On the Road

[Sail Away]

One of the reasons I got back into photography was because of my love of travel. Exploring the world stirred an internal desire to document my journeys. I only wish I could go back and photograph some of my old trips. I surely would have done a much better job, especially on my humanitarian aid trips to the most isolated country on earth.

The problem with having better gear and full control over your equipment is that you can essentially make something look exactly the way you want it, even if it doesn't really look that way. And that is before bringing something into Photoshop or Lightroom.

I believe photography is about capturing reality. Now what that reality actually looks like is subjective to each individual, so perhaps photography is not about reality at all, just the shaky perception of it.

Colors can be manipulated. Faces and bodies can be shaped to appear more pleasing. Done recklessly, I think this wanton editing process can dishonor our subjects and on a macro level, dishonors the creator of our world. I'll be the first to admit the last bit about disrespecting God is a bit much, but you probably understand what I am getting at.

When a human being has been weaned off the sleep their body has come to crave and require slowly over the course of a month, there are bound to be random thoughts and musings racing through the mind.

I suppose the point of all this is that as I continue to journey onward, I hope not to forget the simple beauty of photography. The joy felt by the first person to operate a pinhole camera in 4th-5th century BC and by countless others throughout history lives on in me. For but a brief moment, we are able to hold onto a moment in time of our choosing. The resulting image is a temporary revolt against the fleeting nature of life. It is however, a battle we are destined to lose. All we build is sure to crumble one day. All traces of who we are will one day cease to exist. The unwavering tides will eventually close in, but for a few moments, life can be paused and memories invoked. It is in those times our imaginations become greater than reality. Souls can be stirred and hearts inspired. And we march on to the end, the certainty of all certainties.

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Just for fun, can you tell me which of the two photos was taken with a Point-and-Shoot as opposed to a DSLR?