What Kind of a Photographer Are You?

by | Jan 14, 2024

Today’s Post by Joe Farace

I have an unfortunate personality. —Orson Welles

Recently I have been watching YouTube videos created by the Finnish photographer Ari Jaaksi, whose channel is called Shoot on Film.  If you lie to shoot film or have been thinking about getting started shooting film, I recommend you subscribe to this channel.

In this linked video Ari talks about personality types and spends some time describing the Myers-Briggs test that was developed by  Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers. Originally inspired by Carl Jung’s personality theory, the Myers-Briggs test separates people into 16 categories of personalities, providing each person”s type with a four-letter acronym. I decided to take one of these test and you can do too, linked here. Here’s what my test revealed:

Your personality type is: Advocate. Advocates are quiet visionaries, often serving as inspiring and tireless idealists. For Advocate personalities, success doesn’t come from money or status but from seeking fulfillment, helping others, and being a force for good in the world.

All I can say after taking the test was : “Gee, I hope that’s who I am.” But they got one part of the test perfectly correct and that said I was 90% Introverted. Introverted individuals tend to prefer fewer, yet deep and meaningful, social interactions and often feel drawn to calmer environments. This is something about me that I discussed in more detail on World Introvert Day.

caption: I don’t know what the selection of this image I made in a junkyard—oops, recycling center—says about my personality but… It was made with a Pentax *ist DL and smc Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED [IF] Fisheye zoom. Exposure was 1/750 sec at f/9.5 and ISO 200 with a plus one-half stop exposure compensation.

What Kind of Photographer Are YOU?

But that kind of test doesn’t tell what kind of photographer I am (or maybe it does.) To do that Mr. Jaaksi’s video breaks it down into four categories using what he call the HAND system and it all works this way:

  • High Roller: wants the best equipment and tools and know 100% how to use the tools.
  • Artist: For them, it’s all about the feeling and anything goes as long as they can pour their soul into it.
  • Nerd: Uses exotic left-field equipment and photographs unique objects, close ups, macro, long exposures.
  • Doodler: loves the process and slow photography. Results are sometimes secondary; quality is debatable.

I’ve edited his comments somewhat in the above description, but you can get the full Monte if you watch his video. You can take his test here. My scores are shown at right, although I may or may not agree with them especially the High Roller aspect, because the newest camera I own was made in May 2019! But, then again, who am I to say. If you take the test and would like to share your results or at least your opinions of the results, let me know by clicking CONTACT.

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