When was the last time you stopped from taking pictures and just sat and talked with someone who you’ve wanted to or have photographed? Or when was the last time that you actually cared enough to stop and speak with someone, a stranger, a friend?
I’ve often felt that we as photographers don’t care. We get involved in creating a masterpiece, a something, anything, that we completely lose our human touch of interaction and involvement. We’re often viewed as “snoops” stealing moments from others.
At this moment we, as photographers, need to finish being inhuman. We need to learn that putting down the camera is sometimes more important then using it as a barrier between us and our subjects. That our “subjects” are just as human as us, hurting, joyful, kind, wanting to share a story and feel a true intimate connection. Realizing that our cameras are nearly a means that we use to tell a story but the true connection happens when we put down the lens and interact.
We need give before we expect others to relinquish their sense of personal barrier and stare down the barrel of camera. I believe photography is a tool to break down barriers, alas it has been used as form of personal “right” that allows the user to poke their noses into the lives of others without any questioning of whether it is an uplifting thing to do.
Use this art form as a tool to build connections with others. The more I dive into photography the more I begin to realize it’s less about how technically good you are and more about how vulnerable you are with others. When you become vulnerable with others, they open up to you, and a connection is formed.
First learn to be human, then learn your craft. Stop and be more human.
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