Just curious. Were you creative in another area before discovering photography?

Harlequin565

Harlequin565

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Something I heard on a podcast about creatives turning to photography. The thought that a lot of photographers are also creative in other areas, be it writing, music, painting, or something else.

Answering my own question, the answer is as a writer & musician. I've started more books than I care to mention, and have failed at all of them. As a musician, we had a relatively [local] successful band in the very early 90s but things like university & working life got in the way. Photography allows me to pursue an artistic hobby at my own pace (very slowly) without the pressure of others (music), or the very long-term time requirement of [writing] a book.

Edit to add: Is photography just your thing? i.e. you haven't tried anything else?
 
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Musician since 11 years old (brass first, then guitar from 16) drew extensively as a child and produced some poetry, though I don't especially like poetry. Have planned a book in my head but not started writing yet.

My experience is that people who are creative in one area will often be creative in several.
 
Blimey! I've been taking photos for just about as long as I can remember. I've often wished I could play an instrument, and come close to learning on occasion. My other interest is writing, and I've been doing that for just as long. But even though I've written a few books it is still a hobby. I just enjoy it as a means of expression and learning what I can do. One day perhaps, I might publish something. :D
 
I did have a GCSE A grade in Art at school in...... 1992. But I didn't really do much outside of school as such. It was skateboarding and girls and maybe cheap cider at the park! :ROFLMAO: Then I started driving and fell headfirst into the car scene for many years. But I did have film cameras around those times. It wasn't until 2006 I got my first decent digital bridge camera - Fujifilm S9500. It was several years before I started to get a bit serious with it though and more recently getting much more serious with it. I have had an acoustic guitar since my teens, but I've never really got any good with it near to band or open mic level :ROFLMAO:
 
ancient_mariner said:
my experience is that people who are creative in one area will often be creative in several.
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I guess this was a good precis of my question, and as someone who has tried different art(s), I wondered if it was a common theme, hence the OP.

The desire to tell a story is very human (IMO) and without driving the topic too far off piste, I wonder whether professional wedding photographers (@Phil V) get more than a money kick out of doing their job. (Edit, not just weddings, that was what sprang to mind)
 
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Nope, the right side of my brain seems to sleep, a lot !! :LOL:

I struggle to write my own name, so writing books is not going to happen, can't draw, I've tried many times and looks awful!

I'm good with my hands and can fix mechanical issues, so I guess there is some creativity, but nothing art related..
 
I can barely draw the curtains and used to be a bassist (very bassic lines!!!) so not really artistic at all. Did write a couple of songs but more doggerel than poetic.
 
I can't draw or paint to save my life. But in photography I can create something that I could never do with a brush or pencil.
 
I used to draw a lot as a child and was told I was good at it. Took my first photos with a 'toy' camera when I was about seven. Given an Instamatic for passing the eleven plus, then was bought a Zenith E to use for an A Level art project. Bought myself an electric guitar with some 17th birthday money.

Drifted on to a foundation course in art and design. Jammed with two of my mates in the holidays and made home recordings of our rubbish tunes. Was told my work was too 'loose' (i.e. messy) to do the graphic design course I was hoping to do, so did Fine Art instead. Carried on taking photos but mainly painted for college. Wrote my dissertation about photography and painting's connections.

Left college and signed on and spent my time fishing. Started writing for fishing mags and supplying my own photos. Eventually got a job in a fishing tackle shop, then set up on my own as a rod builder. Wrote a couple of books on fishing and more articles.

Found some web building software on an iMac at the start of this century and built myself a website. Built some more for other people. Bought a Telecaster, amp, and pocket studio. Started messing about with music again. The fishing mags I wrote for folded so I started a blog. Got the photography bug again and treated myself to a DSLR in 2010.

Does that make me creative? I don't think so. I just mess around with stuff and see what happens. Knowing and having met people who really are good at all these things I know my little technical ability or knowledge is just enough to blag it!

I like photography because it's easy. Point camera, press button. If you're lucky you get a nice picture. Don't let anyone ever tell you there's any more to it than that. :LOL:
 
Harlequin565 said:
I guess this was a good precis of my question, and as someone who has tried different art(s), I wondered if it was a common theme, hence the OP.

The desire to tell a story is very human (IMO) and without driving the topic too far off piste, I wonder whether professional wedding photographers (@Phil V) get more than a money kick out of doing their job. (Edit, not just weddings, that was what sprang to mind)
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From my point of view:
I took up photography at 19 (just after I took up playing bass), I only ever was ‘interested’ in shooting people. There’s a whole subplot there.
I soon fell into photographing weddings part time, then kids portraits full time, then back to part time weddings for a long time.
Nowadays other than family, my favourite subject is travel, but I consider myself to have not really found my rhythm as a ‘travel photographer’ I’m just a tourist with a camera atm.
But now I’m a ‘pensioner’ with 7 grandkids I travel a lot, so I’m really looking for a way to make ‘travel’ work.
 
I've done photography since about 8 years old, always trying to see and be creative rather than snapping, hence developing an Uber-critical self appraisal. I still have a great deal to achieve in this field. I did though learn guitar at 14 and became mainly a blues/jazz bassist, particularly finding my creative bone playing the blues with like minded others; wrote a couple of pretty rubbish songs and have a lot of scraps of lyrics around but have yet to develop that. I wrote some rubbish poetry as a teenager, largely teenage angst influenced by the Liverpool poets. I've written a number of technical articles for magazines but never fiction - yet. My creative To-Do list includes having a go at painting and pottery. I'd say that I am a creative but have yet to find my best channel for it.
 
Ed Sutton said:
I like photography because it's easy. Point camera, press button. If you're lucky you get a nice picture. Don't let anyone ever tell you there's any more to it than that. :LOL:
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+1

I am as far away from any art skills as Sagittarius A* is to Earth.

I do take some photos that some people like, but that's purely because of basic photography rules and a little bit of processing knowledge.

Also because its so easy to take photos with digital.
 
I have definitely approached photography from the geeky technical side, because I am not an "arty" type at all. My day job is as a software engineer, which I guess is another one of those blends of tech and art, but certainly more to the tech side of things.

Looking back, photography has always been my "creative" outlet though, even before I picked up a DSLR almost 20 years ago.
 
Gav. said:
Nope, the right side of my brain seems to sleep, a lot !! :LOL:

I struggle to write my own name, so writing books is not going to happen, can't draw, I've tried many times and looks awful!

I'm good with my hands and can fix mechanical issues, so I guess there is some creativity, but nothing art related..
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I think that there's a technical problem solving side of creativity that photography also fits close to.

In 'real life' I started as a mechanic, then worked for years in IT support, and now work in MI/Data Analysis*, and there's parallels with creative thinking, using technical skills to solve problems etc that are similar to my approach to photography

*before someone picks me up on it, I do currently work as a data analyst, but have just taken partial retirement, so technically I'm a pensioner as well as being employed
 
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Phil V said:
I think that there's a technical problem solving side of creativity that photography also fits close to.

In 'real life' I started as a mechanic, then worked for years in IT support, and now work in MI/Data Analysis*, and there's parallels with creative thinking, using technical skills to solve problems etc that are similar to my approach to photography
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I agree, I'm an engineer/CNC machinist by trade, I enjoy the problem solving side of photography, I'm trying to learn to be more creative, but that's proving difficult.
 
Phil V said:
I think that there's a technical problem solving side of creativity that photography also fits close to.
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This is quite insightful IMO as I also know a lot of engineers that lean into photography for expression.

Many of the replies seem to express the feeling that (and apologies for any paraphrasing) there is a lack of skill in other arts and photography seemed to be an "oh well, I suppose I'll do this then" last resort. A desire to be good at something else (painting/drawing) but failing and thus "ending up with" photography. I wonder if that technical aspect makes it slightly more comfortable to the techy-based folks as you mentioned.

Craikeybaby said:
which I guess is another one of those blends of tech and art, but certainly more to the tech side of things.
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This made me chuckle. The discussions I've seen around what makes "beautiful code" are almost as divisive as "what makes good art".


Ed Sutton said:
Does that make me creative? I don't think so
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I think it does. Maybe I'm getting too caught up on what creativity is, as things like programming, cooking, and even fishing require a degree of creativity to make them work well. Maybe I should have used the "Art" word, but then again, maybe not...
 
I’ve never thought of myself as arty but looking back I’ve always needed a creative outlet of some form. My first camera came when I was seven or eight and photography was a big part of my life until uni when digital came along. At that stage I didn’t have the time to spend in the dark room and couldn’t afford digital. In the 20 odd years since uni I’ve gone through obsessive periods of metal working, wood carving and knife making alongside my photography so despite thinking I’m a mainly practical person I think I probably do need a creative way to express myself.
 
I always enjoyed singing and sang well as a child. Started to play guitar aged 39 and then returned to singing when I joined a band a few years later.

Have also dabbled with pencil drawings from time to time including an A2 size drawing of Ayrton Senna driving a McLaren, leading a Ferrari at Monza in 1990 (I think). In response to a friend and colleague that had become terminally ill, I was able to get it signed by Ayrton and Gerhard Berger and we raffled it to raise money for cancer research. Raised £1100, though I’ve since been told that following Ayrton’s death, the picture with his signature is probably worth a lot more now. I often wonder where it is now.

As for photography, I’ve been interested in it for more than 60-years starting out by ’helping’ my Dad make black and white prints in our loft/darkroom when I was 5 or 6 and have maintained an interest since.
 
Sort of not as a career though.

I used to design movie posters and dvd cover art. If you bought a dodgy dvd at your local market about 15-20 years ago and it had a realistic looking cover it was probably one of mine.

There was quite a large online community at one point and I was very well known.
 
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I used to draw and paint before taking up photography.

I think my first drawing was in condensation on a window when I was very young and my parents thought one of my older sisters did it :D I continued throughout school and still did it for years after I started photography. I think I did my last commission if that's what I can call it was at the age of about 20 but in my late 30's I had a brief revisit and used to knock out stuff for friends and family.
 
When I was at school I did no art as my time was all devoted to Maths and Science. I eventually worked as a Scientist and Professional Engineer. I did some oil painting in my spare time as a teenager but had no time to carry it forward. My interest in photography started when a work colleague dropped his SLR into a swimming pool and claimed from the insurance, He then made and agreement to keep the camera and took it apart (about 1000 parts) and when I saw this carefully laid out prior to a successful re-assembly, I was impressed and wanted to know more. This eventually led to me buying an SLR and darkroom kit and pursuing as a hobby. I was driven mainly by the science then but after joining a camera club, I became more driven by the art/composition of photography. I did have another go at oil painting just after I retired but it was clear that my photography was better than my painting. I have worked with several Mathematicians and they all played a musical instrument or had a strong interest in classical music.

Dave
 
I have a degree in Architecture. During my studies my tutor always commented on my photos I taken of the models I made and inside the models to shows the spaces. I suck at drawing 3D perspectives so I made large scale models in 1:50 or even small section at 1:20 and took photos. (this was just before 3D CAD really took off so if you wanted 3D, you had to draw it by hand). I didn’t get a computer until year 3 and had to learn CAD by myself almost trial and error as there were no YouTube tutorials…bloody hard!
 
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I started photography back when I was at school, went digital in 2006, Around the mid 90's I got into painting having given up dinghy racing as was getting a bit to old a creaky to stay at the top of the championships anymore. Then when I was 70 got back into guitar playing, something I hadn't done since my early 20's. Playing regularly now I sadly don't have much time for painting or photography. You can check me out on JIGSAW which also has a link to my art website.
 
At university I studied drawing and sculpture, also played in the orchestra. After graduation I toured in a rock band for about a year, but decided this lifestyle wasn't sustainable. Currently playing a few times per month with blues and swing bands. I've always loved photography and finally making an effort to pursue it.
 
I did art & design in secondary school making sculptures, drawing with different types of pencils, pens, chalk, charcoal, painting with different types of paint. we also done digital & film photography but I didn't see it as a career that I wanted at the time as I wanted to join the air force or army like other family members. I then went to college to learn mechanical engineering making tools and other parts, on lathes & mills, programming CNC machines, bench work, various types of metal hardening.

After college I found myself looking for work after being rejected by the armed forces (unemployed for 2 years) whilst continuing teaching myself DSLR photography & Photoshop my subjects being aviation at my local airport that then lead me to applying for a role as a photography assistant my first and only job since leaving college I'm now nearing 10 years in and now lead Photographer & Retoucher for the company.
 
No I wasn't a creative person before photography and I wouldn't say I'm a creative person either with photography since I use it more to capture memories than take more creative shots, I did do quite a bit of music when I was younger but feel I was similarly uncreative there too where I could quickly read music and play back pieces whereas my sister would rarely read music and instead put the music together from what she'd heard.
 
I have dabbled in a few things, not art related, but I like creating stuff.
Start with paracord, moved onto leather working and then sewing.
I have made lots of outdoor type bags, this was my last one, camera bag a year or so ago.
I have made one outdoor jacket, but not really tempted to make any other clothing.
I run a makers group on FB, all kinds of stuff. Knives, turners, sewing, 3D printers etc
 

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Interesting thread, my Dad was a keen photographer so I've been doing it all my life. I am strongly driven by having a tangible output from things I do and I am very practical so I am always creating things.

That said I think "creative" is one of those overloaded words. A lot the posts above reference other arts, music, drawing, etc. which I think is perhaps the normal sort of interpretation of creativity and on that basis I tend to think that I am more innovative than creative. I create things in software, electronics, wood, metal etc. but those are not typically classed as creative activities.
 
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sirch said:
Interesting thread, my Dad was a keen photographer so I've been doing all my life. I am strongly driven by having a tangible output from things I do and I am very practical so I am always creating things.

That said I think "creative" is one of those overloaded words. A lot the posts above reference other arts, music, drawing, etc. which I think is perhaps the normal sort of interpretation of creativity and on that basis I tend to think that I am more innovative than creative. I create things in software, electronics, wood, metal etc. but those are not typically classed as creative activities.
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If you do FB feel free to drop me a message and I can add you to my makers group if you like. Wide variety of stuff on it
 
sirch said:
That said I think "creative" is one of those overloaded words. A lot the posts above reference other arts, music, drawing, etc. which I think is perhaps the normal sort of interpretation of creativity and on that basis I tend to think that I am more innovative than creative. I create things in software, electronics, wood, metal etc. but those are not typically classed as creative activities.
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There is definitely a creative aspect that's quite separate to art, and possibly more important for photographers than a simple artistic inclination would be. However it's hard to get past the snobbery of art=clever creative=metal basher that often shows up, even if it's a fiction.
 
ancient_mariner said:
There is definitely a creative aspect that's quite separate to art, and possibly more important for photographers than a simple artistic inclination would be. However it's hard to get past the snobbery of art=clever creative=metal basher that often shows up, even if it's a fiction.
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Creative, as a noun, seems to me these days to apply to people who produce stuff in the arts arena. "Calling all creatives!" Movies, theatre, poetry, painting, you name it.

Mind you, it's a term that makes me cringe!
 
I write stories, I write music and lyrics, I sing, I play guitar, I do photgraphy -- I am less than adequate at them all! Doesn't stop me though, I'm too old to give a monkey's toss now.
 
swanseamale47 said:
Was a musician (drums) and done a fair bit of stage acting/directing and some tv, mostly discovery channel type documentaries.
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Ah that old joke: Definition of a band? Four musicians and a drummer!

Only kidding, wish I could keep a beat as drums must be fun and very stress relieving.
 
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