Clear photographs and faded memories
PLEASE allow me to begin with a portion of Dennis Yost’s lyrics of “Traces of Love”:
“Faded photographs, covered now with lines and creases
Tickets torn in half, memories in bits and pieces
Traces of love, long ago, that didn’t work out right
Traces of love.”
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Camera bugs like me tend to be poetic about the essence of capturing images. Some will claim that photography is about fantasy, and some will say that it is about a recorded reality.
Most will also say that it is about experiencing emotion from the time of unboxing a camera, the urge to tie our shoelaces and the desire to sprint somewhere, look around and take those maiden shots.
It is inevitable to be drawn into an ocean of ideas, measuring photographic values relating to human nature in correlation with its objects. Then we are trapped in a unique world of charm and connectivity to the awesome power of depiction.
Psychologists would say that there is reason to believe that there is a connection between human memory and the photographs we take. Simply put, a photo is a dimensional information visual about the past light that we can perceive in present time. Hence, memories are the effects of our past experiences on our present self. Photographs can be a repository of a collection of memories that when viewed, can always activate partial or total recall.
Of course we all end up saying that every image has a story to tell, and that it should not be ignored in the
that far exceeds pages of written description or a mouthful of narratives.
***
Taking a good photograph is both simple and complex. A combination of good lighting conditions, a captivating subject sprinkled with a dash of creativity seems to be a good start.
What makes it a little more complex is when you confront your target audi-
people see photographs in different ways. While a photograph is a dynamic
downside is some photographers working for newspapers use it to control or exploit vulnerable people.
And we end up with the perception that we do not always know the truth behind a captured image. In addition, people with different ideologies interpret images in their own way and sometimes may not understand the meaning well. Some will use it to grab attention by manipulating images to cause anger, shock or uncertainty.
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What then is a photograph? A variation of another saying, I can safely say that a picture is worth a thousand memories. I would even dare say that some photos can actually be similar to some art pieces and can cause a reaction to a much deeper meaning. of
- sult of the sworn duty to record a particular event, and the second, a photo that can foster a change in the viewer’s mood that can cause a reaction for "deeper meaning."
They are also the collection of things that help people keep their memories alive and the things that help us to remember the past. Yes, they are memories that will help you relive that day. A picture brings back memories of the day it was taken and everything about it — faces, places and events.
*** Photography is memory and memory is photography. It is a recollection of everything retained in the mind. However, our minds make the decision on what to remember and what to forget. Some are gifted with “photographic memories” but most of us aren’t.
Clarity of the relationship between that which we remember and that which really happened is not even clear.
We can say that photographs are more perfect memories. Photographs testify to something that we remember of something that we don’t want to forget. The mind will not easily let us do that but photographs will. Photographs, thus, are not just manufactured memories, they are also expressions of our desire to hold on to something.
As such expressions, they can absolutely take on a life of their own, essentially becoming something of an interpretation that is completely different. A photograph remains just that, a photograph. Societies have a need for iconic photographs, individuals There could be two types don’t. But in both cases, there is a need to use photographs as a way to shape identity. Memories define identity, and photographs help us have a more active role in that process.
Then we are surprised to notice that any person can possess the controversy of character duality. We remember, and we experience. Taking a photo is comparable to a person who has a more vivid memory but less of the experience, while not taking a photo is more similar to a second person who had more of the experience but a faded memory. The problem arises when the experience is all but wiped out by the constant need for pictures instead of living the moment.
Taking pictures seems to place our cognitive effort more into the photograph and not our personal memory. With all the gadgets on hand, taking and reviewing pictures may help memory, but may also eventually replace memory.
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In the present digital world where everybody owns a camera or a smartphone, we lose the experience of any event as we focus more on the documentation rather than live the moments. Taking a photo can lead to worse recollection. In some ways it’s almost as if the act of taking a pictures allows you not to remember.
Thus, we end up with clear photographs and faded memories. As I grow older, I am tempted to advise my friends to put down their cameras. Experience your life by remembering your experiences.
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Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.