Page 274 - E-Magazine 2016-17

PASSION TO SHOOT

I
t is no ordinary stupefaction to contain the endlessness of the universe within a three inch
frame. Creating art with the flinch of a single finger is a power beyond any showy cape or
black hat. Over the course of my life, a modest photograph has taken me to more places than
a boasting bank account ever would have. Photography is my way of showing the world the
magic beyond the red drapery. It always was and always will be. Although this inner bewilder-
ment is scarcely evident in my parents, I tend to take glorious vanity in digesting the endless uni-
verse of capturing photos.

I received my first camera at the age of 12, an unpre-
tentious silver Samsung Zoom Lens. From then on, I
was always after the birds and the tall buildings. It is
a very absorbent hobby, I can assure. To get the per-
fect picture, we should consider angles, lighting, shut-
ter speed, contrasts and much more. It overwhelms me
still. When I hit Fourteen, in came the DSLR, a highly
underrated godly machine. Nowadays, I spend my
time developing a new method of capturing the inner
beauties of people, using only outward show.

This photographic engrossment of mine was not some-
thing innate, however something acquired over years
of witnessing the works and progressions of some
great people. Towards the end of my adolescent years,
photographers like Mario Testino, Steve McCurry,
Christian Aslund and Michael Kenna were the an-
chors who brought me into the sea of photography,
where no tangible borders exist. There may be many
people who dislike photography for its formidable com-
plexity and many others who simply take it for granted.

However, today’s world sees an increasing number of enthusiastic journalists and photographers,
making it progressively difficult to stand out and be unique. That being said, my photographic
journey has eventually set me on a rather dishevelled and untraveled path of perspective, far away
from the road of common thought. This is the reason why photography is so influential on me, the
base reason why it excites me.

While one endures great difficulties trying to make a photo come alive, a modest picture can speak
great tales, provided that there is perspective. Photography taught me that we assume different
stories and themes behind a picture, without realising that each one is as wonderful and plausible
as the other. The way each one sees the world is unique, and one can do much good in learning
from the perspectives of others. Photography can capture a cherished memory, making it forever-
more immortal. It keeps my senses keen and imagination sharp. Ernst Haas once said, “There is
only you and your camera.

The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are”. Photography
is very important to me, as it is one of the few arts which communicates the same language to the
whole Universe, beyond any stringent cultural barriers. In a way, photographers are symbols to
the rest of the world who indicate that art is eternal and it is okay to travel beyond and bend the
extremities of reality to witness the unlimited possibilities of life.

ALEKHYA VELIDANDA XI-F