Motivation
mo·ti·va·tion
/ˌmōdəˈvāSH(ə)n/
noun
the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.
"escape can be a strong motivation for travel”
the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.
What motivates us? Why do we do the things we do? Everyone will have a different answer. That answer will most probably have a common thread. That thread is that we were trying to fulfill a want or need. This brings me to my photography. Why do I feel motivated to go out and make images? Why did I make the image above?
Some motivations are easy to explain. Why did I make a sandwich? Because I was hungry. Other motivations are a bit harder to explain. When someone asks me what is the motivation behind my images, I have a hard time putting it into words. One word that comes to mind is passion. I have a passion for photography. I can’t explain why, it just is. When I met my Wife, I looked into her eyes and I knew. It wasn’t rational, but I knew! This would be the woman I would spend the rest of my life with. I have the same passion for my photography. When I picked up a camera, I just knew. It wasn’t the camera or the film, it was the idea of making an image. Capturing something. The magic of stealing a moment in time and holding it in my hand. It was magical. The older I get the more magical it is. I can look back at these moments and relive them over and over. I can laugh with friends that are long gone. I can cry remembering moments with loved ones that I can no longer hug. I can see the younger me enjoying a moment, over and over again. Without those images there are still the memories, but not as strong. As I get older the memories fade, but I can still hold the images.
So, from now on, when someone asks me what motivates me to make images, I will show them! If i’m fortunate, they will see what I saw, feel the emotion, see the beauty and at the same time, see me!
In that moment in time I captured the image, at the top of this page because it sang to me. Something about the cracked windshield, broken wiper and the buildings seen beyond. They sang a song of the past, a place that once had life but left memories behind. Memories for me to capture to create even more memories. I hope I never lose this passion and I hope to share more of it with you!
Until Tomorrow,
John