The importance of photography

The importance of photography

We surround ourselves with images taken with all kinds of recording devices, devices that are intended solely for the purpose of memorializing the moment and in some cases, devices that are used only because of their convenience of use.  I refer to the use of cell phones with inadequate cameras that have in effect become the “Polaroids” of our times.

In the “old days” people used box cameras that in had such large negatives that the end resulting print was a contact print that in effect did not need any enlargement.  Today’s cell phones may take images only 640 by 480 and when they are enlarged the pixilated and are fuzzy because of the enlargement needed to even fill a 4×6 print. Some have as much as 2 mega pixels but have limited lenses and no aperture controls therefore they can not compete in real digital cameras.

Photography is a very important tool that is used to memorialize our lives and yet we do not think of it at the time that we press that shutter button.  We do not realize the importance of the images until the subject of one of the images passes on and then we are left with nothing but the memories.  Photography helps us relive the past and in a way to keep in touch with the past.

I made a reference to Polaroid earlier in this article because of things said to me by many young people in regard as to how they use their phone cameras.  When Polaroid Land cameras first came out one of the first uses by young men was to photography their girl friends in ways that were in a way compromising.  By this I mean the inference of security and confidentiality in that they could take nude pictures of the girls so that they could carry them where ever they went and they “controlled” whose eyes would be permitted to see them.  This could be carried by a knight or a knave. Today I hear young boys bragging about their girl friend and show you a quick picture they took of her and you can tell that the picture was not taken with the heart but rather with a genital drive. In some cases these pictures are “shared” through emails to others.  There is no security in these web mail systems so one should be careful of what one sends through them. A gentleman never shares the image of his love in a compromising way with any other person, but enough on this subject.

Photography gives us the means with which to share our lives and our loves with the rest of the world. Whether it be nature, sports, portraiture and other forms of photography we get a chance to express how we feel about the subject matter by the way we photograph it. So pick up real cameras, photograph everything you see of importance to you, for you never know, it may become important to some one else too.

Happy shooting – Douglas John Vergara - 09202008