Facets Of Existence
My uncle and I took a photo excursion in California on a perfect California summer day. My entire perception of photography changed when I met my uncle. He explained to me photography is about capturing the beauty that ordinary people experience every day. He’s always there to remind me of the importance of taking photographs. My day is lived with my viewfinders as eyes. I am always on the lookout for small, meaningful details that go unnoticed. Photographers can be very special. Photographers are skilled at capturing emotion as well as physical objects. A photograph captures that emotion. A photograph that I have taken can make me laugh, cry, or both.
A photograph invokes a feeling; it evokes memories. As I recall the first photograph I took with my father and his dad, I am struck by how heavy it was. The camera was too large for my four year old fingers. It was so heavy that it nearly took my hands off their heads. Photographs can capture emotion and memory. However, sometimes a photograph is only meant to be beautiful. This selection is not lost on the eye, but it’s better to have a book of photos that can be categorised into a coffee-table book so guests can keep busy. While photography may seem simple, philosopher Roland Barthes shows us how he views photography in Camera Lucida. He simplifies photography until it is pure truth. Photography is more than that. I don’t go out with my camera looking for objects that might trigger certain emotions. The photographer can create the emotion in the photograph. Photographs will be affected by situations and the photographer will feel the emotion. Photographs are meant to communicate with the outside world and show what is not visible. Because emotions are easily transferred from a photo, even non-conscientious people can become more aware of the world around them. Barthes agrees with some of the emotions, but doesn’t outwardly support them. If a “photograph is intended to represent what it is”, then this can be taken to mean that photographs may inadvertently reflect emotion (3). Barthes does not mention the connection between emotion and photography. Barthes simplifies photography to make emotion easier to understand. Happiness is one emotion that can be easily captured in a photo. A smile can transcend the Kodak photo and reach outside faces. It is easy to take happy photos. It’s easy for someone to smile when they receive a birthday gift or see an old friend. The joy of taking a photograph transcends the paper. However, my photographs serve a larger purpose. The solitude allows me to meditate. I find solitude is a great time to be alone and walk in the sun, looking for hidden beauty. My photos have a tranquility that is due to my peaceful walks. The warm glow of the fallen leaves covers the chair. The exposed face and the striking wear of the weave provide a comforting environment that encourages people to relax. Unsuspecting observers are struck by the wonderment of the highlighting sun. As if a person’s soul is still in the chair. A feeling of calm and comfort can soothe the eye, relieving the stress associated with daily life. This is what photography does: it transmits emotion. Photography is a way for me to release my stress, and I can create peaceful photographs that can help others feel more relaxed.
A photo can capture everything that happened in one second. The power of a photograph can be overwhelming. Many of the photos I have taken capture special moments. Gazing at a photograph brings me back to the moment. Each sense is alive. This ability is powerful and “nonetheless superior than anything the human mind can or could have conceived to assure our of reality” (Barthes 4,). Photographs are the truth, memories are just a small fabrication of it. Photographs are an aid to memory. Barthes believes photographs are not, in essence, memories and they can “actually block memory, which quickly becomes a counter-memory.” (6) People don’t experience memory by looking at old photos. It doesn’t exist. It is only instilled by one photograph. This is why photographs are often used to spark conversations about childhood memories. Many people feel a “jumpstart” to their memories when they look at a photograph from childhood.
My photographs are invaluable in helping me remember details from my many travels. Although my memory is not clear, I am able to recall details such as the Eiffel Tower being lit each night and the Issaquah blizzard once. I treasure my trips and have many photographs to mark them. A photograph’s most important value is its memories. Families take photos of their children at special events such as birthday parties and musical performances to help them recall those memories many years later. A photo album is often a part of a family’s reminiscences. This isn’t an accident. The memory can start by having photographs. While the memory can be altered, only one instance of a photograph will remain true. The photograph is a way to travel. The photograph allows me to travel back in time. Reliving the “good times” is an amazing feeling. The experience is enhanced by photographs.
Gazing at the vivid photograph of Eiffel Tower, my thoughts drift back to an earlier time when I traveled with my high-school orchestra. I can feel Paris’ soft evening breeze, and the sellers selling wine to Parisian couples. As I sat on the lawn with my camera, I waited impatiently for the lights of Paris to turn on. It seemed like eternity. It was a ten-day trip that I will never forget. I was amazed at the amount of fun I had while traveling in a foreign city. The random “drive-by” concerts the orchestra performed, the innumerable churches and the people the chaperones cautioned students not to approach. All these quick memories were made from a single, verifiable, simple photograph.
Photographs are among the most visually striking art forms. Digital tricks are not used in traditional photography to make the image appear more real. People accept traditional photography’s authenticity because of its candid nature. Photographs are a snapshot of reality, which is why they deserve to be seen. It is possible to have a small conversation with someone by simply looking at a few photographs. People often ask me where I found it. It is a joy to witness the moment that obscure details can be seen with naive eyes. Photography can open up a new way for people to see life. It is a pleasure to show the ordinary things of life in a new light, so that people can gain a better understanding. Every photograph does not need to be hidden. It is only necessary that the photograph reveals a part of daily life that most people don’t see. These often overlooked details are beautiful and can be used to spark the imagination. Simple chemical reactions can be so powerful. One broken rosebud kept alive in water is irregardible. Once the rose’s image is captured through photography, it becomes the focal point of attention.
The contrast between the bright red of the dish and the fading ceramic color of the rose makes it stand out. Barthes frowned on the contrast colors that give the photograph life. The true color of photography is black and white, the original. He prefers the “photographed subject touch [him] with its natural rays, not with an added light” (1). Barthes does NOT appreciate the bright colors’ illumination effect on the enthusiast. While black and white can create a strong effect, it is not as noticeable as primary colors. Black and white does not have the ability to bring out the emotions of a strong red or the sadness that comes with a dark blue. These emotions are what photographers aim to capture through photographs. Photographs of towering wedding cakes or beautifully plated lamb chops from a magazine are all connected to the senses. The perfect pink, medium-rare meat will make your mouth water. The passion and desire that color photos instill on a person is gone when black and white photos are taken. Photography is meant to increase the senses.
Barthes strips a photograph of any meaningful expression and reveals that photos are truth. Truth is an inherent part of the definitions of photographs. Barthes fails to see the essence of what a photo is supposed to convey. Photographs are not just true. Photographs cannot be described as truth without their appeal, thought-provoking emotions, or spark of memory. I have observed the effects of my photographs on others and found that they can enter the mind. My meditation is what makes my photographs, a reason for me to feel and remember. People who admire my work can look at it and then slowly relax. People can slow down and look at life through a photograph. It is possible to see the world through the eyes of a photographer. This is a trait that should not only be embraced but also celebrated. A photograph will open the eyes and inspire a new way for living.
