Personal photography
For me, the key distinction between a snapshot and true photography is intention. It took me about two years to undergo a significant shift in how I approached photography. I went from taking photos of whatever caught my eye wherever I happened to be, to having a specific photo in my head and seeking out the right time and place to create it. It was a gradual process, but one day, something clicked. I had a clear image in my mind of rocks in the sea, and I knew I needed to capture it.
If you look at the distribution of subjects of youtube videos, blogs, and articles, an overwhelming amount is about hardware (some are barely disguised ads). While innovations in camera technology have undeniably made photography more accessible and easier, the idea that only the latest and most expensive equipment can produce great photos is nonsense. In fact, for most photographers and shooting conditions, any camera less than 15 years old can produce fantastic results. The real limiting factor in photography isn’t the camera, but the photographer’s ability, creativity, and understanding of the craft.
For me, photography is about capturing the moment.
One of the things that really marked me when I saw Blade Runner when I was a kid was Roy Batty’s speech at the end of the film: “I’ve seen things… You people wouldn’t believe. […] All these moments will be lost in time” (let’s ignore the debate about whether these are real human feelings, that’s not the point here) This is the sentiment I have when I take photos. Even mundane ones.
It doesn’t matter what kind of photos you take, landscapes, portraits, studio, street, even family snaps, it’s always about fixing a moment that will never happen again and that you might be the only human being to witness.
Continue reading “The witness complex”The way I think about things is that I write down what I think I think about something, then argue with myself over it as I tweak the text, until I agree with myself and I find no more changes to make. I’ve done that since I was in high school, when I discovered I liked writing.
I took on photography over 20 years ago. I was looking for a hobby and I had never done any photography before. So I bought a Canon 350D with kit lens because a friend of mine had a 300D and it looked nifty, and started learning.
Continue reading “Let’s start again”