Stories

Ever take a photograph and just think about it? Ever look at a photo and think, “Why would they take this photo?” We as humans today don’t evaluate the capturing of a photograph and think about the deeper meaning of it. We just simply take it for enjoyment and don’t realize that every photo is taken for a reason. The photo above can give a feeling of sadness, loneliness. As it shows grey skies, one beautiful lonely tree. Everyone has their own opinions but they typically don’t think about why their opinions on the photo are meaningful. It also gives off what the photographer might be like! Just look at the items in the photo or the surroundings or peoples faces in it. What do you see?

Whether a photo is taken on a phone, digital camera, Polaroid, film, or even a video, in order to get a true deeper meaning of a photograph, we just need to think why it was taken, why these objects are in it, and what it means. As said by Don McCullin, “Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel why you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your photos.” Knowing why you take a photograph can add much more meaning to it, even if it just of a group of friends or random objects. Every picture has a meaning to it. They can make someone think just why exactly it was taken by looking at the object, surroundings, and so on. That is if they understand how to get a true meaning of it. Some photos are hard to find the meaning of and not every person can do that either. It doesn’t even have to be hours that you are staring at the photo to find the meaning and get angry because you can’t see it. The whole photo doesn’t need to be "decoded." But just think about the photo for about a minute and gather opinions. It would make the photo much more entertaining and meaningful.

A challenge for you is to look at a photo or even take one, and before you click the shutter, look at the photo. Understand WHY it is you're taking that photo. Think about the photographer and what they were thinking before they captured. Taking in a deeper meaning could not only help yourself but the viewers themselves. The world today is very blindsided on photography and not many people have come to realize that photos can make a difference. Make a change in how people see reality and how they view humanity. Don’t let the world be a dull place. Photos are taken every day and people should realize that they aren’t just regular humans who don’t do anything. Some people may even find a love for photography if they stick with it. They always say that a good photographer can understand and put together a good photograph and have the eye for it. However, not everyone is made for photography which is ok! Everyone has some talent in something. You may not have found it yet, but a time will come where you learn your skill. Whether it’s photography or not, people who have skill can change the world no matter what. Adding their skill can help their everyday lives or jobs and even their community. They just have to be smart with their skill and realize it. As for photography, sticking with it could make a life long career for someone who has a passion for it.

Digital cameras are not often used today because many people own smartphones that can take decent photos AND aren’t that big like cameras. Plus they don’t want to pay a huge amount of money on camera gear. However, photography is a passion that someone can fall in love with pretty easily. It all starts with taking or viewing a photo. It all starts with a camera.