Purpose:
To learn more about photography on a professional level;
To explore various ways photographers communicate;
To understand that there are many different types of photographers and photography.
Video 1: This video is about the life purpose of Sandesh Kadur, a National Geographic photographer, filmmaker, and author. At the time of this video, Kadur was going on a "journey of discovery". The Buddhist term "Beyul" is a hidden wilderness, and the specific Beyul that Kadur is researching is the Pemako, which includes the Xiang river. A lot of Beyuls are under threat because they could possibly be damned or destroyed, and they are very remote places full of wildlife. Kadur is trying to bring awareness to these hidden wildernesses, and hopes that through his filmmaking and photography, he can make a difference. This type of filmmaking and photography is really interesting to learn about because activists use photography as a tool to help further their convictions and opinions.
One thing I really like about this video is how Kadur describes that the hidden wildernesses need art and science to protect them. I think it was an interesting way to say it, but so perfect to what his mission is. He is trying to bring awareness and grow a population of ambassadors for these beautiful Beyuls through his art, which is filmmaking and photography. Kadar emphasizes how a story without language can be told through filmmaking, and that anyone can be impacted by film. I really like this because all peoples around the world, regardless of what language they speak, can understand and empathize with the story of these Beyuls as well as try to help. I think it's important for people to know about these Beyuls, and so does Kadur. The last concept that I thought was really interesting was how Kadur talks about the difference between filmmaking and photography. Kadur, at first, was a photographer and focused solely on photography, but, as he got older and started exploring more options, he got into filmmaking. In the beginning, he thought that filmmaking would be exactly the same as photography, just in video form, but was completely wrong. Photography, he says, is one shot, whereas filmmaking is a sequence. It was really important for him to understand and practice the differences between the two.
Video 2: This video focuses on the positive but also negative effects that photography can have. When you are experiencing something so beautiful, or crazy, and you feel the need to take pictures of it, Erin Sullivan urges you to think about your intention of the picture itself. Are you taking the picture because you want to take it, or because you feel like you have to take it for others? She also talks about the experience itself. The moment that you are in at that time will never happen again. There may be something similar to it, but not that same moment. If you're sharing that moment with someone you know and love, it's important to think about how you want to remember that moment. If you're taking pictures the whole, you won't be able to actually enjoy the experience that is right in front of you. Sullivan is not telling her audience to never take pictures, but making sure you're checking your intentions is extremely important.
I really like that Sullivan brings up the intention behind taking photos. A lot of times these days people only take pictures to post on social media, and may even feel forced to keep up with everything and everyone else around them. There's been stduies on that pressure and it shows that people who take photos for themselves and for their own enjoyment seem to enjoy the experience more than those who take photos for others. That pressure is a really important part of photography, because when you feel pressure, you don't always feel creatively inspired and can't take as a good a photo as you could if you were enjoying the experience. She also talks about how yes, there may be thousands if not hundreds of thousands of photos similar to one that you're taking of a popular landmark like Niagra Falls or a National Park, but if you're enjoying taking the picture, it doesn't matter. If you're taking pictures for yourself, that picture will always have a special importance to you and will stand out in comparison to pictures on the internet that may be considered "better", and taken by a professional photographer. This is because photography is an experience as much as the place you're visiting or animal you're seeing. If you're enjoying the photographic experience, you won't remember it as fondly as you could've. The last thing that I thought was really interesting was knowing what you're photographing. When you take pictures but don't know the background or importance of the subject you're photographing, you won't be able to get the full experience. Learning about the history and culture of the subject you're photographing helps you tell different stories through your pictures, but also letting yourself be enriched by the experience.
What surprised you? I definitely knew that there were risks to taking photography, but I never knew the nitty gritty. In the video it shows photographers in the middle of the jungle just being attacked by small bugs. They went into their ears, their eyes, their mouth and their nose, and were all over. It makes sense that there would be bugs in the jungle, but I never knew about the commitment that some photographers have for their photos and it surprised me. What also surprised me was that sometimes it takes 2-3 weeks of constant photographing to get one good photo. Just one!! When they're doing more difficult subjects, such as real live animals like lions, it's harder to get the result you want because they are unpredictable and uncontrollable in the wild.
What did you find interesting? I thought it was interesting to see all the different photographers perspectives. Some photographers went for a certain look, and others went for something completely different. Yet, all the photos evoked emotion and were all powerful. I think it shows that everything has some sort of meaning and value in it to different people, and you just need the right eye to see the beauty in some things. I also like that one of the photographers described cameras as a shield because the subjects they were photographing were so depressing and tragic that hiding behind the camera was a way of escaping the true horror in the pictures.
Is this a career you would choose? Why or why not? Maybe maybe not. It seems fun but also very difficult. I think I would like it from the travel aspect, but maybe not from the constant working. I feel like as a photographer you're constantly working and looking for good compositions for photos, and like there's no break which I don't think I would enjoy.