Comments on: What is the purpose of the drive? http://www.joereifer.com/words/2008/07/26/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-drive/ Ramblings about night photography, desert ruins, 360 panoramas, and artistic inspiration Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:47:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TJ Avery http://www.joereifer.com/words/2008/07/26/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-788 TJ Avery Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:11:43 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=514#comment-788 Having fun and getting enjoyment out of photography is certainly a great purpose. Even the act of having fun, by itself, could be a valid purpose :-) Maybe that's it. Maybe the reason we continue the fast drive in the dark is that it gives us so much enjoyment and fun. Maybe the path we follow is done somewhat blindly, but is really led by our desire for excitement, fun, and enjoyment. I can put it this way, if my photography wasn't fun and enjoyable, then I wouldn't be doing it :-) There's also an extra something there, and I cannot explain it. The best way to describe it is that it's a "creative itch". It must be scratched! Having fun and getting enjoyment out of photography is certainly a great purpose. Even the act of having fun, by itself, could be a valid purpose :-)

Maybe that’s it. Maybe the reason we continue the fast drive in the dark is that it gives us so much enjoyment and fun. Maybe the path we follow is done somewhat blindly, but is really led by our desire for excitement, fun, and enjoyment.

I can put it this way, if my photography wasn’t fun and enjoyable, then I wouldn’t be doing it :-)

There’s also an extra something there, and I cannot explain it. The best way to describe it is that it’s a “creative itch”. It must be scratched!

]]> By: joe http://www.joereifer.com/words/2008/07/26/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-783 joe Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:45:20 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=514#comment-783 TJ - Your statement really boils things down to the two reasons to make photographs. The first part is an instrument to examine something on the inside by looking at something on the outside. The second part is to use the resulting image to share the feeling with others. The ride can indeed be exhilirating. Sometimes we can just get in the car and go. Right now I'm trying to find a map to figure out where to go next. Murry - your spin on TJ's comment is great. Maybe shooting and sharing is enough for a lot of us. Lucy - Thanks for your comment. As someone who's done a lot of project management, I'm a strong believer in mapping your actions to your purpose. Right now I'm on a plateau where I can't see a purpose beyond shooting and sharing. Again, maybe that's enough, but I want to make sure. Wes - you're not the only one who finds the question to be difficult - glad you found the purpose statement idea to be stimulating! TJ – Your statement really boils things down to the two reasons to make photographs. The first part is an instrument to examine something on the inside by looking at something on the outside. The second part is to use the resulting image to share the feeling with others. The ride can indeed be exhilirating. Sometimes we can just get in the car and go. Right now I’m trying to find a map to figure out where to go next.

Murry – your spin on TJ’s comment is great. Maybe shooting and sharing is enough for a lot of us.

Lucy – Thanks for your comment. As someone who’s done a lot of project management, I’m a strong believer in mapping your actions to your purpose. Right now I’m on a plateau where I can’t see a purpose beyond shooting and sharing. Again, maybe that’s enough, but I want to make sure.

Wes – you’re not the only one who finds the question to be difficult – glad you found the purpose statement idea to be stimulating!

]]> By: Wes http://www.joereifer.com/words/2008/07/26/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-779 Wes Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:58:38 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=514#comment-779 To me, asking the question "defining my purpose in photography" takes me back to my much days in school when a teacher would say a word and then say write a composition of 2500 words on the "word". I get brain freeze and just sit here think of what to say. It is like finding that "first sentence" when getting to write or maybe what key to I want my next piece of music to be in. Photography, to me, is just a whole lot of fun (I don't depend on it for a living), a lot of challenge (technically as well as compositionally) something to share with friends and fellow photographers. So, my purpose in photography is, first of all, just having fun looking at the world in a different way each time I shoot, continuing education in the use of the camera as well as how to put what I see, into a composition that someone else might enjoy looking at, allowing my photography to fill a gap in my life with the joy of seeing in a new way. Hope that isn't too cliche but it comes from the heart. Now, I must add more joy to my life, grab the camera and head for the hills. Thanks for your site Joe and for forcing us to think about our purpose in photography and actually putting that purpose into words. I am sure parts of my purpose with change over time, as I also change over time but the idea of developing a purpose is such a great thing to get into. And I would like to thank Craig for sending us to your site. Wes To me, asking the question “defining my purpose in photography” takes me back to my much days in school when a teacher would say a word and then say write a composition of 2500 words on the “word”. I get brain freeze and just sit here think of what to say. It is like finding that “first sentence” when getting to write or maybe what key to I want my next piece of music to be in. Photography, to me, is just a whole lot of fun (I don’t depend on it for a living), a lot of challenge (technically as well as compositionally) something to share with friends and fellow photographers.

So, my purpose in photography is, first of all, just having fun looking at the world in a different way each time I shoot, continuing education in the use of the camera as well as how to put what I see, into a composition that someone else might enjoy looking at, allowing my photography to fill a gap in my life with the joy of seeing in a new way. Hope that isn’t too cliche but it comes from the heart. Now, I must add more joy to my life, grab the camera and head for the hills.

Thanks for your site Joe and for forcing us to think about our purpose in photography and actually putting that purpose into words. I am sure parts of my purpose with change over time, as I also change over time but the idea of developing a purpose is such a great thing to get into.

And I would like to thank Craig for sending us to your site.

Wes

]]> By: Lucy http://www.joereifer.com/words/2008/07/26/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-780 Lucy Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:04:34 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=514#comment-780 "My purpose as a photographer is to inspire others. Through teaching photography and sharing my work I connect people with nature and beauty and JOY." So when an opportunity comes up I first determine if it is true to my purpose. I believe by staying focused on my purpose it will lead to my bigger goals and dreams. Keep me pointed in the right direction. TJ brings up a good point regarding the indicators that you're achieving your purpose. I think if your purpose includes an external measurement it's your ego demanding a means to an end, a specific goal, or measurement of "success", which is in the future. TJ, you do have a very meaningful purpose, now the next step is to determine HOW you fulfill your purpose. It may be many steps or phases. So as long as you're making progress today, right now, you're on track! “My purpose as a photographer is to inspire others. Through teaching photography and sharing my work I connect people with nature and beauty and JOY.”

So when an opportunity comes up I first determine if it is true to my purpose. I believe by staying focused on my purpose it will lead to my bigger goals and dreams. Keep me pointed in the right direction.

TJ brings up a good point regarding the indicators that you’re achieving your purpose. I think if your purpose includes an external measurement it’s your ego demanding a means to an end, a specific goal, or measurement of “success”, which is in the future. TJ, you do have a very meaningful purpose, now the next step is to determine HOW you fulfill your purpose. It may be many steps or phases. So as long as you’re making progress today, right now, you’re on track!

]]> By: MurryG http://www.joereifer.com/words/2008/07/26/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-778 MurryG Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:56:40 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=514#comment-778 I just want to have fun and I haven't wavered from that in 50+ years. I shoot what I see and like to share it with others that would like to see what I see. Life and photography is pretty darn simple if you don't over think it! I just want to have fun and I haven’t wavered from that in 50+ years. I shoot what I see and like to share it with others that would like to see what I see. Life and photography is pretty darn simple if you don’t over think it!

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