By Melissa Cartew

For
one to really understand the essence of photography, you have to
understand the purpose of photography. What is the point? Photography
is all about capturing memorable moments so that they remain forever
with us. With that, you have to capture every emotion, the joy, the
sadness, and the excitement. Just like in the photo above. You can
really see the joy and fun. It is possible even to picture yourself
as the elephant. This should be every photographer's goal, connect
with your audience and let them live in the moment and, even for a
microsecond, and you will have achieved the purpose.

Photography
is Art

As
a professional photographer, I sometimes tend to get lost in the
technicality of photography. Is light perfect? Is the focus right?
All these are questions that automatically come to mind. But here’s
something we tend to forget, does this photo speak to me? Does it
resonate with me? Is it memorable? Paying attention to the technical
detail is crucial, but one cannot afford to get lost in the
technicality. We must remember the essence of photography and ask
ourselves, how does photography connect us with our audience.
Photography is art. You get to tell a story, to capture your audience
and give some sort of escape from the hectic world. Sometimes there’s
nothing more relaxing than getting lost in a picture. You want your
audience to look at a picture and instantly be in that moment you
captured, not merely see it, but be in it. You want them to forget
everything else but the story
you are narrating. This is the essence of photography, and the
surest way to ensure you are connecting with your audience. This
brings us to the first point.

Tell
a Story

Here’s
an interesting fact, before we knew movies as we now know them, they
were called moving pictures. A moving picture, so the movies we see
today are an evolution from a simple photograph. They got the unfair
advantage of getting to act out their story, speaking it, one we
don’t have. That one moment a photographer captures has to tell the
whole story. It has to capture your audience’s attention, emotion
and imagination. Connect photography with every aspect of human
nature.

Rediscover
the Thrill

Do
you remember when you first took your first photograph? The sheer
thrill of seeing your work come to life, the satisfaction in knowing
you had created something immortal, was enough. This was maybe back
when you were a student and had to hire a custom
writing paper service to help you with your work and allow you to
dedicate some more time to photography. Even as you grow as a
professional photographer, it is imperative to remember that initial
thrill and try to preserve it. It is what makes us love our work.
Loving your work is key to creating photographs that enable you to
connect with your audience. Once you have a personal connection with
your subject, it translates to your audience. Because it is an art,
every emotion you put into a photograph can be felt by the audience,
so make it worthwhile.

Immortality

As
I said before, taking a photograph is all about creating
immortality. That subject or moment you capture will remain in
existence forever, so to speak. Knowing the power in that might push
you to do a better job. Every photograph has a consequence. You
either end up looking at a great photo for the rest of your life or a
cringe-worthy photo. We wouldn't want that, would we now?

Conclusion

Photography
in its self is beautiful. It is an art. It gives you the power to
preserve memories of great moments, be it of nature or our loved
ones. You are able to create immortality in moments. Having this in
mind above all the technicalities involved will help you to put value
in photographs and let all the emotions translate to your audience.
With this in mind, it is imperative to tell the story as it is,
captures it in all its glory, then you will have a great photo. You
will be able to make an emotional connection with your audience and
make every moment memorable.

Melissa
Cartew Bio

Melissa
Cartew
is a photography enthusiast and freelance writer. She has a Master’s
degree in Economics and currently is deepening her knowledge in IT.
Melissa’s hobbies beyond writing include traveling, street
photography, and fashion.