What's It All About, Alfie? A Photographers Cri de Coeur.

There must be a reason we take photographs, right? A good reason - after all, we're not morons who just run around in a circle on the carpet clutching a DSLR, right? Well, not a small circle, anyway...

I asked around the shop today and it looks as though there is quite a list of reasons:

1. " I can't draw but I wish I could ".
2. " I can draw but I'm lazy ".
3. " I do it to collect the pictures. Once I get them all I'll move on to beer bottle caps ".
4. " I do it to collect the pictures of Edith Cowan that the government prints ".
5. " I do it to get out of the house ".
6. " I take pictures to keep the camera in use ".
7. " I need to take pictures of the children ".
8. " The children need to take pictures of me ".
9. " I want to record the alien space ships that hover above my farm ".
10. " I need to test lenses. So that I will be able to post arguments on internet forums. Do you want to see my pictures? Why not? ".
11. " My father was a photographer ".
12. " I know a photographer ".
13. " A photographer knows me ".
14. " I need pictures for work ".
15. " I need pictures that work ".
16. " I need work ".

I am still a little leery of some of the reasons that we hear for certain purchases...the camera mount that would allow a video camera to be mounted in a sports bag for covert filming was the most recent one that curled my toes.

 I am more than happy to sell beauty dishes to anyone - even if the prospect of beauty is slim. You can always hope, can't you.