Why I photograph

I do not believe in the cliché a picture is worth a thousand words. Nonetheless, I strongly feel a good picture is worth a million. And you have to be ruthless with yourself to ensure what you have is high quality material.

I do not think I am a photography pro. I am just an ordinary shutterbug striving to improve my skills. I often delete a photo which is not up to the mark. Many feel I am being fussy about a casual affair. How right they are! How else am I supposed to push myself for that one shot that makes you want to go back from a place with a smile? A photograph must evoke the same emotional response in you, as did the subject when you captured the moment. That is when you know you have met your own standards.

I am not a big fan of the phrase 'Say Cheese' when it comes to clicking people. Why would a photographer want to corrupt a frame with their influence? A photograph must be an untouched interpretation of the state of the subject. The lesser the subjects know they are being photographed the better (unless they are models!). My best people portraits are the ones in which I haven't said a word to the subject and they have looked right into the eye of the camera. And they are also the ones that have been the most appreciated by viewers.

Some of my acquaintances believe that it is pointless to click a photograph which you can download from Google. They ask "Why would you click a photograph of the Eiffel tower without us?" Some are even considerate enough to not carry their cameras when they travel with me, assuming my services are at their disposal. To such people, I say, there is a subtle difference between a photographer and a cameraman. They have mistaken me for the latter. Well, I can always click one that will serve as they-were-there evidence. But that is about it. I would prefer they leave my photography to me then - I may click just them or just the Eiffel, whatever makes a better frame. As for the Google argument, I rather not put in the efforts of searching and downloading images of places from the net, if I can click better ones myself. It is not as much about a photograph of the Eiffel, but my photograph of the Eiffel.

And that is why I photograph.