The Humanity Of Photography
I poured myself a cup of milk tea, the taste instantly sending me back to the early mornings in Nepal.
Each photo I poured over that evening gave me a larger sense of what photography truly is.
I attended and also exhibted two prints from my time in Nepal at an event that left me grateful to be a photographer.
In today’s world though, we all are photographers. Whether we choose to be or not.
If you pull your phone out to capture a moment, you are a photographer.
You are telling a story of what’s in front of you.
The story brings with it your own life experiences and trials as well as the person you’re photographing.
This is not just your story…it’s theirs too.
As a photographer you have an obligation to question the reason for the photo.
Are you telling a story that needs to be told?
Are you representing the story from a place of compassion and empathy?
At the event Colby Brown (an insanely talented travel photographer and philanthropist) made a comment that you could never walk into someone’s backyard, snap a photo and walk away.
You can’t do that here. You’d be jailed.
So what makes it ok to do that in another country and to people that appear different then you?
Simple answer, it’s not.
Photography is not simply about a pretty picture that Pinterest and Facebook would have you think.
It’s about engagement and humanity.
Spending time with your subject, even if it’s just a few minutes.
Engage with an open heart and mind and the photos that result won’t just be a pretty picture, they’ll be human and filled with meaning.
It’s so easy to share moments instantly.
It’s become so easy that we’ve stopped asking, should we be sharing this?
Why am I sharing this?
The discussion goes beyond travel photography and the poor, it extends to our backyards and families.
How much sharing is simply to much?
When does it cross a line?
I’m definitely not advocating for never sharing.
I truly believe that sharing certain things can change the world for the better in remarkable ways.
Myself and the people at the event on Saturday are just advocating that we ask the question.
When is it right to share someone suffering?
When is right to share life at it’s most vulnerable?
Tough questions that don’t have a black and white answer.
My take away from the evening, connect on a deeper level and you’ll know the right answer
What’s your take on sharing?
When is alright to snap the shutter and when is it not?
I would love to start a conversation in the comments!
xoxo – Rachael
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