From pretender to contender

Dating back in 1980’s, owning a camera was a big deal. Photography was not very common and no digital media was available, just a single reel inside the rectangular box to capture the moment.  But now, the advancement in technology has made life easier. Number of gadgets which includes a camera in it are being introduced by various companies and most of the people carry the same gadgets. Now a days, people who own a DSLR call themselves photographers though they are not. Photography does not mean holding an expensive camera and pretending to be a photographer, it is how to frame your image and choosing the best one you have captured so far.

To differentiate yourself from a pretender, here are some clues that makes you different from these people.

·         The camera is handed over to you by your friends at parties to take photographs.

·         You never run out of batteries.

·         You highly focus on light rather than what the subject is wearing.

·         You notice people who have a DSLR and focus on what camera and lens he or she have.

·         People ask for your opinion before buying a camera.

·         You prefer to take pictures in manual mode rather than auto.

·         You take dozens of pictures every day. (Not selfies but people around you and the surroundings).

·          You understand the difference between bouquet and a flower arrangement.

·         You now know about your camera’s ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

·         You travel in search of a right moment to capture.

Abstract Photography

The Earth is Art, The Photographer is only a Witness.”                                                                                                          ―Yann Arthus Bertrand 

In photography, an important thing is that you have to have something to say about the world. Subject matter alone is not enough therefore you have to look at the world in an abstract way. Abstract photography emphasis on the abstract elements of forms. The photograph must contain a kind of unity in it. Abstraction can be created using shadows.

Abstract photography is a demanding art in which photographers not just take a picture, they produce it. It is the depictions of inanimate subject matter. It is not just a photograph, but a small scenery shown with abstraction. All you need is to find the right place and time for the best light exposure, with maximum shadows around to create abstraction. You also need to keep your creative eyes open all the time to see where the art is hiding so that you can capture it with ease. It can be anywhere, anything or anyone. It requires concentration, and proper timings to look for propping and surfaces. You have to find order in the chaos, find out what it is you have to see and make it work in a rectangular space. Finding and cropping the image within the rectangular space is necessary and creating abstraction in that image. Abstract photography give the photographer more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition. Abstract images can be just about anything that doesn't move.

Street Photography

“Seeing is not enough; you have to feel what you photograph”
                                                                                                               – Andre Kertesz

Capturing people and the scenery with proper composition, photographing people without being noticed by the subject and bringing the feeling and emotions in that one click is a part of street photography. It features subjects in a situation within public places such as streets, parks, beaches, malls etc. The primary subject is people, at rest or in motion, alone or with others, going about the everyday activities of life. The techniques used are the same as that of straight photography as it is to show a pure vision of a situation. More than anything, Street Photography is an attitude and an openness to being amazed by what comes in your way. A beginning to recognize that extraordinary, beautiful and subtle stories that occurs every day in your life in front of you. Street photography is an art that features the human condition within public places and does not necessitate the presence of a street or the urban environment. While photographing, observing the surroundings and feeling the elements that makes up the life of that particular place, especially light, is important for street photography.

Photographs taken are usually unplanned. These photographs mostly involve people in which most of them do not even have a clue that they are being photographed. Street photography go hand in hand, any day, any time, and any second you just need to have a feeling to capture that moment and keep your creative eye open.