This article is written with respect to the intrinsic qualities of being a photographer and their growth as a photographer. It will remind every professional photographer of the journey they started. It will encourage every beginner to learn more, see more and experiment more in the direction of their dream to be a professional photographer.
Since the time I have been exploring photography, I have seen myself evolving to see the world in so many different ways, to feel the surroundings with such awareness that was unknown to me earlier.
Seeing
Photography is all about what one sees. If five people see a scene, each one will see it differently. For example, if few people are shown the scene of a swimming pool, one might see the people, some one might see glasses of juices and food kept on the sides, another one might see the blue water and the reflections of the water around, someone might see the minute details, other might see the holistic view.
A photographer wishes to share what he sees by capturing it into an image. So there are no superior or inferior photographers, but only unique photographers.
Seeing is the pre-requisite for photography, seeing the world with wide open eyes in many different ways from minute to enlarged scenes.
Every photograph clicked by you reflects who ‘you’ are, how ‘you’ see the world.
Equipment
To enhance the power of seeing and to capture a scene, humans have devised a wonder device called ‘Camera’. What I see from my DSLR, I cannot even see with my open eyes. The various lenses of the DSLR further enhance one’s perspective of view. One can see the same scene in so many different ways using various lenses, from macro to telephoto to wide angle.
Finding what equipment to own and learning to use the equipment comes with practice and experimentation. More the experimentation, better one becomes at using the equipment and hence enhancing one’s power of seeing and capturing the scene.
Reaching out people
When a photographer prints an image of what he saw, using his camera and equipment, there is a real urge in him to share this photograph with people, to let them also enjoy what he enjoyed. Reaching people and sharing one’s work with them is very important for a photographer, not just to earn his living but also to unburden himself of overflowing passion of sharing his world of wonder and awe.
The technology has made reaching out people so much easier. One can showcase one’s work through various online albums, blogs or websites. This is a way of growing by learning through sharing.
One starts somewhere, and slowly gets better in everything: seeing, using equipment and reaching out people. To me photography seems to be an unending journey, where one can always do something new, something better than before, something more beautiful. God has created such a vast world, with so many colors and variations, that a photographer can never get bored of his passion to see and explore.
The journey has just begun…
