Monday, September 13, 2010

Plainly stated I am a very passionate man. I always have been. I'm passionate about the smallest things in my life but one thing I am very passionate about is my photography. I have always, at least for as far back as I can remember, been surrounded by cameras. My mother loved taking pictures and even though she's very modest about her skills I think she has an eye for composition and it shaped my photographic life more than anyone. That is why I think photography has a very special place in my heart.


For the last twenty-five years I have been honing my skills both in the darkroom and behind the glow of my monitor clicking away with my Wacom tablet in Photoshop. When I wake up I think about photography. I think about what it is I want to capture next. I can’t stop thinking about it. You’d think after so long the passion would fade or find itself idle in the corner behind the dusty old guitar I used to admire and play so endearingly but it only grows stronger every day. Second only to the love of a woman, I find my photography is the one thing I am most passionate about in my life. Without it I would be a lost soul.


I think for me it’s the idea of capturing time and freezing it for everyone to gaze upon and enjoy that intrigues me the most. A slice of life, if you will, that may not be seen by passers-by or an image that invokes an emotion. I see an old barn or the skeleton of a leaf and I see a photographic opportunity - I see art. I see the world differently as if I'm constantly looking through the viewfinder of my favorite camera. That’s what makes me passionate about photography.

Besides the emotional link to photography there is the excitement of shooting all day and coming back to the studio to see what I’ve captured. There is always a surprise in there - always a little gem that I didn’t expect. It’s exciting to post process the images and see something that lights up my soul with the unexpected such as a perfect expression on a child’s face or something in the background that makes the photograph more memorable.

I love it when someone sees my work and tells me how they love a particular picture. I always ask them what makes it memorable to them or why it is that they love it so much and I always enjoy the responses I get. The human interaction to my work and my love of art in any form, especially photography, gets me going and fires up my soul.

I am asking you, the reader of this blog, what makes you passionate about photography? Whether you are a pro, or a mom taking pictures of her newborn, or an amateur that just loves photography I want to know what drives you to pull out your camera.

Are you someone who is taking hundreds of pictures everywhere you go? Do you carry a camera all the time and annoy your friends and family with the constant click of the shutter? I want to know what you like to take pictures of and why.

I want to know your passion.

2 comments:

Trish Cheatham said...

Yet another incredible blog from one of the most amazing photographers I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Bravo, Kevin, keep 'em coming!

Trish Cheatham said...

Oh and for the record - what am I passionate about? I too am incredibly passionate about photography. I am passionate about writing classical music, the smell of the air after a summer rain, the feeling I get when I drive fast down country roads with the top down.

I am also passionate about helping others grow their businesses, being the best human being I can be, and loving with all my heart. What can I say? I'm a passionate girl!