Why you need to be a photographer
No one sees the world quite like you. No one is as unique as you. We all have a story, even if we think that story is boring another person might find inspiration or fascination from your unique perspective of this world. If only that, you need to pick up that camera and start showing us what you see. If that's not enough, here are some reason you need to be a photographer.
We live in a world filled with ego, wanting to be liked, listened to me, paid attention to me, I'm important. But the camera does the complete opposite of that, it turns the focus away from you and towards what you see in the world (if you exclude selfie & vanity). Photography is your eye, your vision of an experience. We all see the world differently and it's vital we share our little corner of this world. Because we are all important, and we need to share our experiences, our thought and make this world that little bit more inclusive, that little bit more tolerant of our differences.
Community is what lets us share. Community is who sees our work. Community is what brings us together on common ground, regardless of background, ethnicity, religious views, political views or geographic location. The pure act of taking an image speaks to all of us. What we see can empower empathy, feelings, love, pain, joy, sadness, understanding. Photography is a language all communities understand, and you are welcome regardless of who you are, because your worthy and welcome to this wonderfully accessible art form of expression.
Understanding and answers are explored through photography. For myself, I have explored who I am and my drive to be creative. Through photography, I have found what is important to me and it helped me realise that. Photography is an amazing medium that can for some be therapeutic, freeing, peaceful. It can also provide answers and open doors to worlds you never thought you could be apart of. Documenting, exploring, seeing new things, in a new light. The act of taking a photograph makes your subject important to you. The act of making images can give answers to questions you might have or never even thought to ask.
Time is relative, time is fleeting, film and video are amazing, they capture a moment through time. The problem with video is it requires you to spend physical time to consume it. The photo is instant, the photograph can take you places and revisit moments in an instant. We are all on this earth for a finite amount of time. Start capturing memories that will eventually fade over time. Take moments with you. Photograph your life and the important people in it. Not for fame or prestige, but just for you. Because life is just a memory, why not take those memories with you, way not record them And if you want, share them with the ones you love.
Why you need to be a photographer is an easy question to answer. It can be scary at the time to make that jump. Getting close to someone in order to take their picture, be it a stranger or someone close. The act of photographing isn't always easy. But it is important, just like you. So please dust off that camera, or pull out your smartphone. And if you are privileged enough to go buy that camera, start learning how it works. Not what makes a good photograph, but rather the rules this magical box abides by. Because the good photographs are already in you, one else sees the world quite like you, please show us your corner of this world.