On Photography

On Photography
Why WePursueOur Passions
An Essay on Motivation
Why do we do it? Why do we find ourselves standing alone in the dark in cold and remote places, waiting for the sun to rise? Overnighting in cheap motels in small towns, or in isolated campgrounds, away from our friends and families.  Driving long distances, frequently alone, to unfamiliar places. What sort of compulsion is this?
Landscape, nature and wildlife photographers are a strange breed. Whether we do it for a living, as an art, or simply as a hobby, we spend large amounts of money on equipment, film and processing, and travel. Other people have similar expensive compulsions, including golf, skiing and fly fishing, to name several. But none require the frequent isolation and effort that many of us photographers expend.

Moon Over Brasstown, Union County, Georgia. October, 2000Photographed with a Rollei 6008 Integral and 300mm APO Tele-Tessar on Provia 100F.
In the Fall of 2000 I found myself on a mountain looko...