Reflection

The Photographer's Eye



My Reflection



I was initially struck by the words and ideas of Hawthorne Holgrave. Photographs become the remembered reality. What power lies in an artisit and/or photographer. Master manipulators. They can have the power to persuade, make beautiful, make ugly, be truthful, or conceal any given situation and as humans we tend to remember and hold strong to images over factual details. Then some believe or used to believe that photographs would be factual instruments. Perception thus can be a very sneaky thing.



I had an issue with some parts of the article in regards to painters. I, myself am a painter and I believe that both photography and painting have unique ways of capturing an essence of a person. I do not believe one can do it better than another. I know that may not be what the author was saying but painting can also express what is seen, what the painter sees and that creative touch and share a part of the subjects soul just as well as a photograph can.



In as far as those photographers who are amateurs "just taking photos" and those who know their craft: I think it is great to know all the technical aspects that can go into taking a great picture and telling a wonderful story. However, on some aspects I think one can over think these things and that sometimes the amateurs could take excellent shots because they are not constrained by technical issues and can give the photograph a fresh eye or view.



However, I also do like the control a photographer can have in creating a picture, and being able to remember a memory forever. By taking a photograph in a certain way, to tell a certain story, shown at a certain view point, and so forth can make one remember an event how they want to or the way they felt about a particular moment and that will last a lifetime. It is pretty inspirational and powerful.