Monte,

When I made the move from practicing commercial professional photography to working as an editor for a popular photo magazine I became aware that there is no clear division between "professionals' and "enthusiasts", because some of the personal motives are the same. I also found many who are both professional and enthusiasts are involved with photography for its own sake, and although that can involve a great diversity of individual differences, many find a need to subsidize their involvement and activity in photography by making some of what they do earn some money.

However even though serious photographers tend to be very individualistic and differentiate themselves from others photographically in many ways, we all participate in a world-wide cultural phenomenon. Photography has become in the modern world the predominant visual folk art of the 20th and now the 21'st century. And because unlike the older visual arts, it does not demand a talent for hand skils and eye-hand coordination, it is a very democratic folk art.

It is not the final result, the artifact that is particularly defining, or for that matter what kind of photography, whether urban street photography, landscapes, nature, flower, or pet photography that makes a difference except to the individuality of how each of us relates to our world and other people.

What we all hold in common is involvement in the process of visualization and seeing what is significant as pictures, and particularly in exercising the process to make that expression real in a material sense. But I think it should be brought to attention that really very few place as much value in the final result, the photagraph made, as in the process of getting to that point. Very often the pictures once made just get stored away for posterity.

What matters most is the experience of seeing and creating from our vision of what is significant to us in this world. How one person does so compared to another is really irrelevant, just an idle curiosity.

Quote What matters most is the experience of seeing and creating from our vision of what is significant to us in this world. How one person does so compared to another is really irrelevant, just an idle curiosity.

David, your quote above says a lot about what holds our interest. Our need to create to express our vision.

your

David,

I think your statements remind all of us that we share a common bond. We all have a vision. The individual goals for way we do it may be different, but the human experience remains the same in one way, Self-expression. Thinking about this reminds me that neither digital or film defines a true Photographer, Definition lies in the vision of the person. I for one must look to all art with appreciation in order to find the truth for my own destiny. I find it interesting that we all have passionate views about the form of art we use to fulfill the creation of our vision, but many times cannot see and respect that others share the same desire to find their own way, their own vision. Thanks Monte Johnson