Photography Is About The Experience

The other day, I did something I have not done in a very long time. I visited the blog of another photo blogger. I had expected to see business as usual, as the saying goes. You know, more of this-and-that about the latest and best über digital devices. However, that was not the case. What I saw was unexpected. On the site’s about section, this blogger stated he was going to do less camera gear review because camera gear manufacturers do not like his honest “real world” reviews. As a result, he has moved-on by reviewing other products types.

You see, it is not just me who has moved-on from reviewing the latest and best über digital devices. I suspect there are more bloggers out there also at the crossroads too. And of those not at the crossroads, you have to wonder why they are still operating business as usual. In bed with their sponsors? Or, just fulfilling their duties to be impartial - despite risking the ire of manufacturers? In any event, those who have chosen independence over support cannot rely on manufacturers to lend them gear to test - given an expectation of quid pro quo.

That said, what is there really to test anyway? All the latest and best über digital devices are really good. To be frank, they are all better than any of the film cameras I bring along on my photowalks. I mean, what is there not to like about über digital devices. They make taking good photos less tasking. That said, is taking good photos all that matters in photography? Obviously, it matters greatly. However, I have this sneaking suspicion that this is not why we care about gear. For most of us, our love of gear has very little to do with taking good photos.

You only need to excise yourself from your horde of gear and shoot exclusively on a smartphone to know that gear is not needed for taking good photos. After all, your smartphone is more than capable of photographing most of what you need. However, seeing that you frequent this dog and pony show - and probably many other photo blogs - I suspect you’re not the type to believe that. Of course, you could insist that proper photos can’t be taken on a smartphone because of its limitations. But really, that’s just an excuse to justify your love of gear.

Our need for gear has very little to do with taking good photos because gear is not a requisite for taking good photos. At best, gear helps. If not for taking good photos, then why do so many continue to care about gear? It is how gear makes us feel. The touch of it enlivens us. It transform us when we handle it. Having it in our hands changes our being. It’s like a prop that makes us play the role of a photographer - like how a costume makes a cosplayer feel like a fictional character. So, the last thing the gear obsessed think about is taking good photos.

I know it seems counterintuitive to say that. After all, isn’t taking good photos the objective of a photographer? Obviously, photographers want to take good photos. That’s a given. However, taking good photos is not an all encompassing fixation obsessing them. Instead, what preoccupies all good photographers is the experience. You see, it’s the experience that gives meaning to a photo. Once we become aware that photography is really about the experience - and not the photo - our personal investment in the photo taking process changes too.

So then, we come to realize that the photos, which we once prioritized, are now secondary to the experience. In doing so, we then recognize that every visual element encompassing our photo opportunities must also be fully experienced by us. That includes our interaction with the subject, our immersion into the setting, and our involvement at that moment in time. Invariably, this heightened recognition of visual elements encompassing our experience sets the narrative for our photos beyond just the visual presentation documented in the frame.

Inasmuch as a photo says a thousand words, the experience it captures - with that subject, in that setting, and at that moment - contains much more than a thousand words. It’s full of sensory notes - not just of sight. There is also sound, smell, touch, and taste sensed from the experience that is not captured. Above all, there is also that sense of being that we feel - a pure conscious awareness that awakens us to life around us. Invariably, we lose ourselves completely in feeling these arousing sensations by becoming a part of that life surrounding us.

As a result, we begin to live, feel, and be. In the process, taking the photo becomes an afterthought, despite it being the purpose of the undertaking. But, that is expected. In becoming aware of myself - with my subject, in that setting, and at that moment - I become an integral part of the drama that I am photographing. As a result, the photos I take are no longer just photos. They become keepsakes that bring me back to the drama I played out. Because of that, my photos become a part of me. And in turn, this gives personal meaning to my photos.

Kodak Portra 400 @ 35mm Focal Length. Image was a victim of motion blur. I edited the image in Adobe Photoshop by creating a second layer. In other words, I copied the entire image then pasted it in place as a second layer. Then on the second layer, I used the Shake Reduction filter at default setting and then changed the opacity of that layer to 20%. After that, I merged down the second layer. This is an adaptation of a trick photographers used to do when preserving the look of focus on a double exposed image of the same exact composition, in which the first exposure is in focus and the second exposure is out of focus.

So by playing out the drama outside our viewfinder, the photos we take are only incidental of our photo taking process. That said, the more we invest by interacting, immersing, and involving ourselves in the drama before us, the more likely we can optimize our photos in the process. The photos we take are suppose to be a record of life. It is suppose to capture some essence of reality. And, the only way we can capture that essence of real life is by living it. Otherwise, the outcome won’t appear incidental, but rather manufactured and disingenuous.

When our photos appear manufactured and disingenuous, something looks amiss. It lacks dynamism. It lacks integrity. It lacks purpose. In the end, it is just a facsimile of life without its essence. In other words, it is lifeless through and through. I can only assume that such photos hold no real meaning to the photographer. Because of that, it will certainly hold no meaning to anyone else. And if that is the case, why bother taking those photos in the first place? Moreover, why even share them at all? To everyone else, it’d be like looking at stock photos.

There is just so many awful photos out there of photos taken for the sake of taking a photo. I blame Instagram, since the platform brings out the worst in popularity seeking addicts. They are constantly sharing new photos devoid of any substance or meaning in hopes of increasing audience engagement. To ensure timely updates, do you think these photo taking influencers and wannabes ever take the time to experience life beyond a skin deep sampling? But in fairness to Instagram, the problem is also rampant in other social media platforms too.

For my part in the photo taking effort, I always prioritize the experience over the photos. I suppose that is why I enjoy my photowalks, despite my initial complaints of having to bother myself with scheduling and organizing the chore. It is not as if these photowalks happen on their own. But, I must admit. When I begin to interact with my subject, when I begin to immerse myself in the setting, and when I begin to involve myself at that moment, the experience takes over. It is rejuvenating. And, as for the photos I take? Frankly, they’re just an afterthought.

Through my enjoyment of going to and fro, I remember to take a couple of photos along the way. The photos I capture reveal the most genuine expression of myself. I’m happy. So, is my willing partner-for-the-day. Neither of us has a worry in the world, as we experience life as it unfurls - losing ourselves in the small streets, seeking shelter in the shade, and avoiding the crowds. And in between, we manage to shoot the breeze and a couple of photos. Frankly, I know of no better reason to go on a photowalk than to experience life with someone else.

Good photography is about life. To capture life properly, we must first live life. In truth, that is what others want to see - life as it really is - like a voyeur peering into the lives of other people. They want to see and feel real life from the photos we take. Otherwise, what is the point for others to look at our photos? Knowing that, I strongly urge you to regard your photo taking process in this way. Live life first. Experience it. Feel it. And then, take the photos in between. Doing that will breath life into your photos. But more importantly, it will breath life into you.

So as you can see, what is the point of reviewing contemporary gear? If the actual point of photography is the experience, then would it not make more sense to review the experience? After all, is that not what legitimate photographers do? Write about their experience? Think about any publication where photography is a part of the retelling. It is the experience that is worth reading - not the choice of gear.

Thank you Lenka for accompanying me on this photowalk. As you can see, it takes about three photowalks to be comfortable enough to take photos with familiarity.

Disclaimer

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