We take photos for many reasons. For most, it is the desire to capture a “moment in time”, be it at a function (like a wedding), or a family event (like a birthday) or on holiday, where we want to relive the “special moments”. More often than not, the resultant images disappoint us when we view them. Why is it, when it looked great in the viewfinder or screen?
I doubt if most people give the process of taking a photo much thought. With the advent of digital “PHD” cameras (Push Here, Dummy), the whole process discourages much thought about the reasons for taking a photo. This encourages a rather “sloppy” approach to image capture and we end up “recording” rather than “capturing” the moment.
Notice I said “image capture” rather than taking a photo. We can “record” time as a photo, or “create” a photo of a moment in time. I feel the former is rather passive, whereas the latter involves a degree of thought to the process. This is not to criticise the photo taker. There are times when we just want a record of what is before us, and we just “take” photos of what we want to record for posterity. However, with a little thought, we can “create” an image that will still capture the moment, but add a little something as well.
Before you turn on your camera the next time you want to take a photo, think about what it is you are trying to do. Am I “recording” a moment in time or do I want to “capture” the essence of that moment in time.
We’ll look into this next time.
