WHAT IS PHOTOGRAPHY?
Photography, defining it in one word or a paragraph is not enough. Not even books written on it can define it completely. To start with, I would say its an art form. Painting with light to be accurate. It’s the only way to freeze a memory in passing time. May be we like it so much because at least for once we are in control of time. It gives us power. Power of a higher order (Time travelling in a subtle form).
When we click an image time freezes, letting us to dive in the moment and enjoy every minute detail of that moment. Be it the flowers in the background or a memorable board game sitting there on a table camouflaged in the environment, everything just comes alive in our head. Igniting the sparks of imagination combined with the flammable memories of the past, generating thrust of emotions in our brain. A beautiful carnival comes to life inside our minds and our hearts.
In this fast moving world its a tool which helps one to stop a moment for a second by freezing it. Yes one would think why to freeze time when you can record hours of it, play,pause, rewind or fast forward it at your leisure ? Yes it is a valid question to ask…why indeed we prefer or should prefer photographs over videos? I would say, the special ingredient which makes a photograph so interesting is imagination. Not much happens when we watch videos. There is motion in picture and stillness in our mind. Our imagination is not exercised and nothing results from it. Everything is there on the screen. You can’t touch it or imagine or recollect memories of what one said or did in your head. The video does it all for you. Secondly not many prefer looking at videos. They are long, need space and you need a source of power to watch videos hence access to them is not available all the time. On the other hand photographs can be viewed anywhere, they are there in our living rooms, stuck between two decorative pieces of metal or wood ( or whatever material you prefer to frame your photographs). They are in our pockets, on documents on forms and in any imaginable place on earth (and may be in outer space too, depends if extra terrestrials love them or not, I bet they do!).
When we look at photographs our brain is set free to take our vision on a leash for a stroll in the 6x4 parks of memories. Ah! what a feeling it is to look at past memories and how amazing it is that we can actually hold these memories in our hands, experience these miniature worlds. From a psychological aspect I believe photographs generate curiosity and chaos in our mind which helps in filling up the gaps in the auditory, visual cues by accessing old memories and emotions stored in our brain.
Photography has more to offer. It is poetic in nature. Its about a journey from the victim (the person being clicked), camera and the operator to the spectator. It has history with a touch of mystery. It leaves the interpretation to the spectator. Every spectator interprets a different interpretation. Each one of us has our own version of story which is very different form the actual story captured by the photographer. This sense of ambiguity makes a photograph so interesting.
Lat but not the least, its science. Optics, rays reflection, refraction, chromatic aberration etc etc etc….Wait this video will explain it to you better: History and Science of Lenses
Many of us think that today photography has come to a stagnation point and there is no scope of growth left. However this is not true, photography is somewhat immortal. It will die with humanity and not before it. Second assumption often heard from “Pro Photographers” is that people are ruining photography. They say today most photographs end up on social media and every person with a DSLR calls himself a photographer (True). However I would say that its pure insecurity and jealousy. Every person perceives something, some are good at presenting it in more aesthetic way than others. Each one of us perceives, and perceive things in a very different manner. Yes everyone may not be aware about the rule of thirds or other technicalities of photography but this doesn’t make them or their photographs less useful.
Everyone of us is a photographer with an eye for unique details and different perceptions.
Here are the link to my attempt at photography, hope you like it :)
https://www.facebook.com/thecreativedurbar
