Photography isn't just about taking photos

At least it isn’t for me. It was to start with but somewhere along the line I discovered other things.

Recently at the Australian Photography Forum we were discussing a photo that one of the members had taken of a blue banded bee. I was able to identify the bee and give some information about it. One of the other photogs commented he hadn’t known that information before.  That’s when it hit me and I came back with this response:

When I got my first photo of the blue banded bee last year (at our new home) I began doing research to find out what kind of bee it is. I can now recognise its hum distinct from the hum of other bees.  I’ve actually learnt lots of things since we’ve shifted here and can now name almost every bird in this region and identify it by its call too. Photography isn’t just about taking photos – at least not for me!

And ain’t that the truth? Apart from having improved my skills in photography and learnt more about my camera, lighting, settings, etc, I’ve learnt so much more about the environment in which I live.  I’ve explored it more and walked and driven into many places.  In fact, I’ve invited my husband to come on more drives with me as he still has only a small idea what is in this area, other than the photos he’s seen and he hasn’t seen them all yet.

Photography has allowed me to capture a moment in time and then explore it in its greatest detail back here on my computer.  It’s allowed me to bring home a piece of what I’ve seen and experienced when out and about in this beautiful country of ours – and other countries when I go travelling.  Photography for me isn’t just taking photos, it’s about building experiences and reliving those experiences over and again.

Why not share what photography means to you? And if you have an image to illustrate your comment, select the link below the comment form.