Everybody on MM considers themselves to be creative in some way. Whether it is the talent required to be a model, or the talent to be a photographer, what are the primary motivating factors of the members of MM? I am sure they are various. However, the main differences I have seen are that some people do it primarily for money, and some people do it primarily for love of the art of photography (whether models or photographers.). Is one better than the other? Is it possible to do both without sacrificing integrity?
Do you eschew money if you do it for art, or merely consider any money/compensation attained to be a bonus? If you do it for money, do you have any kinds of shoots that you love that are not profitable? Why do you love them? Etc.

Money is good but i got no where to spend it..

Money doesnt make you a better photographer!!

The Quality of Shoot or the Quanity of Loot!!

Its the feeling in the heart not the wallet!!

Oh C'mon people...this is a really good thread. Really, it is! Don't let Hugh Jorgan and me sit on this thing alone! Theda, Reese, Eric...don't you guys have at least one fun thing to throw on here? I am begging, people!

Love brings the money in. So it all works out.

If you love what you do, then you'll become better and better at it and if your good, money will follow. If you go after money, love can only be faked and that wont get anyone anywhere because in the real world, love is everlasting and money is like vapor.

Photography is my calling...

For over 20 years, I refused to follow the advise of photojournalists that urged me to do it for a living.

I believed (erroneously!) that if I had to make a living with photography, I will lose the joy on the creative process.

So, I worked in international finance (shot part time), became very successful and because of life mysterious ways, I lost all what I build up over many many years... and got my eyes opened finally to make photography my living.

I LOVE to finally do it for money and at every assignment that I have, I give my very best and let my creativity pour in as much as I can and that is what I am being hired for. I am proud for what I am doing and feel more fullfilled than ever, professionally and it radiates to my private life as well.

Actually, last Saturday, when I covered the event for that broadway actor I know and cover events for a while now, he told me that what he so much appreciates about me and my work is the quality of images I can capture and that I have a lot of pride in my work.

So... yeah... I am doing it to make money, but now... I finally can develop myself and immerse myself to a level I have never been able to all my life.

It's my passion, my life and career.

LOVE! But i want to earn some money somwhere. To be honest the two often go hand in hand. If you are passionate and hard working ENOUGH people will start to believe in you.

I've worked damn hard for everything I have ever achieved. Even as far as my degree goes. I refused to fit into the mould and i got slated for it, but i worked damn hard and now my tutors love what i do.

Yea!!

I posted the same idea a few days ago and had minimal input.

https://modelmayhem.com/posts.php?thread_id=1878

It seems people would rather talk about implants and sexuality than art...

Artist are sometimes clueless to the worth or value of their creativity. Just think you can ask for high fees to make a living is a grand idea and for some it works. I value my creativity on understand the usages of my work & fees. Greed is a good thing, but don't sell yourself short....advertising & editorial work pays the  bills....stock images & fine art works aare the things that let's me live in a lifestyle I enjoy...being married to a CPA doesn't hurt either when tax times comes along. In the long run those images I shot for stock are reused over and over again later for things I shot sometimes years ago. I am not super rich, but I can take three months off to do my own thing without starving.

Money is okay but when you lose your individuality, you aks to ask yourself "Is it really worth it?"

Personally I do this this because I love what I do and if money comes my way, then that's okay too.

I've done job for just the money aspect. Worked for 16 years in a field I did not enjoy, but got paid very well.

All I can tell you is the thrill of the money wore off very quickly for me, but things kept me from following my passion. At is until about 4 years ago when I quit my job and started to persue a career in photography. It's been a rough road and not a lucrative one yet, but I'm happier now then I was.

I for one would take love over money.

I don't do it for love nor money, at this point.

Money: This is the simple one. I wouldn't turn down money, but people aren't exactly beating down my doors to give it to me right now, and since I have a "regular job" I don't really have the time that I would feel obligated to devote to it if I were working for fees.

Love: I wouldn't say I love photography. In fact, at times, I actively hate it. I hate being an amateur on a shoestring budget who can't pay models. I hate having to devote so much time to retouching work when I should have just shot it right in the first place. I hate when I take 175 pictures at a shoot and I review them and my hypercritical view is that they're all crap. So it's pretty safe to say that I often hate it.

But for some reason I can't seem to stop *doing* it.

Maybe it's one of those love/hate relationships. I *do* love it when one of my images turns out. I *do* love it when people see one on the wall in my office, ask me who took it, and are amazed when I say, "I did." I do love it when models are happy and grateful to get the pictures. (Probably my best success to date is the model who was so excited she jumped up and down, squealed, and gave me a hug.)

So call that love if you want. I don't know what to call it. All I know is that I have to keep doing it, provided I don't just throw my camera out the window some particularly frustrating evening.

M

I do it for the art.  Unfortunately the art isn't cheap.  I spend so much on latex and corsets that I have to take paying jobs on occassion.  So I shoot with who I like and respect with no money involved but I fund my art with paid jobs. 

Budha boy says I love to be paid for what I love to do.

I do it purely for love, I have yet to have been paid for a photoshoot. BUt if anyone would offer to pay me, I definatly would not turn it down.

I'm a photographer because I love it.  If it were for the money, I would be doing something else.  Photography doesn't pay worth shit.

What about the Love of Money

I love photography.
I love to shoot.
I love to see my results.
I love my client's reactions to good shots.

I also love money.
I will compromise art for the sake of satisfying a client.
I will shoot crap if some bonehead art director asks me to.

I don't love that. And in resounse to Visual Mindscapes, photography can pay well, if you sell out. Photography pays my mortgage and on occasion fuels my soul.

If money is the root I want the whole damn tree... especially if it's for doing something I LOVE.

Money can't buy love but it can sure rent it. LOL

"I'm in a very sensitive profession, Mr. Marlowe.  I'm a Quack."

--Jules Amthor,
"Farewell My Lovely"

I don't do what I do for money and I don't do it for love either.  I make photographs because I HAVE to.  Photography chose me for a reason that's still not completely clear to me, but I know that I absolutely HAVE to do the work...It's as necessary to me as breathing.  I've had moments where not taking photographs was physiccally painful.  I'm only alive and complete when I'm working, the rest of the time I spend waiting for the next chance to work.  To say that I "love" my work would be damning what I feel with the faintest praise.  Money would be lovely, but I honestly can't let that get in the way of what I'm trying to do.

I definitely don't shoot for money, since I don't have the type of photography or experience that people want to pay for.

Shoot for love?  I guess.  I shoot for self-fulfillment.  There's a vision out there waiting to be captured, and I'm drawn to try to capture it, with varying degrees of success.  Past that self-fulfullment, sometimes it's just fun, and I'd much rather drive out to shoot something than mow the lawn.

I take it back - there was a time that someone offered to pay me to shoot with her.  Another couple times someone wanted to pay for a print or two.  I turned them down, shot with the one lady for the art of it, and gave away the print to the others in return for the compliment, because I just don't feel like I can call myself a professional at this.

I started doing it (makeup and hair and styling)  because I loved it so much.  I figured out down the road that the money came when I brought someone elses vision to life and not my own. 

I had to sacrifice my own vision to pay my living expenses.  Now the career supports me and I play with my own vision on my own time...Editorials mainly that don't pay well sometimes not at all.

  So I still do what I love it just doesn't pay well.  What pays well is powdering bald executives and working very boring commercial shoots.  If I were very wealthy I would quit doing the great paying stuff and just do the free stuff but the paid stuff keeps a roof over my head.

Once in a while I get to do really creative work that pays well and then I feel like I have hit the jack-pot. This happens about 1 in every 20 shoots, maybe once a month. Those moments give me the charge I need to keep going.

I do it because it's a compulsion. I do love the images I create and would love to eventually get paid to create art but at this time, it's all love and not much $$.
Thank God I do have a regular day job that allows me the time and sanity to follow my imagination where ever it takes me.

Rich

I don't shoot for money. I've already reached my financial goal, which liberates me to shoot for the love of it.

That's not to say that making your living with photography is a bad thing. Many of my friends who pay the bills with photography couldn't be happier (and that makes me pleased for them).