What is photography? And why am I doing photography?

These are questions I come back to over and over again. When I look it up on wikipedia the definition says that photography is:

as a way of capturing light, to a light sensitive sensor“.

But that answer doesn’t capture what photography is for me.

For me photography is a way of living. I do photography just like I breath, eat or sleep. My photography makes me see, reflect, portray things that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. It’s a medium that makes me reflect upon myself, my thoughts, my place in the world and the culture that is all around me. In many ways, my photography is a reflection of me. Most of my photographic work is for me, it gives me an oppertunity to reflect, obsess and dive in to things. But I share my work with the hope that people that see my work will also reflect upon the same issues that I do, at least for a second or two .

Photography is a way to play

To do photography also gives me an opportunity to play, experiment, explore and to find my limits.

-What do I dare?
-What is possible?
-What isn’t possible?
-What is me, and what isn’t me?
-What are the limits in how I portray my subject?

When I’m exploring these limits meeting with other photographers, and seeing them work, is important. In that meeting I can find inspiration; sometimes I get feedback and clues to what is possible. Often I can see what I like or do not like. I also get insight into if I’m on the right path or not.

I tell stories

My goal is to tell you stories through my photos. Stories about issues that are important to me, right here, right now. Much of my photographic work is a reflection my opinions, my worldview, my possibilities, my knowledge, my limitations and my light.

I’ve told you what photography is to me, now please tell me what photography is to you.