Aug 23
Photography is easy. Almost everyone i know does it. It is probably the perfect thing for a programmer - the general demographic of people i know. A camera is a sufficiently curious piece of technology to tweak around and experiment. With the entry costs extremely low (more so if you are 'onsite') and the desire to get away from town on the weekends, photography is a growing hobby. Stumble into a conversation among a bunch of photographers and you will hear phrases like 'depth of field', 'low f-stop', 'level correction' or '50 to 500 telephoto'; phrases that will make no sense if you aren't in the coterie. Don't be surprised if you find a group of men comparing the size of their lenses. All you have to do is get a hang of these technicalities and you are welcome to the club.
Photography is hard. As is all art. And like any art, there are various levels of proficiency - from journeyman to master. In the beginning, (after having learned the technical details mentioned earlier), the photographer captures images as they are; good non-shaken images at the right exposure. Slowly, she begins to think about composing an image, she realizes what to leave out from a scene as much as she knows what to capture, she understands the rule-of-thirds and she understands when to not use it. The third level is when the photographer begins to manipulate the image to match the picture in her mind's eye. She knows exactly which direction she wants the light to come in from, she can precisely control what aspect of the image is in focus and she knows what angle to shoot from. She captures the dew on the flower and the bird in flight, she captures the city night in all its glory and she captures the monument in early morning light. She captures those magical moments and she inspires awe.
Then, there is the master. Her photograph simply tells a story. It is a zen-like state when the image draws the viewer into its world and yet leaves something to the imagination. It is a state where the technicalities cease to matter. Of course, the exposure is just right. Of course, the light streams from the right direction. Of course, the shutter is clicked at the precise moment. But it is a state when all of it pales into insignificance. She captures photographs that could be epic poems, photographs that break any possible barrier of communication, photographs that, perhaps, change the world.
I would like to believe i am somewhere between the 1st and the 2nd level. I can competently capture non-shaken images and i am beginning to understand exposure and composition. Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, 'Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.' I am halfway through my worst.
