With its vivid communication of reality, a photograph is a powerful tapestry, which tells a story.
Images of people and events are captured in the split second that they happened. Pictures speak a thousand words and deliver the complete message — bringing reality to life in a very special way.
Photographers take pictures because they are interested in showing what people are — be it politicians, Hollywood events, athletes or even normal folks.
On March 22, press photographers shed off affiliations and artistic hubris for blissful camaraderie. In an unprecedented show of kinship, they sat together over a Chinese lauriat at the Mayflower Restaurant and celebrated together.
They made a toast for Philippine Press Photographers-USA (PPP-USA) and for the induction of its new officers (headed by Jim Hernandez).
In Jim’s acceptance speech, he said that “PPP-USA [members] take photos not to win a prize. Their photos are often unrelated to news events or feature stories. They make a nice antidote to the hard, unhappy news of the day…hopefully setting the example to the rest of our press photographer colleagues, to simply enjoy the fun of pictures.”
Nowadays, photographers are different — they have visual sophistication. Their photographs are better composed, more artful and less like poised tableaus.
They are better-educated and better-trained, not only in techniques, but also is visual expression. The field has also become more competitive, with a broader range of subjects.
They do not merely record an event, they convey a larger meaning — combining information with emotion, even commentary.
The old-timers (bless their souls) have instinctive quality, while the younger ones roar with new vigor — bred to the bone and polished with training.
Now, comes the inevitable question: what about the changes in the la la land of photographers of today? We are scourged with digital photos taken by cellphones.
Jobs have become scarce for photographers. A few months back, the entire photography department of the biggest newspaper in Chicago was eliminated.
What could be sadder and more heartbreaking than seeing photographers read their pink slips?
Everyday, photographers cover life, birth and death and everything in between. Photography is something they love, something they do, something which gives them purpose.
All my life I have dealt with words. They are adequate for many purposes, indispensable for most; they can be immeasurably beautiful.
But they can’t do everything. They are only grace notes.
