I find myself inexplicably tongue-tied whenever I’m asked about my “passion in photography”.
To begin with, I don’t exactly feel intensely passionate about photography.
I started taking photographs because it was the most convenient thing available at that time. It was easy to learn, and rather fun to play with. I was given a once-in-a-lifetime professional opportunity by a highly-respected and extremely gifted photographer, and it paid the bills. I was a very lucky man.
Soon, I realized that photography had severe limitations. Photography is amazing for its ability to record what we see into incredibly accurate, sophisticated images. But mine is the stuff of dreams. No matter how I tried to manipulate my images, or use all kinds of tricks and lighting effects, I couldn’t come close enough to the feelings I wanted to express.
Which brought me to painting. And painting was wonderful for me, because it wasn’t about manipulating external props and objects to create an effect. It was the very human experience of expressing my feelings, from the heart and mind, through the hands, directly onto canvas. It’s like kissing a woman, physically, passionately, directly, instead of saying I love you with lollipops and balloons and grand fireworks.
Having said that, I could have expressed myself with music, or literature. Dancing seems a little far-fetched, but who knows?
Photography is a method, along with many others. I’m more interested in expressing my feelings, as truthfully as possible, with the tools available to me.
