April 13, 2012

Photography Is Not My Life

I’ve done a number of interviews recently and there is this thought that keeps coming back to me again and again and it has to do with the role photography plays in my life. It is often assumed that I earn a living through my art; I do not, I have a full time job in Education. It is also assumed that my life revolves around my photography; it does not, my life revolves around my family. Photography is a major pursuit in my life, but it is not my life, it is what makes my life better.

I love photography because it brings balance to my life. I live in a business world full of numbers, logic and rational decisions. Photography is the opposite of that, it is creative, irrational and subjective. For many years I had set aside photography as I struggled to earn a living, raise a family and build a career. This produced a life out of balance. When I returned to photography it added a little yin to my yang and helped bring it back into balance.

Having opposites in life is good, those contrasts help us to value what we have. When I go on a 10 day photography trip by myself, it helps me appreciate my family back home. When I must justify decisions at work with facts and logic, it’s then nice to  produce a piece of art that just “feels right.”

Opposites in life are not always appreciated in the moment, but they do play an important role in our lives.  The storm helps appreciate the sun when it appears, sickness helps us enjoy health, loss helps us value our loved ones and my day job helps me appreciate my photography.

I really love photography and creating images, but not more than my family or my friendships. Photography is not my life, but it makes my life better.

Cole

P.S.  Here are links to some of my recent interviews:

 

13 thoughts on “Photography Is Not My Life

  1. “Virtue lies between excess and deficiency”. Aristotle.(As long as we’re going philosophical this week)

    You are a virtuous man, in an era when there are too few of them.

  2. Hello,

    thank you very much for this text – I wholeheartedly share your view. I would even say that only family and work and the things we are passionate about are the whole life. I start to appreciate these opposites more and more!

    I wish you a good weekend!
    Florian.

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