[Leica] why we photograph?

[dankhong at gmail.com (D Khong)]

BD (how are you, my friend?)

What a refreshing thread!

A. Why do you photograph?

1. As an expression of the creative part of me and takes my mind off
work. The images that are captured during vacations go to build up a
travelogue and that's family time doing it together. The album becomes
a momento, coffee table book and definitely will be cherished by the
kids and their kids in time to come.
2. Holding a camera often gives me the best seat and vantage point and
I can move around during "official" events. That's the fun
part.....pretending to be official photog.
3. My camera is also a tool to capture images that matches a topic
that I am writing for publication (which I do as a side interest and
not to make a living).

B. What's your primary subject matter?
People and street photography. Still life sometimes for publication.
>50% in monochrome. Printed on silver halide paper in traditional darkroom.

C. Why?
People and their expressions are always interesting to capture. The
monochrome media captures the soul of the subjects. Street photography
(which has hardly any value at the time in which the images are made)
becomes increasingly more valuable with time. Many are used eventually
as illustrations in history books and mounted in museums.

Dan K.