contemporary jazz/smooth jazz artists along with both their portraits and performance photos. The fun part is while I�m looking through the EVF I�m also listening to and enjoying their music. One illusive target has been Dave Koz! He�s doing predominantly international gigs these days, plus his management is pretty touchy about photographs, but I�ll keep working them!

Music photography is my alter ego to the daily commercial, portrait headshot and dance world.

Mar 28, 2026 at 07:15 AM

Superscroll
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p.10 #19 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

I'm after the image.

Mar 28, 2026 at 05:19 PM

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p.10 #20 · Getting the photo vs the experience of getting the photo

Superscroll wrote:
I'm after the image.

I have so many images that I rarely care anymore

The abundance of images decreases their value.

But - fortunately - there are exceptions. When browsing through my old pictures, the ones that I like most, I vividly remember when and where they were taken, why I was traveling there etc. Heck, often I even remember the great used without checking exif!

I think the correct answer is "both". For a really good picture the picture must be good (although not necessarily technically perfect), and there has to be something special in the experience of taking it.

Mar 31, 2026 at 01:26 AM

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