A friend of mine from France, Helene Pambrun started a new blog recently called GIVE ME PASSION and when she told me about it I immediately thought “WOW! what a great idea” See, her blog is all about PASSION. Passion in everyday life. In love. In your work. Whatever one is passionate about. We as individuals each have different things that tug at our heart. We each have our “thing” that we love deeply and the things that we are truly passionate about. Helene has taken this and made a blog out of it where she interviews people in all walks of life about their passion. I applaud her. Her blog is in French but if you use Google Chrome for your web browser you can translate to English with a click of the mouse.
Passion
Passion is something I have loads of and even through the rough and rocky days I sometimes come across I always try to remember the things in life I love. My #1 passion is the love for my family and freinds and right next to that is photography. With my passion for it so strong it doesn’t even matter how good I am at it. I may not be the best photographer in the world but it doesn’t matter because I have a true passion for it. It makes me happy. It satisfies me. I love it. I have a passion for cameras, lenses, and taking pictures of just about anything. Taking an ordinary scene and making it look interesting by use of a certain lens or angle. It is that passion for photography and Leica cameras that got me to start this blog almost 2 years ago and now this blog is also one of my passions.
Everyone walking on this earth should be passionate about something and I think that deep down we all are. Some have a passion for collector cars, some love boating, some are into golf, some love sports or the arts. If you have a passion in life, a passion to live life to the fullest than your life can’t possibly be boring. The next time you hit a rough patch in life get out and do something you are passionate about and it will be sure to lift your spirits. What IS your passion?
Passion can also motivate us. I use the passion of all of you reading this on a daily basis for the “Daily Inspiration” and sometimes those pics inspire us all to get out there and shoot or try new things with our photography.
Helene sent me some questions to answer for her blog so I will be writing about my passions for her site 🙂 I know the readers of this website are all crazy passionate about cameras and photography and this is what I want to keep going with. This is not just another “review” site as it is run by someone (me) who is truly passionate, and I love what I am doing. I did not start this site for money or fame, just to share my passion with the world. Be sure to check out GIVE ME PASSION and keep your passion alive in whatever it is you do or love!
Steve
Steve, è proprio vero quello che hai scritto. Anche la fotografia può suscitare molta passione, e come dice Dan Chippendale, anch’io provo una grande attrazione per le foto, per la Leica, per i suoi obiettivi così unici e speciali. Ora sono in pensione e mi godo il tempo libero assieme a mia moglie, in viaggio con il camper e le mie fidate Leica meccaniche (R6-R6.2 ed M6)che mi permettono di catturare custodendo per me gli istanti preziosi della vita di tutti i giorni: allegria e sorrisi di bimbi, spensieratezza e voglia di vivere dei giovani e delle loro innamorate, l’operosità e l’abilità degli artigiani, la frenesia del mondo degli affari, i contatti con persone sconosciute che desiderano comunicare, le cortesie ricevute da sconosciuti, ma anche i volti malinconici degli anziani,ecc.ecc. Ecco, io amo tutto questo mondo che mi fa partecipare con interesse in ogni foto catturata e questo lo devo, lo posso apprezzare, rivedendo le foto, proprio per merito della mie amate Leica perchè altrimenti quegli istanti presi svanirebbero dai ricordi.
Cordiali saluti e tante buone foto!
luciano_dg – Italy
Great essay. Passion to me is waking up in the morning excited in the work you do, even if there is no money in it. It’s part of the DNA and you have to do it.
I used to have an M8 that I loved a lot, but I sold it for several reasons. I now have a GXR as my main camera. This is really a nice camera. A pleasure to use. I am very happy with it.
I feel that to be fully successful at any venture in life, a certain amount of passion for that task is required, otherwise, the task would not be fully embraced.
Steve, as usual, you state your thoughts so eloquently, and I have very little to add. Your pictures make it abundantly clear that your family and friends come first, and the photography is there for the ride in these moments. This site, and the following that you have developed, makes it clear to me how your passion for photography has inspired others to either join in or grow their passion on their own. It’s your passion that helps Leica immensely and sustains the loving community here that we all call home…a home that you have built for us to live in. Thank you for that, and thank you for your passions!
Dan, I think love is a stronger word than passion. Passion can come and go, love is forever. Oh go on then, I love photography too. I’ll do it til the day I die. They’ll have to prize that Leica M21 out of my cold dead hand 😉
I think Passion is what you would do if you had no financial needs. A bit like “would you quit what you do if you won the lottery?” If you wouldn’t the I think there is every chance that you are passionate about what you do. Another way of looking at it is that you have a day job but you find yourself working long hours doing something else after/before work for which you don’t get paid, i.e. you do it for free. Chances are, this is your passion.
Passion is something I long for more than success, a home, love, friends, money, or sex. Apathy is my number one enemy. Sure I get excited about things, and i LOVE photography. But “passion” is a heavy word, and the stuff that life’s works are made of. It’s not to be thrown around lightly.
Great post Steve! I also have a passion for photography. On a similar level to you I think. I may not be the best photographer, but have carved out a decent career snapping things on toys I love owning. I’m the proud owner of an M9 since last Saturday. I had read a lot about the M9 on your site (amongst others) and the passion must have rubbed off on me a bit. It’s a truly wonderful thing to be passionate about. Walking the streets of London listening to Passion Pit on my iPhone. Now that’s passion 😉
Great site thankyou very much Steve.
ps have you come across the Olympus 35 RC ?
I’m sure you have I probably have not been paying enough attention !!!
Have a great day.
Steve, What you just wrote is the most uplifting thing I have read in a long time…keep up the great work…On another note I think i’m ordering my m9 tomorrow…if i don’t like its gonna be your fault 🙂