Why photography?
"What are the photographs?" may seem like a simple question to answer, but the potential answers may be enough to fill this article. The fact that the photograph may mean different things to different people is part of its lasting appeal. Photography is such an important part of our lives now that it would be impossible to imagine a world without it. We probably couldn't contemplate marriage, watch the kids grow up, or go on vacation without the camera. We are continually bombarded and saturated with images, newspapers, magazines, and commercials, as well as television and the Internet, but we have an insatiable desire to have more.
So why take pictures? What are the roles of photography in our lives and comparison with other forms of expression or communication? What are the responsibilities of a photographer? What's the big deal? And what drives a successful outcome anyway? We shall explore these issues and some of the possibilities of photography in this article to understand that photography is a mixture of subjective thinking, creative imagination, visual design, technical skills, and practical organization.
Start by taking a broad look at what taking photos is all about, putting your thoughts in context and perspective. For one thing, there are the machines and the techniques themselves, though try not to get obsessed with the last bit of equipment or absorbed into detail designed too early.
There is also a range of approaches to photography– aim for outcomes ranging from the documentation of an event to the communication of ideas to a particular audience to a work which expresses oneself, socially or politically, or commercially enlightened for the family album, or perhaps more ambiguous and open to interpretation.
Perhaps you are attracted to photography, mainly because it seems to be a quick, practical, and seemingly truthful way to record something. All the importance lies in the subject itself, and you want to demonstrate objectively what it is, or what is happening. In this case, the photograph is proof, identification, and some sort of diagram of an event. The camera is your eye journal.
The opposite attribute of photography is that it is used to manipulate or interpret reality so that the images push some «angle», belief, or attitude of your landlords.
You create situations or choose to take pictures of certain aspects of an event, but not others.
Photography is an effective means of persuasion and propaganda. He's got this truth ring when all the time he can make whatever statement the photographer chooses. Think for a moment about the family album: what images are depicted here – all family life or just the good times?
One other reason to take the photograph is that you want a way.
Of personal self-expression to explore your ideas, concerns, or issue-based themes. It seems strange that something as objective as photography can be used to express, say, questions of desire, identity, race or genre, or metaphor.
And fantasy. We've probably all seen images "in" other things, like reading meanings in cloudy formations, shadows, or chipped paint.
A photograph can intrigue you by asking questions, keeping the viewer back to read new stuff from the picture. How it is presented is perhaps as important as the topic. Other photographers are simply looking for beauty, expressed in their own "scenic" style, as a conscious work of art.
One of the first attractions of photography to a lot of people is the attraction of the equipment itself. All this ingenious modern technology is designed to adapt to the hand and the eye – it's very attractive to press buttons, click on precision components in place, and collect and wear.
Cameras. Tools are vital, of course, and detailed knowledge about them is absorbing and significant, but don't end up taking pictures just to test the machinery.
You also must remember that being a photographer can also be considered a very glamorous job – some of the best-known photographers are the ones who have taken pictures of famous people and become famous themselves through association. Another interesting aspect is the photographic process – the challenge of care and control, and how it is rewarded with technical excellence and an end-product produced by you.
The results can be judged and appreciated according to their own intrinsic photographic «qualities», such as superb details, rich tones, and colors. The process allows you to "capture your vision" and take photos of your surroundings without having to draw painstakingly. A camera is a time machine that freezes any person, location, or situation you choose. It appears to provide the power and purpose of the user.
A further feature is the simple pleasure of the visual structure of the photographs. There is a real joy in having to design photos as such – the "geometry" of lines and forms, the balance of tones, the cropping and framing of scenes – whatever the object's content. You can do so many things by quickly changing your perspective or choosing a different time.