English Comp.
Extra Credit
An image so simple in form, so irrelevant to our peripheral, so monotone to the chaotic decibels of our lives, somehow, when wrapped in the confines of a constructed cell and displayed upon a wall in a spotlight that screams “I EXIST!” becomes a doorway to a world that is our cocoon. The image becomes worthwhile. As our eyes sharpen to the pallet of colors, perception of depth and eloquent contours, we experience the details upon which our feet crush day after day and our consciousnesses deem unworthy of acknowledgement. Yet when the image is imprisoned in a cell, placed in front of a spotlight for all to see and given a title, only then does the world around us become art. Perhaps as we march to our destinations we might do so in slow motion and at our hearts’ desire, freeze the pane. Let our eyes become the lenses, our eyelids become the shutters and our minds become the film.
I begin to wrap my brain around the world of photography at the 29th annual college wide photography competition held at the FSCJ Kent Campus on the 18th of January 2011 . As I meander around the venue, my mind becomes a blank canvas. Walking along the walls laden with photos, my eyes initially fixate to ribbons attached to particular photographs. One ribbon proclaims “1st PRIZE” and another whispers “1st Place". Unwavering in my quest to discover my own understanding of the still images, I begin to delve deeper into the details of the physical evidence that lay before me. I tell myself, "See past the ribbons. Look closer. There's something there." I ask myself one question, "Stephen, what is it that you see?"
I begin to do something that I’ve been working on here and there; nothing regimented or perfected by any means. I soak in the atmosphere around me. I continue to mosey along, taking notes of the pictures. But in continuing on with my own investigation, I listen to the voices around me. I let the voices of the others in the venue find me and I stir them together with what I see, creating a mixture of the atmosphere around me. Sure, I agree this sounds weird. But when you’re someone that enjoys writing, which involves expressing emotions, describing environments and finding unique ways of grasping the attention of a reader, you have to find your own way of developing a database of what and who you come into contact with day after day. You pull from this vault as needed and place the thought or image within your writing wherever you think it fits. I believe that’s all photography or any artwork for that matter is; soaking in the atmosphere around you. Art can be written, danced, photographed, played through an instrument or painted on a canvas only because the person behind the curtain of each display took the time to soak in his or hers’ atmosphere. Each person froze the pane just long enough to capture something beautiful. Each person has their own unique way of describing to an audience an emotion, an environment or a story that needs to be told. Photography, by all means, is a jack of all trades.
I begin to do something that I’ve been working on here and there; nothing regimented or perfected by any means. I soak in the atmosphere around me. I continue to mosey along, taking notes of the pictures. But in continuing on with my own investigation, I listen to the voices around me. I let the voices of the others in the venue find me and I stir them together with what I see, creating a mixture of the atmosphere around me. Sure, I agree this sounds weird. But when you’re someone that enjoys writing, which involves expressing emotions, describing environments and finding unique ways of grasping the attention of a reader, you have to find your own way of developing a database of what and who you come into contact with day after day. You pull from this vault as needed and place the thought or image within your writing wherever you think it fits. I believe that’s all photography or any artwork for that matter is; soaking in the atmosphere around you. Art can be written, danced, photographed, played through an instrument or painted on a canvas only because the person behind the curtain of each display took the time to soak in his or hers’ atmosphere. Each person froze the pane just long enough to capture something beautiful. Each person has their own unique way of describing to an audience an emotion, an environment or a story that needs to be told. Photography, by all means, is a jack of all trades.
Eureka!! I see it. I can see past the ribbons now. In the world of photography you need only an imagination to interpret the image that lay before you. Each image tells a story; a story that may apply differently to each individual that lay eyes on it. Each individual admiring the photographs in the gallery have a different observation, opinion or interpretation of each picture. Each photograph contains diverse meanings to each person within the venue. The discussions don’t involve just the photos with the ribbons, but the ones without. That’s what’s so great about photography; you don’t have to be a professional to impress anyone, and you don’t need to have a ribbon attached to your photograph for it to have an effect on someone. You just have to stop and admire something that most people in this world pay no attention to. A photograph of a leaf with drops of water cascading down its spine, a photograph of a sunset that brings peace to your soul or a photograph of abandoned railroad tracks that lay dormant for years, have the ability to grasp our attention and take all of us through a doorway into another world that is our cocoon. We only need let our eyes become the lenses, our eyelids become the shutters and our minds become the film. Freeze the pane.
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