In recent years, as the social media has spread its reach, we have seen a considerable boom in the usage of the same, creating its own drawbacks. I swear I have read the word photography more on social media, than in real life and yes, that sucks. You might have observed, some desperate wannabe people on one of the most popular social networking site (yes, Facebook), having their own dedicated space for their ‘Photography’ (yes, I’m talking about ‘XYZ Photography’). It disturbs me in many ways, as to how insulting such a thing is, and how stupidly that watermark is used, just to prove, that he/she is a ‘photographer’. This made me think a lot, and give my word on it.
My journey with photography began when I was in 10th grade. My elder brother had bought a Sony Alpha 2000, a DSLR camera, and I began to use it. The feel, the touch, the grip and the sweet sound of shutter closing made me feel that this is something special and my interest started to tip towards it. Side by side, I was using a Nikon Coolpix, a point and shoot camera, as well. For me, it was just a beginning about how to handle a camera, how to set it for a perfect picture, how to adjust a frame, etc. Every time I got to capture a picture with a camera, I’d get excited and I’d show the result to my brother and my father to know how and where to improve. Today, I own a Canon EOS 600D DSLR and yet I have to learn many things about photography. I am still an amateur photographer, but I have learnt the basics and as far as my share of knowledge extends, this is what I have learnt:
There are two basic ways to learn photography, one is philosophical and the other is technical.
Understanding photography in a philosophical way is easy, and at the same time a complicated task. It means being there, in that exact moment, to capture it all. It means feeling the shot yourself, how the photograph should be, before even capturing it. It means being there in the right place at the right time. Because, if you are in the right place at the right time, everything is magical. Photography is an art. And art needs to be loved and nurtured. It is not something you learn immediately, but gradually. Photography is about having patience, to wait for the correct moment to arrive. It’s about feeling the world in that small viewfinder. It’s all about feeling the rush in your body, when you are about to click a well set shot. I’d like to quote famous photographer Ansel Adams’ words,”A true photograph need not be explained nor can it be contained in words.”
Technically, photography is simple math. It’s just about understanding the gear in your hand. It’s about getting to know, how it works, how certain features can be accessed and more. It’s about getting to know what is ISO, how the aperture works, how shutter speed manipulates a photo etc. And for leaning the technical way, experience is the best teacher you can have. Personally I have spent months trying to know what ISO is. The same goes for the other aspects. It is not easy, but if you are crazy about it, it’s worth it.
So, the last thing to be understood after getting the above points is that if you understand it philosophically, you can take good photographs. If you understand it technically, you can take better photographs. But when you understand both, and when you put your heart in that frame, you can work magic. You don’t take a photograph, you make it.
P.S: Don’t get disheartened if you are there in the right moment at the right time, but don’t have any gadget to capture the scenario. Understand that some moments aren’t meant to be captured and are meant to live in your memory forever. 🙂
Shubhankar Dhawale 