Are photographers loners?

[Dennis]

I am addicted to being alone which is why I have made my living in my darkroom and I can only get my photography done by myself or with a rare friend who doesn't distract me. However I know many photographers who are very social animals and seek each other out all the time. It seems like the people I know like that are all people or street photographers.
Dennis

[Ron Marshall]

I love to shoot with others, but it is rare to find someone with the same interests in subject matter and who works at the same pace. Consequently I often go out alone.

[Frank Petronio]

Nah the more the merrier

[darr]

I enjoy working on my own, but I also look forward to my time together with my girlfriends. We usually meet in a group of three to five at least once a week for conversation and dessert.

Darr

[poco]

Total loner here.

I only have a store of so many words every day and once they're used up, I'm done.

See?

[Vaughn]

Loners? That would not explain workshops and planned gatherings of photographers!

But, yes, I require a lot of alone time. The actual act of photographing requires for me to be alone to be the most productive. When I have taken photo trips with other photographers, often it is "Okay, we'll meet back here for lunch (or when the light leaves)."

Vaughn

[William McEwen]

Because many of us photographers go out shooting alone, are we loners and does this permeate other parts of our lives?

Since you asked the question, I'm curious to know your thoughts...

Another way of looking at it is --

Are we photographers because we're loners

or

Are we loners because we're photographers?

I'm a social creature.

I think we'd be fine with having a crowd around when photographing -- but we can't concentrate that way.

I find it much easier to go into the darkroom and start printing if my lovely wife isn't around.

All I've shot in the last 15 years is portraits. I don't think a loner would be especially interested in photographing people every chance he/she got.

William

[Blueberrydesk]

STOP ASKING ME QUESTIONS!

Nah the more the merrier

Frank, is that your bear foot under there?

Alright, seriously. It is a great question. I've often thought about whether I was a true loner or whether I just like my personal space. I definitely prefer shooting alone. Even when on a trip with photo friends, we all split up and go our separate ways when it comes to finding shots.

And yet, there's nothing like coming home and hearing, "Hi, babes!" from my girl. I guess J.R.R. Tolkien said it best.

I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
In summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.

[timbo10ca]

I have lots of online friends

Actually, I have quite a rich social life, but I do prefer to work alone photographically.

[jp]

I've got a rich network of friend, family, employees, church family, neighbors, and I spend a lot of time working with people. It's nice to get away from that sometimes and get some nice photos that the people I deal with regularly either don't care about, don't think about, or don't imagine. Other people's creative flow is just different.

Photography is more typically an alone thing, or an individually planned complement to a group activity (taking my camera to an event or adventuring with others). It's nice to have another person or two once in a while, but not always. Darkroom work and computer work are 1-person jobs. I can see how photography work could match well with a loner attitude, except for the self-employed-business side of things.

I don't do much wedding photography (because I've got enough to do!), but someone doing weddings or events photography would indeed require a strong interest in social activity. It would not be my preferred area of photo interest, even if I did manage to do a better quality job than 80% of the other wedding photographers in a market. The tuxes and drama and dealing with overstressed people would likely deter me.