So, a few weeks back, it so happened that my generous mommy bought me a DSLR camera. It seemed like a course requirement at that point in time and then it developed into something else entirely… Before I get into that, yesterday, I came across a ‘tumblr’ post that ranted about DSLRs and people who possess them, in a derisive manner (although it was stated that it wasn’t meant to be.)
I have to rant about this post, now.
It began with the aspect of ‘possession’ itself. It read, ‘Anyone can have one, without knowing how to expand a DSLR.’ I’m sorry, but I happen to own one and I pretty much know what it stands for, thanks to Hellmuth Conz, the cute old man, our Meister of photography. Digital single – lens reflex camera. Period.
The post continued to talk about Facebook, uploads and updates. And how the ‘like’ers become assassins and the followers, follow the cute girl who just liked the post. These people are reduced to bored individuals and all these ‘people’ are equated with a hound of wolves. So, is sharing a photograph, an object caught on camera, through a lens, in all its splendour, for others to see, a bad idea? Not all of us want to be ‘praised’ for this skill apparently acquired due to a DSLR. It could be as simple as sharing an image, a perspective, enabling the ‘sharees’ to see it the way you just did. Amen to those sweeping generalizations, the apparent sense of humour and so much for the aspect of humanity that was pretty much heralded throughout the ranting session. You just called your fellow men a wolf and people ‘follow’ a post based on how cute or hot their profile picture makes them out to be. Funny right?
According to the author of the post, subjects of photography who were never really bothered about to begin with, say for instance a potter or an old man in a piece of loin cloth, suddenly become objects of interest and fascination. That might probably be true, but the overlooked point is that, it feasts your eyes and opens them to a ‘way’ of looking at things and this, with the help of that poor camera being blamed through and through. Your ignorance blissfully ends. Whether it is the camera that is trying to make you envision a new world, it still does things that people can’t possibly do with their conferences and commitments. Just saying.
At the end of the day, your eyes have lenses too and they are worthier than the most expensive DSLR there is. And because of the camera, your eyes begin to see things in a new light. In terms of colours and textures, music of light and darkness and the beauty that can come through, even without manipulating the subject’s position; probably something only an artist of some sort can appreciate. A ‘point and shoot camera’ or a DSLR doesn’t make much of a difference, really. It is just how you look at things that make all the difference.
And oh! Coming back to that ‘tumblr’ post, the author was particularly offended because someone who owned a DSLR decided to impart some basic knowledge about photography to him on how to make an image better. Seriously, is one so naïve as to not take some harmless suggestions and some more knowledge into his system, transcending all that smug egocentricity? Unless, of course, if it hurts so much.
So, having a DSLR, showing off that you have one, taking a course in photography, sharing images on a social networking site for others to see, looking at subjects the way you just did, is it all a bad idea?
Because, I just committed every single one of those ‘sins’. I say, oops.
(Going off to absolve them now by clicking some pictures on my DSLR.) I say, oops again.
I have to rant about this post, now.
It began with the aspect of ‘possession’ itself. It read, ‘Anyone can have one, without knowing how to expand a DSLR.’ I’m sorry, but I happen to own one and I pretty much know what it stands for, thanks to Hellmuth Conz, the cute old man, our Meister of photography. Digital single – lens reflex camera. Period.
The post continued to talk about Facebook, uploads and updates. And how the ‘like’ers become assassins and the followers, follow the cute girl who just liked the post. These people are reduced to bored individuals and all these ‘people’ are equated with a hound of wolves. So, is sharing a photograph, an object caught on camera, through a lens, in all its splendour, for others to see, a bad idea? Not all of us want to be ‘praised’ for this skill apparently acquired due to a DSLR. It could be as simple as sharing an image, a perspective, enabling the ‘sharees’ to see it the way you just did. Amen to those sweeping generalizations, the apparent sense of humour and so much for the aspect of humanity that was pretty much heralded throughout the ranting session. You just called your fellow men a wolf and people ‘follow’ a post based on how cute or hot their profile picture makes them out to be. Funny right?
According to the author of the post, subjects of photography who were never really bothered about to begin with, say for instance a potter or an old man in a piece of loin cloth, suddenly become objects of interest and fascination. That might probably be true, but the overlooked point is that, it feasts your eyes and opens them to a ‘way’ of looking at things and this, with the help of that poor camera being blamed through and through. Your ignorance blissfully ends. Whether it is the camera that is trying to make you envision a new world, it still does things that people can’t possibly do with their conferences and commitments. Just saying.
At the end of the day, your eyes have lenses too and they are worthier than the most expensive DSLR there is. And because of the camera, your eyes begin to see things in a new light. In terms of colours and textures, music of light and darkness and the beauty that can come through, even without manipulating the subject’s position; probably something only an artist of some sort can appreciate. A ‘point and shoot camera’ or a DSLR doesn’t make much of a difference, really. It is just how you look at things that make all the difference.
And oh! Coming back to that ‘tumblr’ post, the author was particularly offended because someone who owned a DSLR decided to impart some basic knowledge about photography to him on how to make an image better. Seriously, is one so naïve as to not take some harmless suggestions and some more knowledge into his system, transcending all that smug egocentricity? Unless, of course, if it hurts so much.
So, having a DSLR, showing off that you have one, taking a course in photography, sharing images on a social networking site for others to see, looking at subjects the way you just did, is it all a bad idea?
Because, I just committed every single one of those ‘sins’. I say, oops.
(Going off to absolve them now by clicking some pictures on my DSLR.) I say, oops again.
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