“There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment.”

We have come a long way, a very long way, indeed. From being settled into braces that look like some horrid equipment and restricting yourself into a single position for several minutes for a single rigid portrait and an experience you might not wish to repeat, to a freely expressed, gleeful picture, posed at ease or shot candidly in mere split seconds. Of course, we are bound to be addicted to such a magical jump in technology.

Similarly, people who are fond of capturing moments at a standstill, are no longer intended to drag extensive cameras, hurrying and still missing that right moment and spending days bent over in dark rooms developing them, with just the right about of exposure.We are at such a leisure with this magic box called a camera, that aids us in every way possible; journaling passion and documenting lives in general.

But let’s not get into a discussion about the wonders of technology. Of course, let’s not forget how it’s affecting the nature of photography, either. Photographers are visual story tellers and their photographs are a testimony to their passion. The world holds the same things it did yesterday and the same it will hold tomorrow but only a few of us manage to see it distinctly. If each of us was to look through a camera and take a single photograph, only a handful of them would really standout.

The idea is simple, not everyone is meant to use the camera in a special way. Most of us use it selfishly, the rest matter of factly, and only a few to execute their passion and observation.

Fanciful equipment by no means makes you a photographer, but it does, obviously, offer its aid. Photography is an art that can be accustomed to, it only required you to pay heed. Reading photographs is as important as it is to read your subject before you capture it forever. Everything matters in a good photograph, your subject, your background, your angles, your composition, as well as your interest. Its not about the click, you see, it's about that perfect moment when you click and about the perfect setting.

The perfect setting has requirements, it asks you to wait for it. The perfect moment can not be captured in haste, you need to adopt a level of ease and indifference to other distractions for it. And if you are too conscious about the dust on your jeans or your water clogged shoes then you could do better. But, be conscious about your equipment; take your time knowing your camera, understanding it , as you do your surroundings. Adjust your settings with respect to your surroundings; play with them, adjusting the aperture and testing the shutter speed and varying focus points. Simple techniques can do wonders and bring out professional results. It only calls for you to understand the dynamics of your camera and be patient with your surroundings.

This time, the question is different, this time it might just be challenge; can you read your subject correctly before you encase it in time, eternally?

"It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see."

In a world that is constantly changing and moving further; advancing faster and faster, we tend to rely more on visual aid. Writing or text is slipping faster into a void, being replaced by pictures and info-graphics that are more direct and perhaps more fluent in dictating messages or coming to aid. Maybe it’s the very make of the human mind, or perhaps it differs from person to person, but a higher percentage of people are dependent on visuals for their memorization.

In such an environment photography is no longer a tool of merely capturing the emotion, but it has become a landmark for memories and a narrative seeker. We continue to seek stories in images, that’s how we hold on to them. We try to develop connections hence linking and locking it to memory. Connecting images with stories that further link them to the person’s own memory is also a way of documenting them to be used later for reference, perhaps.

At first glance, a picture can be merely pretty, depressing or good. But looking closely we find many a stories unraveling there. The story of the character, and that of photographer are the most direct ones. However, the characters may be directed to follow certain patterns and imply specific thoughts to be set in motion in the viewers’ mind. Even so, it’s not just human or animal characters that have tales to tell in photographs. Buildings and landscapes (especially the ones that hold a history*) sometimes have far more intriguing tales to tell.

But there’s more to it; elements of design are as important to photographs as they are to paintings. Shadow play, object placement and line repetitions that we so very often look over while running through photographs are not just background elements; these are the things that make subtle changes to the pictures, making them more harmonious and allowing your eyes to wander and absorb, seeking much more from the picture than your subconscious allows you to wonder.

The question is, would you take time to marvel over the dynamics of photography the next time you hold a picture?

-Momina.

*World War I in Photos: A Century Later