"The questioning of the photograph in its relation to reality, the interrogation of representation, the famous crisis of representation, really took place before digital technology. Digital technology is not the villain here, it simply offers another dimension."

In the world of high speed internet and advancements, that gets faster by the second everything ought to cause an impact. If there is no jolt, no sentiment in something, it can be as easily be cast aside. The primary ethic is no longer just aesthetic, something more is required

Photography today, is sorted into several different genre. Each subject shares its own variety of excellent photographs. We live in the age of contemporary arts, where there are no set boundaries; open space, adventurous aims and anything distinct shoots through the roof. We are no longer blindly following the same roads. Conceptual photography is a genre in photography that follows such a pattern. Conceptual photography is one that exemplifies a creative idea, and visualizes it. Nowadays, the internet is bustling with example of conceptual photography. My research however has lead me to categorize it under three things

· Conceptual and candid Photography; a right picture clicked at the right time, demonstrating perfectly natural expressions and sentiments. 

· Conceptual and Art directed Photography; Photographs that are set in an arrangement to depict certain expressions or emotions to involve the observer.

· Conceptual and Edited Photography; pictures involving your certain daily like photography, shopped on with distinct faces to create expressions. Its basic purpose is to illustrate an idea and brings illustration and Photography under a single roof. 

Conceptual photography brings Creation, alteration and recreation of images together. Even though, containing surreal elements, a picture can present and highlight issues. It is, at the end, left to the photographer to highlight it as a metaphor or otherwise, clearly enough for the observer to grab. Sky’s is the limit, may it be pure photography or a merger of genres. If you get your concept through to the viewer, you are making a difference.

-Momina.

“To me, photography is an art of observation... I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

Since we are done covering photography basics of composition as well as some pointers, we’ll now look into some of the technical terms of the camera and how to control them for a better result.

Switch your camera to the manual mode and start experimenting. By taking photos of the same area, environment or object with multiple changes in settings you can get a fair understanding of how each affects your photography.

First, here are some of the technical terms you will be required to play with on manual mode.

-Aperture

-Shutter speed

-ISO

Aperture value is how far you want your lens to open up. The wider the aperture is, the more light travels inside your lens. However, you might get confused over your aperture values on the camera. The smaller the aperture value appears on your camera, the wider your aperture is open. Portraits mainly use a fully open aperture (smaller value on the camera) as it take the background settings out of focus and emphases on the face in front. Landscapes call for a smaller aperture (higher value on the camera), as it sharpens the background details, too.

Shutter speed is the time limit for which you allow the light to enter the aperture. If you opt for slower shutter speed with a hand held camera, then your pictures may come out blurry because of the hand shake. Use a tripod for slower shutter speeds. Slower shutter speed mostly go with smaller apertures as it increases the time for the light from a small aperture to enter.

ISO is your camera’s light sensitivity. You might need to alter that with any change in the surrounding light. In sharp sunlight, your ISO values may vary from 100-200. Filtered light calls for slightly higher ISO values approximately 400-800. While indoors your ISO values can go up to 3000. Extremely high ISO values can also cause your pictures to become grainy.

It should be noted that these are the settings that worked for me, in my experimentation methods, and they may vary for someone else. But only experimentation can get you your set of values as well as strengthen your hold on your camera.

-Momina.

"It's funny how the beauty of art has so much more to do with the frame than the artwork itself.”

“Whatever’s a right frame for a picture? Get it all in. Let them see the beauty I am surrounded with.”

And hence, we lay eyes on a picture that is crammed with an overwhelming amount of scenic natural beauty and unsightly elements. And that is exactly why you have a frame. A frame for capturing glorious landscapes. Frames for capturing portraits, street life. Everything and anything, basically.

Frames, when used rightfully, create the right emphasis and strengthen your composition. A beautifully put frame, which eradicates background noise and clutter can make even the most tedious objects look interesting. Of course there are other factors that contribute, but framing is one of the most essential one.

The most basic principle about setting a frame is taking your time. As mentioned in previous posts, it’s important to look around and choose the right setting, to feel what you want your observer to feel. Random clicks only rarely give you a good picture. There’s thought behind images, just like everything else.

Declutter your surroundings. Do you really want that bathroom sink to flaunt itself in the background of your picture? Or the trashcan? Give you background some thought. Clutter distracts the eye and makes the picture slightly unsettling.

The rule of thirds. Let’s try and stop putting the setting sun in the center of every picture. Move. It could make an equally good composition if it’s slightly to the left or the right. But then again, some things ought to be centralized too, but not the setting or rising sun. Not always. 

Similarly, try playing with the horizon line. Sit, crouch, and lie down. You never know how perfect a picture could be unless and until you allow yourself the leisure to switch angles and be bold. How long can we survive as an artist if we are too conscious about the dust on our denims or our wet boots? 

Sometimes you have to go closer, fill the frame and be a little mysterious about your objects. Keep the viewer guessing! Portraits, especially, that fill the frame are better, it’s almost like a conversation then, between the observer and the subject. Also, if you are trying to capture the pretty flowers you ought to walk a bit closer. Don’t wait for a better lens, walk closer.

Let's see if by putting these few pointers to mind we can improve our photography whether we use a costly camera or a mere phone camera,can we engage the viewer?

“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