The Great Underestimated Art of the 21st century

On your phone, on your tablet, on your computer, you will find them everywhere. New ways of manufacturing and research and development have flourished the production and lowered the cost to access this particular device. Im referring to a time stopping device, one that gives the bearer the ability to show others how he sees the world around him, a device that has caused deep emotions to the audience that have witnessed the final results of this device. These emotions range from sadness to great appraisal and awe, to understanding and sympathy, among many others. And it seems to me that nowadays we take this device and its capacity for granted. Its been almost two hundred years since this device was introduced. And although technology changes, and devices come and go, this device lives on, and shows no sign of dying any time soon. The way it looks might have changed and the time it takes to get your result has drastically been reduced, but there is one element that will always stay true. The device can only work to its full potential when in the hands of a person who truly understands it and knows that the only limitation to the device is the bearer itself. Like the surgeon with his scalpel, like a painter with his brush, the camera is nothing without the photographers eye and dexterity behind the lens. And its with this work that I aim to give an insiders view into the world of photography and its importance to me: socially, historically, commercially, and as a way of life. It is an extension of the eye and a gateway for creation. Doesnt matter how luxurious or how technologically advanced; it is about the bearer of the camera and how he can comfortably maneuver through it. He knows the dents and cracks that surround his camera; as the painter knows his brush, or the chef knows his knife, the photographer most be in tune with his camera. And although millions of the same model camera exists throughout the world, he rests assure knowing that his has been engraved by countless moments: tears, arguments, sunrises, sunsets

among others in a never list of moments that were captured by the photographer, and aided by his tool. As a close friend of mine said to me once: A bad workman blames his tools, while a good one will rarely do so. Tools are essential for the craft. But people, and even some photographers, nowadays have this materialistic way of thinking that by acquiring the tools of the artist they are able acquire the experience, knowledge and time that are needed to be proficient in the field. Its always important to see things with a simplistic eye, and appreciate the details in the never-ending continuum of moments that surround us, and know that once you raise that camera to your eye and are ready to press the shutter button, the photo has already been captured. I decided I wanted to get the perspective of a fellow photographer to develop my topic and share thoughts. Raurer Lichael seemed like a clear choice, hes an old friend of mine, but since he is studying at Tampa we conducted the interview through Skype. Raurer is a very enthusiastic and willing person, as seen by his happy Hello! when we began our Skype conversation. Raurer has been a photographer since December of 2010, having started with a camera that his father owned and finding his passion for the art during a trip to Switzerland, where he is originally from. Its actually Raurer who taught me the basics of photography and cultivated my interest for the art. He is comfortable shooting a wide array of subjects, but his focus is on music (DJs, concerts, bands, etc.). Raurer said: I love it because I dont stage anything, it just happens, and Im there to capture it I believe there is something extremely beautiful about the spontaneity of the perfect instant. It is very hard to capture a good moment, an expression and the atmosphere as if one would be there taking part in that moment, but taking a glimpse into his portfolio you know he is more than successful at completing this task. He expressed a serious yet content attitude while talking about his work. When I asked him what was the most rewarding part of his job, he would respond how bringing happiness to others through his work was the most

rewarding part. I felt immediately familiar with this feeling, as one always strives to better ones own work to communicate certain emotions into the viewer with a single image. Its extremely satisfying to know that what you love to do makes others happy also. I began leaning the conversation towards a different side. I wanted to get his opinion on how he perceives a photographers work style. People have a perception that photography is all taking pictures and the rest is just partying and laidback work, to this his expression turned serious and after a brief thought, he laughed. He knew this wasnt the case, he expressed how being a successful photographer is a mixture of a lot of things, being a talented artist is a major part. But many do not realize as outsider viewers that there is so much more to this. Photographers are their own marketing department, accounting department, pre and postproduction department and shipping department. It just goes to show that picture taking is part of it, but photographers are constantly busy working on their photos and finding new customers, its a very labor-intensive workflow that demands tons of attention to be successful. Adding to this, we talked about how a photographers work is constantly being undermined by saying how our tools (cameras) define our work. This quote was very helpful to express his thoughts about this topic: A bad workman blames his tools, while a good one will rarely do so. We discussed how photography is a medium that will always be needed to document events and show what truly needs to be seen, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Lastly, we talked about how photography for him has improved his life, not only as a way of income, but a way of life. He has gained selfdiscipline and ambitiousness, which drives him to improve his photography and his business day by day. It has given him something to live by, something to feel proud of and shameful of when he does a poor job. This concluded our Skype conversation.

Having interviewed a professional photographer, I was Curious to get the perspective of an outsider on my topic. I decided to interview a friend who seemed neutral to the topic of photography, Nora Adler. Nora is my best friend from back home. We talk a lot and we always keep in contact, making it an enjoyable experience for the both of us to share this time through Skype. At first she was a little nervous, but she was excited to be able to take part in my project. First, I asked her: what is photography for you? Giving a pause to think first, she responded: for me its the art of capturing the right moment and the right elements to create an image that causes the viewer to feel certain emotions I would agree and to this we talked about the certain emotions, such as happiness, sadness, love, sympathy, among others. Photography can be very powerful, an image can say so much more than words could ever express. Also, we talked about photography as an art. Nora would say how not all photography is art, and how there are a lot of mediocre photographs in the Internet. I explained that for me it feels that since digital photography is such an accessible medium, people dont think about what they are doing and just snap away constantly, not appreciating how fortunate they are to have photography so accessible. Talking about the importance of photography I asked her on her opinion about photographys role in history. For her photography is important because it is not the same to read about something than to be able to see it. I went into aspects of the photographer. I made her guess an estimate of the annual salary of the average working photographer. She guessed around twenty to thirty thousand dollars a year. She was shocked when I told her that it was around fifty five thousand dollars, which is not that much considering all the work that a photographer puts into his business. She didnt expect that number for just taking pictures, but the salary ranges up to a hundred thousand dollars for some wellknown wedding photographers, fashion photographers among others. When I asked her if she thought that anybody in todays easily accessible camera market could do the job of a photographer, she responded how she thought it was very possible and

that it actually helped people who are talented get recognition. While I found this to be true, at the same time there seems to be an increase in the people who undervalue the art by being able to own the same tool as the artist. For example as people make comments such as what a great picture, you must have a really good camera. She would agree to this thought. Lastly, I asked her if she believed photography would die due to the rise of new technologies such as video. She responded how they are two very different things. That was all we had, as she had to sleep for school, sadly theres an hour time difference between Atlanta and Puerto Rico, I thanked Nora for her time and we signed off. Ever since I can remember there has always been a photographic presence in my life. This presence has been manifested in many ways, but my uncle has always embodied this presence to the fullest. Most memories of him brought up images of him with a camera at hand and everybody having a good time. His countless portraits and remarks have made me realize that Photography is a beautiful art, one that is shared with others and when done right provokes deep emotions and lasting memories. For these reasons and others, I decided to call my uncle Wilo and chat about this art that he has inspired in me. We conducted the interview in Spanish for the sake of fluidity; he is very expressive and excited, as always. I was curious to know from where did his photographic passion came from, and hence the origins of my own photographic interest. He told me how every weekend he spent time with his grandfather, who was a photography aficionado with a darkroom in his house; he learned everything from developing film to composition with him. Using film also gave him more of an appreciation for the art, as he gave more thought into each picture (developing film costs money, thus every shot counts). This all led to him working as a wedding photographer for the past twenty years. As we talked the word responsibility resonated a lot through his line of work, as he told me how he has learned that a photographer is encharged with the responsibility of preserving precious moments (Weddings, portraits, 80th birthdays, etc.) in a beautiful yet unique manner that is

desirable by the client. His style is very creative and real, he expresses that most of his photography aims to capture the true essence of a moment and preserve it, making it as genuine as possible. And to top it all off, the satisfaction that he receives from what he does is as he says priceless. Knowing that a client is happy with your work, with something that you created and put so much effort into, has no price. Trying to get his opinion on the real work that goes into photography I told him: many people say how your profession is just taking pictures, tons of free time and overall easy. What would you say to these people? To this his expression turned more serious and appeared to be slightly insulted. He expressed how wedding photographers are constantly working, they never stop going from event to event, and if they do, well they cant make a living. Also, the responsibility of being on time and living up to the expectations of the clients for an event that happens once and cant be repeated is very difficult and stressful work. Networking and making agreements on prices and hours are long and difficult. And to top it off editing and making an album for all the clients is very time consuming, it all adds up to the same work or more as any other profession and most of the time without being able to get adequate sleep. Life is made up of moments, and some of those moments mark us forever. Photography captures the magic of that instant. For me this is one of the critical points of photography, being able to capture moments, but also share them as you see them. For him, photography has enabled him to see, enjoy and savor each moment that is presented in his life. To this we added its historical importance, in social media networks as pictures portray and at times define who we want to be or appear to be. It gives us a way to relate ourselves and to express ourselves to the world. Before ending the conversation, he stated: Technology keeps advancing at a rapid pace, and cameras, photograph software and will keep on increasing in quality, but the essence of photography will always be in the hands of the photographer and his ability to capture real emotion and the essence of the subject matter.

As stated throughout my project, documenting history has proven to be one of photographys greatest achievements. It has been recognized as a clear turning point in the way we view our past, but it was more than just a way to document a scene in time: the people who were there, the time and place, etc. What really became stunning and to a great extent beautiful, was when emotions would be transmitted through a single photograph and triggered a response from the viewer. . Many forms of writing and expression before photography (and this might be a bold claim) have tried to mimic true human emotions and communicate them to an audience as accurately as possible, and some have been close, but photography is aided by being able to connect the viewer in a more direct way. For example, as said by Nick Bilton in his blog post The Death of Photography Has Been Greatly Exaggerated, when you think back to a memorable event in your life (a wedding, graduation, first love, 9/11, elections, etc.) what usually comes to mind is a frame of that moment, not a movie or any other form of media, but a frame (a photograph from that event or moment) that will forever be embedded in your memory. Pictures become iconic because of their capacity to say so much in one frame and their openness to interpretation. Something that is characteristic of photography is its innate ability to invite the viewer to have a role in the creative process, to give meaning to the piece and to enjoy it. Communication seems like an odd word to use in a medium where all seems to be frozen, but communication is crucial in photography. For example, you probably know the picture The Afghan Girl; its an iconic picture of a girl with penetrating green eyes. Many do not know the historic context that this picture represents and how it shows the struggles of a girl that has seen atrocities that many people have never seen in their entire lives. Then what makes it so iconic if people dont even know its context? The answer is: people connect to it without knowing the context. The picture communicates the struggle that this girl has gone through and the condition she is in. In the end, people feel connected to the picture because they relate to it, and they seem capable of thinking of moments in their lives that provoke similar emotions. And for me, this is

what inspires me to keep on supporting this beautiful art and what inspires me to work harder and view the world with a different eye.