One of the hardest part of photography is coming to the realization that the medium is not greatly appreciated as it should be. Its interesting to live in a society where photographs are mass produced in a world where we are exposed to images constantly. Recollecting an every day basis, I wake up and one of the first things I see in the morning is the screen saver on my phone that is a photograph of a drawing a friend created while doodling in class. Photography introduces a world of the unknown that becomes known to others. Without being at a place physically, or seeing an image that portrays real life physically, we are able to see a world before we actually have the opportunity to see it or never have the opportunity to really see it. Throughout my day I partake in social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and snapchat which show visuals of other people's lives or the representation they wish others to perceive life. The practice of photography leaves me in awe due to the limitless exposure of the world I can see through a single image but it also frustrates me as I begin to acknowledge some of the negative aspects of photography. Getting more into my concentration, I am learning the art and horrifying aspects of the medium. The idea of being without being takes part of my dilema as I find myself constantly physically being present but mentally absent. How often do you find yourself in a position where you are intrigued by your surrounding that the first thing you do is take a photograph of what you are witnessing. The art of photography allows individuals to capture exactly what is in front of one self but what happens when the camera gets in the way of your experience. I was in love with the idea of always being able to capture an experience but now I find myself in confusion with the desire to keep the visual memory of a moment and the predicament of actually experiencing the moment. Don't misunderstand my conflict with photography with dissatisfaction because there is nothing more in this world that I love than an image that captures a specific moment in time that continues to remain. Photography is seductive in a way that I am always tempted to take a photograph of everything that catches my eye. Photography allows me to beautify the mundane and allow myself to continuously look at life with interest and a fresh eye. To think of the amount of photographs I can take in a span of a day that will never exceed the space of my phone or camera and is only viewed by eyes is romantic in a way that every photograph is a moment that I fell in love with the ordinary and consciously I wanted to capture the subject and introduce it to a new form such as a photograph. Photographs are personal. They are private. I cannot count how many photographs I take and end up deleting but for some reason my mind wanted to take a picture even tho it wasn't meant to last forever. I supposed that's where my difficulty of being present and absent overwhelm me because they are moments that should be captured but then there are some where one should be absorbed in their surrounding. However I'm not sure what justifies that moment yet. The art of photography is poetic. Time passes but a photograph still remains. However, photographs are malleable and can always be taken out of context than what it was originally purposed for. But what exactly is a photograph? As I take photographs I find a struggle finding meaning as to why I am taking these pictures. Is it for documentation? Does it only serve for aesthetic purposes? What is the true intent of a photograph I take? These are questions I cannot find the answers to and I'm not sure if that's something I should know the answer to at the moment. Does anyone know the answering to anything? How is it that we can find meaning in anything. What differentiates art in a photograph and a regular photograph because not all photographs can be considered art.
