What does Photography mean to you?
Everyone asks what photography means to me. What inspires me? I'm expected to have some pre-written answer. A prepared retort filled with an inspirational quote worthy message. But, the truth is that photography means something different to me every time I go out to shoot. You don't need to a reason to be a photographer, because that reason can, and will, change every single day. To me, photography is a way to capture the world. Somedays, it's just my way of manipulating the world into a mood or vision I have for it.
Photography is my artistic outlet. With a press of the shutter, I can capture how I feel about a specific moment. A fragment of time trapped on my sensor. And, sure, there are days that photography is about inspiration. There are days it's about sharing the joy of the world. About harnessing the beauty of our planet. Other days, though, photography is simply about getting me out. I can be an introverted cave-dweller; I'll want to hide away in hotel rooms for days. Photography gets me out.
It pulls me to the seas, cliffs, and landscapes. It drags me through the narrow streets, and into the markets of the world. Photography brings me face to face with people I'd never have had the chance to meet without it. Photography, is friendship. Photography is peace and calm. It's harnessed excitement. That moment from when the mirror clacks, the shutter snaps to when the image is revealed is pure power.
And no matter how many thousand times I press that shutter, it still gives me butterflies. Photography is love. But most of all, photography is vulnerability and courage. Through all the images I've taken, all the video clips I've rolled, all moments I've captured, nothing has brought me more joy than the empowerment that comes from sharing this beautiful craft back to a world that has given me so much. So, what does photography mean to you?