I don’t want to do video.

I tried it, I bought all the gear… gimbal, microphones, the full shebang.

It just wasn’t me. And the editing. Oh my word the editing.

It might sound wanky but I didn’t choose photography. Photography chose me. I believe that in the depths of my soul. It came from nowhere, this feeling that I wanted to be a photographer and could maybe be a good one.

And I still have that fire, to keep making photos, keep trying to make better photos, or get better at making photos.

I love making ‘stills’ of life.

I love the romance, the nostalgia and the fact that 100 people could look at a photo and all see and feel something different.

I love that the only ‘audio’ for a photo is what you add in your head. Or silence. I LOVE the silence of photography in a world of no silence.

I love looking at still frames taken from movies, too.

I love that you can hang a photo on your wall, or frame it for a shelf, and you can walk past it every day and take it in without even noticing it. Or visitors to your home can comment on it or just look at it, just because it’s out and visible.

But I tried video. I did. And I just didn’t feel anything for it. I have nothing against video, I fully understand that video is everything we see now on antisocial media.

Do I think that means video is ‘the future’ and photo is a dying art?

No.

Do I think this means I need to pivot my business into offering some kind of hybrid service?

No.

Stubbornness?

Maybe.

But I believe in the power of stubbornness if you truly believe in something. And I truly believe in the absolute, unrivalled, power of a photograph over anything other media for what we do – the preservation of memories.

So I will keep on making my photos. Stubbornly.

I guess it’s that time of year when, like I’ve said in recent issues, our minds turn to ‘what’s next’… for this season, for next year. Whatever. What do we need to do in order to keep the bookings coming in so that we can stay in business and keep doing what we love.

I know photographers who tried video and discovered a deep passion for the art form, and moved over. That’s cool. Amazing, in fact.

I know photographers who learned to make films and successfully offer it alongside their photography in one way or another. That’s cool too.

I also know a lot of photographers like me who are just a bit saddened by the fact that we’re told, over and over again, that video is taking over the world and the grim reaper is hovering over photography with an 8K scithe.

Apparently he will just rip stills from that.

Shrug.

I just don’t buy this narrative.

You can stubbornly and passionately continue to pour your heart, mind, soul and passion into photography if that’s what you believe in. People will feel that, and people will buy that.

That’s certainly my plan.

You can also try video for whatever reason. Try it, see if you like it. You might realise that you have a passion for that too, or instead. Who knows.

I guess like all things, it comes down to realising that social media isn’t the entire world.

Our couples aren’t buying social media posts.

Social media might be all about video now, and while I know social media is a huge part of the marketing plan for most photography businesses, it’s not really the centre of the universe. They want us to believe it is, but it’s not.

So if, like me, you just know you’re a photographer, let’s stubbornly keep on clicking that button and giving our couples (remember, it’s about them) what we believe are the best possible memories in the best medium in the world.

That’s photography, by the way. In my opinion. Just in case that wasn’t clear. Ok then.

Thanks for reading.

Adam

PS — I was going to stick to the ‘every Thursday’ plan but I had no motivation to write last Thursday. The motivation was today, so I’m writing today. So things might just be a little more sporadic as I’ll write only when I’m compelled to write.

PPS — If you so wish, you can buy me a coffee if you like the cut of my jib: buymeacoffee.com/arjphoto