ART of Seeing - Alcove Books

The Art of Seeing
A famous photographer was once asked why he practiced
photography. His somewhat enigmatic answer was “to see
what things look like when photographed.”
This is more than a glib response. For many photographers
it lies at the center of their personal quest for
self-expression through photography. When I have a
camera in my hand the world shifts. I am no longer just
passing though. I am an active participant. Colors are
more distinct, reality more sharply etched. I am more
aware of both the immediate environment and the
actions of people around me.
It also makes me a voyeur. Being able to isolate and
visually dissect my surroundings removes me from being
a participant and turns me into an observer. This creates
a cognitive dissonance. On one hand, being a part of,
while on the other, being removed from. Maybe this lies
at the center of what it means to be a photographer; to
live in a “no-mans-land” where the moment is constantly
slipping past, and yet where we have the power to fix it
forever, a time as well as place.
Do we photograph for ourselves, or for others? If
you were the last person left on earth, would you
practice photography?