'Making' as opposed to 'taking', suggest a predetermination of the result and some control over the situation.
To me, photography is a subtractive art as opposed to painting, where one starts off with a blank canvas and places the elements to taste. With a photograph, one begins with an existing scene over which one may or may not have control (e.g. studio vs wild), but to concentrate the viewer on the intention, one must eliminate or degrade distracting elements. The more control one has over the environment, the more one can make an image, I think...
Working with wild animals mostly, in their environment, I often have limited control but I would say I do a bit of both: taking and creating: i.e. either/or, and sometimes a combination - I see an opportunity and strive to improve what is offered by some controlling element of my own - be it exposure, zooming, shutter speed or relocating myself relative to the subject. Often that means getting the animal to engage with the camera - striving to capture some essence of the animal that makes a viewer pause and consider it a bit more deeply.
cheers, TREVOR
The mark of good photographer is less what they hold in their hand, it's more what they hold in their head;
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris
