The Camera Life

So this time around I decided to talk a little bit about portrait shots because I have been thinking about a personal project to work on. The project I’m considering involves remembering all the people that have made a difference in my life these past 4 years through different portrait photographs. Now the project might become something else, I’m open to suggestions… I haven’t made up my mind yet. But I have been considering it as I am preparing to graduate. It wasn’t until recently though, that I realized how much work it is to photograph people.

Producing a portrait is a kind of a committed partnership between the person being photographed and the photographer. It is a great responsibility to ask of someone to take time out of their workday to simply get their photo taken. However, most people know or at least would like to have their “simple” photo be more than a simple smiling portrait. A portrait is more than a physical representation of someone, is a representation of themselves, their personality, characteristics, hobbies, everything that encompasses their person.

Some of the best portraits always showcase the person in the best light, which may not be them smiling looking straight at the camera; it might be them working, being with their favorite person, animal or even place.

Personally, I love portraits when they look natural rather than posed, when people are just comfortable on their own skin, in the place they are, maybe laughing or talking about something important to them, or maybe looking at something they are interested in. I think such an expressive portrait is such a gift, a memorable conversation and the great reminder captured in a personalized snapshot.

I think this is what makes portrait photography very difficult because it is not only about pointing and shooting; that’s something 1000s of people can do, but only a few select people can take beautiful portraits.

Why do you think you hate to get your picture taken, or why you think you always look awful? (well… at least a good majority of people) Maybe we are vain, maybe we are too harsh on ourselves, maybe we overthink… One thing is for sure, WE. GET. UNCOMFORTABLE. That’s the main reason a photo might look stiff or forced, and why sometimes pictures you take of you and your friends having fun turn out better than your senior portraits… because there is no pressure!

So as a photographer I believe I have a responsibility to give the person the best photo of themselves… So here’s something I’ve learned for anyone trying to take a photo of their friends or family I say… make the person laugh, make them feel comfortable and get them talking so they relax and forget that there is a camera pointed at them.

         

    Emotion, beauty, and personality can only be shown naturally!

Go ahead, go out and take photos, you’ll soon see how even simple photos of your friends being silly turn out so much better.

So you might have heard the news about the new feature for the Snapchat app: Discover, where exclusive original content as well as news channels are available for snapchat users. If you haven’t heard about it, here is the post that launched it all:

http://blog.snapchat.com/post/109302961090/introducing-discover

Will this new feature revolutionize the app? It will certainly change it and many people have made their opinions known for both sides, but in this post I would like to consider the greater implications of the expansion of Snapchat as a form of visual communication. In other words, can Snapchat photos be considered photos? Isn’t the purpose of photography to capture a moment to remember it for years to come? So why is everyone (including myself) obsessed with photos the only last a few seconds and then disappear forever (allegedly 😉 )?

I came across an article that same day Discover was launched that basically talked about and argued fairly convincingly why it is ok “…that sometimes, it’s just fine to make something fleeting, too…” and snapchat remind us of that, especially those interested in photography. By being free of compositional or lighting constraints, one can enjoy these photos a lot more. Why does this matter? Because Snapchat photos are so much more about the person you are sending it too, its about communication and entertainment, and sometimes those short seconds of laughter are worth a lot more than a lasting museum piece. Read the entire article here: http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/27/snapchat-and-the-beauty-of-ephemeral-photography-and-fleeting-creativity/

Here’s another benefit of Snapchat, especially for photographers: GUARANTEED CONSUMPTION! Think about it, because you cannot see the content until you click on it, there is a guaranteed consumption, a captive audience that will look at your photos or artwork. Take a look at this short video: https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/photographers-snapchat-sell-657351907.html  But would you want to expose your work that way? I think that is the better question, but it is definitely something to think about to increase exposure.

Check out this article: http://elitedaily.com/envision/house-looks-like-floating-above-ocean/908795/

It definitely helps explain this picture. Is the house floating or is it photoshopped? Photographs can alter our view of reality, they do not always paint nature as is.

What about photographs (or video) that you have seen a 1,000 times and yet every time you notice something different. Am I the only one that has ever changed her opinion about movie simply because of the time I was watching it? My experiences changed, my life changed, it kept moving forward, and so did all my interpretations.

On a lighter note, have you seen pretty much every episode of Friends and still can’t figure out why they always were able to be in the couch? Check it out: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jobarrow/hey-we-were-sitting-there#.ge3Wx5YqX

Talk about noticing new things and never been able to un-see them!!! Photos just seem to alter how we see life…

So this post is like a continuation of my last, by going deeper into what it means to have different types of photos and interpretations of them as well.

“Photographs don’t only show us things, they do things.” (p.16) What do they do? Think about all the memories rushing through your head when you see a picture from your family vacation. Maybe it makes you happy, maybe it makes you laugh or smile, but it definitely brings back memories, an entire story even together with the emotions present at that moment. Think of different photographs and how much they make you think. Think about a photo of a beautiful foreign country, someone you love, a cute puppy, a national tragedy, or a natural disaster. Don’t these different photographs make you feel different things? Photographs don’t simply record or pause a moment in time, they can transform us or the field of professional interest we work in. They can move us towards a social cause or to new beginning in our lives.

Consider this as well, does 1 photograph have the power to mean 1,000 different things? Yes it does! Many different people could be looking at the same photograph and one may be inspired to go out in the world and travel, another one might remember a trip, and yet another may not be moved by the photo at all. Why is that? How we read a photograph, how we see the entire world really, depends on our prior experiences; thus the possibilities are endless when considering the meaning or purpose of one photo.

Isn’t that amazing, doesn’t this show how photography can really change everything?

Take a look at this photograph, what do you think of it? Does it mean anything to you? Does it remind you of anything? Or is it simply just a cute photo? For me, it has a lot of sentimental value and great memories. I smile every time I look at this picture.

Has a photograph ever changed anything in your life or how you look at life?

Photography Changes Everything… the title of the book I’m currently reading, doesn’t it seem like photography is taking itself too seriously? How can a photograph change everything? And i mean EVERYTHING.

I guess I’ll start where I started. I had always considered photography to be something of an art form. Why? Well I do consider myself a Photographer ( …In training 🙂 ) so it just made sense to critique or judge a photo through artistic standards. However, as I kept on reading the first couple of pages of this book, I soon realized that photography is so much more than art. What about photos simply made for record keeping of a historical event, the opening of a new building or to just remember grandma’s birthday. We all take photographs, especially in this digital age world where we seem to have an urge to take a selfie every minute and share it with the world. Does that mean that those kind of records cannot be called photographs?

What about those used by retailers in stores or online to sell clothes or other items, what about the police’s photos of a crime scene, a wanted sign of a possible suspect, or the one of the street that cause parking tickets? What about those used in science books in order to understand and study the human body? What about x-rays, passport photos, or photographs in the newspapers that deliver us news? Are all of these items art? Are they all photographs?

I don’t think these items are all art, but I do think of them as photographs which doesn’t lessen their importance or quality, it just means something different to different people and in different situations. But who am I to say what’s art or photography? Is anyone supposed to decide? What do you think?