Silly and Small?

A response to a friend who thought her career as a photographer was "silly and small"

Let's start with the second adjective you chose: small. Yes, what we are doing is small. I'll give that to you. We are not doing brain surgery, curing cancer, hoping to usher in the next technological revolution, or participating in something that could change the world.

That said, what we do do as photographers can change a life. A good picture of somebody can help their self-esteem. Our great memories are tied up with the images we attach to them. A good picture of a loved one who is lost to death can be comforting. A good picture of a family can help remind them, when the going gets tough, they are worth fighting for.

When we have a camera in our hands and we are trying to create something beautiful "ex nihilo", it creates in us an internal demand to push ourselves a little bit further in our knowledge and understanding than we were previously. By practicing craft, we allow ourselves to grow in ways that are unforeseen. It allows us, as human beings, to continue to thrive. That is not "silly." That is noble.

I am an amateur historian, and I enjoy learning about cultures. There have been a few, truly remarkable cultures in our collective world history. One of them was a brief, 100-year spike of creative genius that happened in ancient Greece, centering on Athens. We still marvel at what they created in terms of the arts. Their epics, tragedies, histories, and philosophers continue to inspire us 2500 years later.

Meanwhile, there were many stronger and more "impressive" empires that existed during the ancient period. The Hittites, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians all were longer-lasting and in someways greater in their political accomplishments. However none even come close to having influenced history in the way that those Athenians did. And they did it through their culture. You, with your pink hair, wielding a camera, and trying to create visually pleasing images, are part of our 21st-century culture in America that will leave a legacy far greater than any of us could individually. You are participating in "the conversation" in a way that you could not if you were doing some other job(s).

Your profession you have chosen is a "creative one" as opposed to a "transactional one". When somebody employs you, you must make something. If you were a bank teller or cashier, all you would be doing is "transacting". You would not create anything. It's strictly a move of goods and/or services from one side of the table and money to the other side of the table. In some very real way, this leaves us as human beings feeling a little bit empty.

Every time you create a new portrait, you are "creating". You are making someone's life a little bit better. And, in a small way, you are participating in a great cultural conversation across time. Your profession is neither silly or small, so walk tall.