Photographers are by nature evaluated by the pictures they take; however, for photographers the picture is not simply the end result, but is a summary of a journey taken and memories captured.
I recently watched a video by professional photographer Mark Denney where he gave advice from his 10+ years as a professional. One piece of advice he gave was "A photograph is not about the picture", meaning photographers don't simply step out your door, snap a picture, and that's it. Instead, the photography is a representation of the process to get the picture. It's also about where you were at that moment, who you were with, your experiences there, etc.
This concept can be illustrated by the photo below of Deception Pass. In order to get to this point, I had to first do research before I left on my trip to find the right location and how to get there. I had to plan the day. I started out by taking the ferry ($10) across from Mukilteo to Clinton, WA on Whidbey Island. Then, I worked my way North, stopping to take some photos and get breakfast. After arriving at Deception Pass State Park (and paying $13 to get in), I parked and took the trail thru an amazing forest to North Beach. Arriving here, I was amazed by the beauty of it and the color of the ocean. I had to access the scene, which included numerous tourists in the area. Setting up my tripod, I had to get my camera setup and work around a family of 4. I used several shutter speeds to capture the power of the ocean and waves, along with longer speeds to get a dreamier look.
The second and third photos taken at Cathedral Rock in Sedona, AZ, my process was to extend my business to Phoenix by a couple of days and staying in Sedona, AZ. Doing research, getting up before dawn, driving to parking area, hiking to base of Cathedral Rock, getting my tripod setup in the dark, wondering what type of critters might be nearby, watching a couple of people meditating a few hundred yards away, and then taking pictures (not of them!) as the sun came up. As a photographer, I was putting in the work.
Finally, I am hoping the 4th-6th photos clearly illustrate my point. On my business a business trip to Philippines, I was planning to stay overnight in San Francisco to rest and sight see. This would allow me to fulfill my goal of photographing the Golden Gate Bridge. I hauled my camera gear to the Philippines and then back again to San Francisco. Arriving from my flight, I checked into my hotel, cleaned up, had breakfast, called an Uber, and took off with my gear. I had the Uber drop my off on the other side of the bridge. I grabbed few photos in a very crowded area and then walked one mile back across the bridge. The walk provided great views of the Bay, including Alcatraz, and was supercool because of the shear size of the bridge, traffic, and wind. Man, what a noisy place! Getting to the other side, I hiked down to Fort Point, a Civil War era fort and grabbed some great pictures that I turned black and white. I managed to grab one picture shown below; a picture of the bridge from one of Fort Point's old cannon windows. Finally, I went outside the fort and setup for some landscape shots of the bridge, with some great chains in the foreground, Fort Point to my left, and a very moody bridge due to low clouds. The setup was looking great until the woman walked directly in front of my tripod-it happens! Laugh it off! I finally was able to grab the picture I wanted and was ready to head back to my hotel to relax and shake off my jet lag.
Looking at the pictures below, the average viewer would likely just say, "that's pretty". To me, it the process, the journey, and the moments of that time that I remember.
