Every picture tells a story

“You are fortunate, my friend.”

“How so?”

“You will capture a superior image with your expensive camera than I will manage with my phone.”

“And yet your phone probably cost three times what this camera did.”

“That is there, but although your camera can take much better photographs, my phone does many more things than just capture images. I can also manipulate the photographs within the phone and send them to my friends and so on.”

“You’re right, Sunil. It’s rightly said that the best camera is the one that you have.”

“That is a wise saying indeed.”

“In any case, I’m not focused on shooting what you are.”

“You are not shooting the beautiful sunset? What, then, are you picturing?”

“I have a blog on which I set a challenge. Each week, I display a photograph and ask my readers to write a story or a poem based on what they see.”

 “And do many people accept this challenge?”

“Not so many. It varies, but never more than three or four. I always try to do something, but sometimes it’s just mine and one friend who always joins in. I enjoy reading what he writes, though. He usually sees something in the photo that I miss.”

“What type of subject do you use in these photographs?”

“Anything. Sometimes people, sometimes dogs, sometimes just scenery.”

“And what is your subject this time?”

“The setting sun is indeed the main focus of the picture, but what interests me is what is happening on the periphery, away from the main subject. The in-your-face brilliance of the sun and the lines of the buildings, as well as the pathways, the gorgeous floral displays and the fabulous topiary all lead your eyes to that focal point. But that’s not what interests me. If we look at something, the actual area of focus is very small. If something moves away from that small area, we have to look at it, refocus on it to see it clearly. The camera picks up everything in its field of vision, but we still need to consciously look away from the point to which we are drawn before we can clearly see other parts of the image.”

“That is very true, and a good lesson in optics or psychology or something, but I still don’t know what you are seeing through your lens.”

“I’m waiting for the scene to play out. I shall take my picture when the conditions are as I expect them to be.”

“What conditions? What do you expect them to be? What are you waiting for?”

“You see the guy in the stripey top?”

“Yes.”

“I believe the one behind him, the shifty-looking fellow in the dark blue top and the cap is up to something and I’m waiting for the balloon to go up.”

“What balloon?”

“There is no balloon; that’s just a figure of speech. I believe Mr Shifty is about to attack Mr Stripey and steal his bag. I’ll take my shot when that happens.”

“Wouldn’t you try to stop him?”

“Where’s the story in that? Besides, whist I’m stopping him, I can’t be taking a photo, can I?”

“True. May I offer a suggestion?”

“Of course.”

“Would it not make for a better story if you shoot it now, before the attack? That way, the reader’s imagination can supply the outcome.”

“Sunil: we’ll make a blogger of you yet.”

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This was written in response to Kreative Kue 371 published on this site earlier this week.