The Essence of Photography

In 2009, I was lucky to visit Syria, one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

The photo you see is a view the Monumental Arch of Palmyra. Also known as the Arch of Triumph or Arch of Septimius Severus, it was one of the main attractions of the city until ISIS decided to destroy it six years later.

I remember taking the photo very vividly. I was very sick on that day (Traveler's Stomach is not a joke!) and had a hard time keeping up with my friends. So, I decided that it would be a better idea to try and enjoy myself rather than walking fast.

Just as I was marveling at the wonderful spectacle of Old Palmyra's ruins, I heard voices behind me. I turned around and clicked the shutter. Et voilà!

Is this photo perfect? Far from it! There are two reasons for it.

1. At the time, I had a very basic point-and-shoot camera, which means that I had no control over things like aperture, ISO and shutter speed. The camera took care of everything, and its sensor metered for a specific area in the shot. The result? The rest of the scene is underexposed. That explains why the men at the forefront appear so dark.

2. Old point-and-shoot cameras also only offered images in the JPG format. So, my original photo was already compressed. Even if I had not edited it, the very obvious pixellation in the cloudy sky would still be there.

Now, does it matter that the photo is not perfect? In the grand scheme of things: No. To this day, it remains one of my all-time favorites. This is why:

It has major historic value, and it describes a very candid moment.

(Most of the people who have seen this image agree with that statement.)

Photography is not about perfection or Instagram filters.

Photography is not about expensive gear.

Memorable photography is about stories and little moments.

Memorable photography happens when composition and light meet vision and creativity. And that is why it is an art form.

Anybody can claim they are a photographer. But it takes more than words to actually prove it: a good eye, an attention to details, patience, hard work, and practice.

I became a photographer the day I realized that I wanted to help others reconnect with the world around them and themselves.

If you want to be a good photographer, find your why and make the right people fall in love with it.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts about this article with me on Twitter. I'm @haiku_shack.

Interested in seeing more of my photography? I have published several stories on Vocal:

- Toulouse, France: A Video

- Prince Edward Island, Canada

More photos are also available on my website.

That's it for today! Thank you for reading!

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Cendrine Marrouat is a writer, photographer, podcaster, blogger, anthology editor, and the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms and A Warm Cup of Cozy. She has authored and co-authored more than 40 books, including The Train: A Short Story (2023), In Her Own Words: A Collection of Short Stories & Flashku (2022), After the Fires of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran & Alphonse de Lamartine (2021), Rhythm Flourishing: A Collection of Kindku and Sixku (2020), Walks: A Collection of Haiku (2019-2020), and In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play (2018).

Cendrine's work has appeared in many publications. She is the creator of the Sixku, Flashku, Sepigram, and Reminigram; as well as the co-creator of the Kindku, Pareiku, Vardhaku, and Hemingku.