Photographers Never Actually Retire

Image source: pinterest.com

Photographers can authoritatively make a claim to their craft as a profession. However, when they say that they have retired, this is hardly believable.

To begin with, being a photographer does not exactly go like other straightforward careers where retirement is a tangible reality. A basketball player who is retired can actually lose his skills after a number of years of not religiously playing. A salesperson can lose their passion and desire to close deals. A photographer’s skills do not rust as much.

Photography is an art form. An artist never truly retires from being an artist. Artistry, when one has it, never really escapes one’s very being. The craft is as naturally occurring as the ability to express oneself and affect other people through meaning.

Image source: discerningassets.com

Give a retired photographer a camera and tell him to take shots as they please. The compulsion to compose and wait for the right moment to snap will always be surprisingly retained in the manner they take their shots. The photographer will never be able to deny their discontent at their output if this makes them feel uncomfortable.

A lot of muscle memory is involved in years and years of taking photographs as a profession. This dynamic is rather inescapable even when a retired photographer decides to pick up a camera after a long time.

There’s no such thing as a retired photographer, only one who’s not taking pictures at the moment.

Hi there! My name is John Bradberry, a retired photographer. I offer consulting services for event photographers. If you want to read about more tips on photography, check out my blog.