Is photography for everyone?

Ever wondered what you could do with that DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera of yours? Well, photography is not about having an expensive camera, there’s more to it.If you have been on Facebook, you have probably noticed how almost every second person has become a photographer and has an “XYZ photography” page.Now, it would be wrong to completely run over budding photographers but there are technicalities they need to familiarise themselves with first.“It is important to know the basics of photography and the rules that need to be followed, ” says Amar Reddy, a citybased cinematographer and professional photographer. However he adds, “These days, there are certain high-end cameras that have amazing image quality.The zoom capacity is such that anyone can become a photographer. Also, I think luck plays a major part. You never know when you get lucky with your shot.” With a decent camera and the mode set on fully automatic, anyone can click a picture.But the real challenge lies in knowing the manual settings of a camera and the basic concepts of photography, which eventually assists an amateur photographer in capturing beautiful images, he adds.Speaking on the technical aspects of photography, Amar says, “Every college, every course you take will teach you framing and rule of thirds (dividing the image composition into nine equal parts for the purpose of clarity) but what is most important is the subject.” However, certain amateur photographers seem to disagree with the fact that one needs to undergo a course to understand the nitty gritties of photography.“You have the passion and willingness to show people what they haven’t seen before,” states Sujan, a final year Visual Communication student.“However, you cannot go around clicking random photographs and call it photography. You just have to have an imaginative and creative mindset.” However, it is an added advantage if you have taken up a course on photography.It will help you handle your camera well, he admits.The basics such as exposure (you could play a little with the aperture and shutter speed to get the desirable exposure), head room, image quality settings and depth of field are to be kept in mind during photography.Talking about image editing softwares, “I think image editing spoils the charm of the photograph; it takes away the originality from it. Unless it’s a calendar shoot, one should avoid any kind of image editing,” says Sujan, who has been into photography for over a year now. However, Amar prefers image editing softwares, and thinks it adds to the beauty of a photograph. “I think editing plays a major role in photography. But one needs to have proper knowledge about colour correction, saturation and the kind of effects that will suit the theme of the photograph,” says Amar.Professional and amateur photographers might have conflicting ideas about photography, but both happen to believe in something common – passion for the art. So, anyone can be a photographer.