By Daniel Escoto

5 March 2007

So picture this...(pun intended). A photographer working his or her heart and soul out to get their picture in a popular photography magazine finally gets a phone call from the staff of the magazine. The magazine representative says "yes your pictures were in the final decision set but i'm afraid they didn't make it into this issue, but please continue sending in your amazing photos for the opportunity to be in the next one, take care". The artists' heart is crushed. This is a sad scenario but it's a fact of life that many of us deal with. Now lets imagine the photographer was walking along one day and they decided to just point and snap here or there to get some raw footage of the world around them, no viewfinder, no set-up shots, nothing. Just a point here and click there. They get a call and the rep says "Yes hi we were very moved by your photos and we would like to put them in the next issue of our magazine, congradulations!" This is also viewed by some as a sad fact of life, but the truth of the matter is it can make perfect sense if you really think about it. I'm no enemy of setting up wonderful shots and getting some breath taking images, but what I am an enemy of is artistic bondage. The chains that photographers and painters and all other forms of artist wrap around themselves every single day. Those chains that say we can't take a chance here or mess this up there. True beauty can very easily fly up from the ashes of chaos and chance. Particularly the act of deciding to just...take...pictures. At whatever you feel at whatever angle your arm can bend to at the moment or whatever slot of time you have while walking by something or someone. Beauty has no restrictions. True beauty has even less than that. So I warn you my brothers of beauty and vision; don't let the expectations of what you know decide the revoloutions of your future. And I understand that with traditional film you wanna get every bang for your buck sense film trees haven't yet been invented, but as for us digital photographers; we have an unlimited potential for the fruits of the chaotic beauty of the point and click. The beauty of a real and raw photo of your best friend dancing past a carnival ride, or maybe your beautiful baby sister reaching her arms up longing for your embrace. These moments happen in a flash day after day. So when they do don't forget to reach your arm out with that beautiful piece of technological expression grasped in it, and just...take...pictures.

More How To Stories

vote for infrared

By peggy gardner. 17 Jul 2008.

what it is not

Caught Red Handed

By Rob Turner. 10 Jul 2008.

A beginner's guide to redscale photography.

Learn to Capture A Water Drop - The Cheap Way

By Jacob Grant. 8 Jul 2008.

Despite what some professionals preach, you don't need fancy equipment to capture the splash of a water drop.

« Back to All Stories

Your turn: Share your photography techniques. Write a How To!