The Privilege of Being a Photographer
Yesterday, my buddy Ioannis Tsouloulis dropped by and we had a good chat in the kitchen. My youngest daughter Noa kept us company and Ioannis fired off some pictures of Noa and me with his GF1. I like some nice pictures of me with my kids, but I didn’t think much about it until I watched the pictures this morning. Ioannis’ work left me speechless (and those who know me, will testify that that is a rather rare event).
Being on the receiving end of photography was a humbling experience that made me understand once more how privileged it is to be a photographer and be part of other people’s lives.
This is the reason why we forget about the low pay, countless hours and fierce competition in our industry. This is why we keep learning, practicing and redefining our creative vision.
This is why I became a photographer.
Let’s just go out and shoot our clients, families and friends and share with them the gift of photography.
Yes! Yes! and yes! Totally agree-it’s humbling to have people share so much of their lives with us- it’s wonderful to show them how beautiful they and their lives are.x
Waauw mooi! (foto’s en tekst!) Thx!
Wel spoken and so true!!
Great pictures too!
Regards Alex
Well stated Bert. Lovely pictures and I am sure a very humbling experience. Thanks for sharing this part of your life.
So true! It’s a gift to make picture from and for people who enjoy them every moment.
Wel spoken!
Arjan
Woooow! This leaves me speechless….Nice words, bon esprit. Thanks for sharing.
thanks all, really happy that this post seems to strike a chord
…wow…reminds me I need to shoot more such family shots from the kids instead of too many “staged” portraits…thx for the wake up call.
There are many of your posts that encorage me struggling for make me room in this industry , specially in this crisis economy times in Spain ..
This kind of post makes me feel the same thing as you do .. and say to myself thank God i´m a photographer !!!
Thank you bert for so inspirational tips ..
Whaaaattt?!?!?!?! There are no big $$$ or glamour all over in being a photographer. Sheezzz! Maybe I’d have to throw everything away and start a career as stock broker or something. Kidding!
Because of posts like these so many persons around the world following you, besides your talent, it is this passion you feel about this craft. Kudos!
I felt the way you do, early this week when a mom told be she’s got the goosebumps when she saw her children’s pictures. This is the magic we can make and we are obliged to share.
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I’m glad you can still enjoy the happy moments with your kids and pooring happyness out of these moments. It gets even better when a camera captures this in some quality snapshots
Bert.
Bert, what you say is so true. Taking a picture is not stealing anything, it is in fact giving something, to your subject, to yourself and to the rest of the world.
It’s interesting to see that words and verbs related to the act of photography are too often contradictory to the essence of a picture… Shooting (ahum), taking a picture (you a thief?), framing (putting in jail?) or compose (are you a creator, how dare you! re-creating life?).
A photographer is a poet who sees things, and beings that the rest of the world was not lucky enough, or in synch, to seize at this precise moment of time. Playing with lights and contrast like a poet manipulates words and the grammar. And this obviously refers and relates to Cartier Bresson and his famous “l’instant décisif”.
Thank’s for your article Bert!
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beautiful article, that is what photography is all about after all. keeping a moment alive forever. love your blog!
I believe this sums up why we all like Photography.
To catch the moment, to be able to capture those rare little things that make us all want to go forward in these difficult times. We and our kids. Love with no compromise.
A rare, very intimate moment Bert. I can only thank you for sharing it wit us.
Thank You,
Francisco
Bert, you are a beautiful human being. To the things you love, you give your heart and soul.
That’s all i have to say, keep inspiring.
Hit me when you come to Portugal this summer.
Thx all, I’m very happy that this post resonates so well with all of you
Coming to Portugal?
Drop me an email!
Cheers
Wow! Such wonderful images and lovely memories for your children to look back on…a gift indeed!
Thanks for sharing Bert,
All the very best to you and yours,
Glyn
Nice experiment Bert!
Thanks for sharing.
Pierre.
I became a photographer for the same reasons you did. Thank you for this post and these pictures.
Zeer mooi Bert! Kiekenvlees!!!
@Serge: zeer mooi verwoord!!
I make for the same reson too…it’s wonderful !
oei ik dacht dat het woorden v deze serge (http://www.sergevancauwenbergh.be) waren…had ik beter eeens gechekt…..:-) daarom nu opnieuw @serge beautiful words!!!!
Bert, these are super images, Thanks again for sharing with us. Like a lot of others out there my inspiration for photography is my kids but also I am sure like many others because I am behind the camera so much, photos of me enjoying my kids are extremely rare. I would love to have more.
This and what I could really give to people’s life compared to my 9to5 job is what made me jump into it and overpass all the starting difficulties and complications..