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Recently I’ve started to notice the frequency that the term ‘cheating’ comes up in reference to photography. I’m kind of in awe of how many people express this feeling.
Sometimes it is in reference to using photoshop or picnik to post-process photos or sometimes it is referring to using an automatic setting on their camera.
Most often people are sharing that they are getting over these feelings of ‘cheating’ but I’ve become acutely aware of the commonality of this feeling lately.
I wasn’t one of those people who picked up a camera when they were 5, fell in love with it and never looked back. Nor did I have an interest in it what so ever before 6 years ago. I came into photography in the digital age, first discovering my love for it by taking a photo of my rubber boots jumping in a puddle with a very simple old-school cell-phone camera. I didn’t take courses until the last few years ago so in a way I never really had any pressure put on me by a teacher or photographer saying what the right or wrong way to approach photography was. In a way I am glad it all happened the way it did, at a time when photography is so much more accessible than it has ever been before.
As those of you in my classes discover, I’m really not an elitest in photography. I really believe that it is never too late to discover your love for photography and that now is a really great moment to do so, with whatever camera you have.
On the other hand, I think there is value in more traditional methods of photography as well as having goals for aspects of photography you would like to achieve a level of skill in. I have a big love for shooting polaroid and TTV (through the viewfinder). To me, there is really nothing like looking through an SX-70, pressing the shutter and seeing some good old school polaroid film develop in front of your eyes. Same with TTV as there is a real magic to looking through a vintage camera with your digital and taking a photo (though you could say that TTV is kind of ‘cheating’ as it is a digital manipulation of a vintage camera….see….this idea is murky waters).
With both of these things you can now make a digital version of a Polaroid or TTV image in a mere minute. I most definitely feel like I am cheating when I do these effects on my iphone. Does that mean I shouldn’t do it?
I think that this feeling of ‘cheating’ is totally normal when photography is expanding and growing so fast. Where we have the opportunity to be playful in photography in a way that is quite different from the past.
I see both sides of it, both where it could be restricting and we might want to push past feelings of ‘cheating’ as well as times where we might want to pay attention to it. The only problem with these feelings of ‘cheating’ are if they stop you from creating. If the need for perfection restrains you from even trying.
For me, that feeling reminds me of how much I love my polaroid and reminds me to pick up my TTV to have that experience.
So I say, let’s embrace new ideas of what photography can be. Let’s embrace whatever way we each want to take photographs and celebrate that we each have the right.
Let’s also remember what we love about the techniques or types of photography that feel like they are something we want to strive for, just don’t let perfectionism stop you!
Really, I just wanted to share the thought that there is no one way to be a photographer these days. There is no right way to do it that is better than all the rest.
Is there an aspect of photography in which you feel like you are ‘cheating’?
Are there ways it feels useful to remind you of techniques or skills you want to develop?
Are there ways you could let go of that feeling like there is a certain way that one should ‘be’ a photographer?
With the frequency I hear this term being mentioned by my participants and friends these days I thought it was most definitely something to bring up for discussion…what do you think?