Bob Patefield
@bobpatefield1 Jul
If no one ever saw your street photos...
...would you still shoot? Why, or why not?
tricky one this, I guess when I started, no one saw my photos. But nowadays I am extremely used, maybe even a tad addicted to sharing them publicly...
Does that 'addiction' not start to become an involuntary action at some point - to avoid the inevitable withdrawals? I've been thinking a bit about how you and Shane have created this great community, but how it could become something of a millstone around your necks, especially at the rate it's growing. It must require an ever growing amount of input.
I was talking more about feeding instagram (which I have to do to drive inquiries for paid work). Re. this community, we love it and how busy and inspirational it is. It's purely aimed at people into street and documentary photography which we've both essentially dedicated our lives to so it really doesnt feel like work.
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That's great to know. I hope it pays off for you guys. I was lucky in that I was never allowed on instagram (probably for being a terrorist 😈) which I think was a blessing.
I think I probably would. The enjoyment for me is about constantly learning a skill, getting better (very slowly) while never being as good as I would like to be. However, I might be a bit lazier, without a platform to share. I post to Insta, once a day, every day. I don't have a huge number of followers (and even fewer likes!). But having committed myself to posting something every day acts as a motivator - it forces me to make sure I have something available to share that I'm not embarrassed to post. If the pool of 'decent' photos starts to dry up, it pushes me to go out and get more, even when I'm not in the mood. Without Insta, I mightn't do it.
Yes, I’d still shoot. I enjoy revisiting images for their 'story' and emotional resonance. Looking, and REALLY seeing is important to me. It helps me to reflect, consider and learn about the moments that pass you by daily without note. A photograph is full stop on time, though it takes on a new life afterwards. I think I am becoming obsessed with the moment.
Showing my pictures is my least concern. I love observing the world and documenting that. I have thousands of pictures on hard drives that I never look at. My joy is definitely taking pictures and eventually one day someone will see them.
That's interesting. How do you know someone will see them? I fully expect mine to end up in land fill.
My wife my kids and grandkids one day. I have everything well documented and it will be easy for them to see.
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Not sure. Probably just more photos of my 13-month-old son — 2,000 instead of 1,000 a year. 😅
What better subject could you photograph? You will treasure those shots one day.
The grandparents also can’t get enough. 😀
Same here! My sone is 5 months and I have hundreds of edited shots not to mention all the in edited ones. My goal is for him to have a bunch of albums to take with him when he grows up.
Very good question. I have decided a while ago that barely anyone sees my photos.
I do get a kick of seeing a photo oportunity and I am so happy if I get the shot so just for that thrill I am happy to continue doing so just for me primarily.
Also what we perceive as art and what we see is very subjective so when I do it its for my own satisfaction
I do not do photography for a living though, just to make it clear.
maybe we are all Vivian Maiers in the making!
I hope not. She was abusive to kids. Controversial, but true. I understand what you were meaning though.
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I think I would due to the fact that I find it does two things for me. It really makes me look - I hate seeing people buried and lost in their phones when if they just looked around them the real world is far more fascinating, colourful, surreal and interesting in real life. I think as street photographers we love the art of looking and trying to capture those moments, details and interactions that maybe others don't see. The other reason is that it quietens my brain from overthinking and makes me concentrate and notice things happening around me. Plus the joy of capturing an image you love never leaves you - it can be a rare thing but makes it all worth it!
Nicely put B. Now I'm curious about overthinking. How do we know when we are just thinking and when we are overthinking? What's the difference? What do you tend to over think about?
I'm often a bit of over worrier when life gets stressful but I find photographing and concentrating on really looking helps me to focus and turn off the negative stuff. On a good day of photography I definitely engage with people more (especially if shooting some form of event) and learn about their lives rather than getting bogged down in my own, plus you often get a smile and an interesting conversation!
I'm sure most of us can identify with that. We should have a new phrase - 'Photography fixes this' 😀
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A few years ago, I stopped caring about how many people see my photos, about regularly posting to the gram, etc. It's been very liberating, and now I focus on shooting for the sake of purely enjoying photography.
If I'm seeking exposure or validation, then I do so through curation and group engagement, which may not be immediately gratifying, but it feels much more genuine.
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Nietzsche said “Whoever wants to achieve something great must not seek to satisfy or please anyone but himself in his work: as soon as he fishes for the approval of others, it will not be anything great.”
I started taking photos (snaps) around 2016 but didn't try "Street" until around three years go. At no point have I been on facebook or instagram, as I didn't think anyone would want to see my pics because I didn't feel they were anything like good enough. Last year I joined Flickr and got a few likes, altho nothing major but then I haven't joined lots of groups. It's nice to have some validation but I post when I want to and not because I have to but I'm slowing that down. because I have recently joined Framelines, I post now and then and I find it rewarding to see my images in with what I have to say, are a lot of very good photographers images. Yes, I have imposter syndrome but I'll keep taking photos regardless, because it gets me out and about (except when on thermal lockdown) and looking at what I can see and trying to see more.
Hey yes I am on flickr as well. I think it is good that it has not changed in a long time and it is still photography first
Yes, I would. In the days of film, I would only take snapshots or family photos. They would get developed, looked at and stuck in an album that hardly got opened again. I still kept taking the photos. For me the enjoyment is the process of watching and taking the photo more than the actual result. That does not mean I would not mind if all my photos were rubbish though.
Hell yeah, I’m shooting for me first, curating and capturing moments that I might not remember
To be honest, probably not. While photography gives me an immense sense of mindfulness by forcing me to focus on the details around me, sharing the work is a massive part of the engine.
Without an outlet, my drive to experiment and improve would fade. I don’t care about chasing likes or playing the algorithm's game, but knowing the photos have a home outside of my hard drive is what keeps me motivated to keep shooting.
I find it incredibly mindful and a way to switch off from work stresses so I'd 100% still shoot.
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IMO, the creative process is not complete unless the artistic expression is shared with, and experienced by, the viewer. Creating in a vacuum would be madness. So, to answer your question, I would see no point in continuing to shoot.
Can the creator not also be the viewer?
Yes, of course. The creator is always the first viewer, and that initial experience is an essential part of the creative process.
But for me, art isn't complete until it leaves the artist and becomes someone else's experience. I find it difficult to imagine a writer whose work is never read, a composer whose music is never heard, or an actor who performs to an empty theater. They may still create for the joy of creating, but I believe the work ultimately longs for an audience.
Photography is no different. I don't make photographs simply to preserve what I saw; I make them in the hope that someone else might see, feel, or discover something they otherwise wouldn't have. Once the photograph is viewed, it begins a conversation between the artist and the viewer, and that conversation completes the work.
If no one ever saw my photographs, not even once, I would still enjoy the act of walking with a camera. But I don't think I would continue to call it an artistic practice. For me, the act of sharing isn't incidental to the work; it's part of the work itself.
It reminds me of Vivian Maier, whose work went unseen for so long.
I know I would definitely keep shooting. Getting feedback and having my peers like my photos is great, but street photography is mostly my way of confronting and processing the world. Having my camera on me feels like a security blanket. I love the idea of capturing beauty and freezing a single moment when everything around us is moving so fast. So yes, I’d continue... but I don't know for how long. Maybe one day my soul will need a different creative outlet to navigate life, and the only thing keeping me tied to photography would be the viewers.
Beautifully said.
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That's interesting Laura. I understand the 'processing', but why 'confronting the world'?
I suffered (suffer still sometimes) from generalised anxiety. So going out felt like going to war, sometimes. It is better now, thanks to street photography ☺️
Sorry to hear that Laura. Glad to hear you're doing better. Have you ever heard of EFT? (Emotional Freedom Techniques) It looks kind of silly, but it works great for that kind of thing. I trained in it as I had some PTSD from the ambulance service many years ago. Happy to give you some pointers if it's of interest to you.
I have so many photos that I hardly post. I genuinely just enjoy shooting than processing and posting.
My aim is to print, frame and hang the best on a wall at home for my own satisfaction and friends and family to view. However as classical Street photography has a very limited audience and understanding among the general public, don't we all fundamentally only shoot for ourselves (and maybe other Street photographers)? I do.
Yes. Because you’re capturing what will become history. What life was like in your era or documenting how it changes throughout your timeline. Plus it’s super fun and gives you a buzz when you capture something beautiful.
Of course. I shoot for me, not others. If someone sees one of my photos and likes it then that's a bonus
Yes I would shoot. I have very many. I post only a tiny percentage. This applies to all the other subjects - landscape, sport, models, nature, abstract etc. When posting any photo publicly I give some thought beforehand in choosing - deciding what message it may convey and what I want to convey to a wider audience.
