Photography is one of the most important parts of my life. It has been for as long as I have been sorta conscious (early teens – can’t remember farther than that… hehe). I love the still image, and can look at photographs to find almost any emotion that exists.
Color, shade, line, shape and design are the tools that photographers use to make images, but the ones I am drawn to are the ones that convey an energy or emotion to me. It is paramount to my endeavors in the medium. I find design in nature and urban juxtapositions that fascinate me, and I capture it to make it a lasting piece of memory. That the image also causes someone else to ‘remember’ something within themselves, to discover something within the image that moves them, is a great joy to me.
However, it is the ability of photography to freeze a moment in time, to hold that moment in a way that presents it as something we recognize, feel, and relate to, that is the strongest part of the art to me. Painters can paint incredible art over whatever time period it takes them. Music must be heard contemporaneously, as does the enjoyment of dance.
But photography takes a split second of life (1/100th or 1/250th of a second) and holds it for us to see again and again. We can alter the image that come from the camera in a myriad of ways, but we cannot change that moment in time when it was made. That singular split second of time, captured and held… that is amazing and humbling as an artist.
People ask me why I photograph and my answer is always “Because I must.” The essence of life is our time spent here, and the essence of photography is the moment in time we capture. Forever.
Really enjoyed reading this inspiring piece. It’s so true to what photography is all about. Wonderful post with examples of two great images.
Thanks for sharing!
Well said. I would have to agree with 100% of what was written. Awesome stuff. This made my morning :)