KAW- PHotography


A photograph, painting or even a picture, whatever the source might be, it is important to know that each one has the power to change who we are and what we want. Photography for example is a way to tell people who we actually are. A simple photograph can often express so much, much more than words ever can. The things we take photographs of, the way we take them, the angle, the lighting, the mood, etc, tells people a lot about us. Our emotions easily come out in a photograph. If one is sad, one will take pictures in a dull lighting as opposed to a happy person who will want bright light.
Photography is much more powerful then we realise. To prove this, i have clicked a few photographs on my trip to Europe in June 2010. The first picture is that of a beautiful swan which gives the message of peace and tranquillity. The sparkling white swan is the focus of the photograph but on closer inspection, we see a duckling to the top left of the photograph. The duckling isn’t half as beautiful as the swan and so on first glimpse it was easily ignored. This is what strikes me most about this photograph and i feel it is in this way that photographs change who we are. This photograph makes one realise how shallow we often our, so blinded by beauty that we ignore other things around us. It is only the beautiful and sparkly things that we notice taking no heed of the not so beautiful, duller things in life. Due to our ignorance and our thirst for beauty we overlook important things that might not appear to be so beautiful but is indeed beautiful in its own way. The duckling that is now black and ugly actually grows to be as beautiful as the swan. The white swan was once an ugly duckling. Thus beauty is not always how it appears but how one sees it. In this way this photograph changes who we are. It changes us from a shallow person, who can’t see beyond appearances to one who sees beauty for what it truly is. Now the question comes as to how a photograph changes what we want. For this I have an immediate answer as on looking at the photograph, the first thought to cross one’s mind is that ‘I want to be as beautiful as this swan’ when looking at a photograph one can decide what one wants but cannot figure out how to achieve it. One has to first be the ugly duckling and only then can one be the beautiful swan.

This is a photograph of the Mondsee Lake, the residence of the swan in the previous photograph. This is another picture which screams beauty. The breathtaking view of the lake with its surrounding mountains is definitely beautiful. The Mondsee Lake is situated about an hour way from the heart of Salzburg city. This is a typical Austrian landscape one that can only be dreamt of in a bustling city like Mumbai. This seems like a perfect romantic getaway and the emotions and romance just pours in when one just sees such a photograph. The clouds and the trees manage to bring in the atmosphere and mood of the place. It is also true that such a photograph can help shape our perceptions on certain things. This beautiful photograph makes us believe that the whole of Austria is as beautiful as this and so our perception of Austria is shaped by this single photograph where we begin to perceive Austria as the land of lakes and mountains.

This is a photograph of a parade we witnessed in Vienna, Austria. There were various messages being given through this parade, messages of peace, unity and togetherness but the most important one is that the youth is the future of the world and it is the youth that needs to take the initiative and change the world to make it a better place. This photograph and the message it gives, itself arises a feeling of unity and oneness. This particular photograph has a lot of life and energy which is passed on to the beholder. This is a kind of inspiration for the youth so that youngster from all around the world can come together to make a difference. This is what comes to my mind on looking at this picture and these thoughts are what help to change who i am. It makes believe in the youth of today and gives me hope that together we can and will do something. This photograph makes me want to do something to bring peace in the world and end meaningless fights for nations and borders. In this way the photograph also changes what I want.

Fire crackers might be a common sight in India as every year comes Diwali and with Diwali comes crackers, but it was fascinating and definitely surprising to see this colourful display of fire crackers in Vienna, Austria. This vibrant photograph isn’t just a simple photograph of a fire cracker exploding in the sky. It is one of celebration and festivity. This display was actually done to celebrate the royal Swedish wedding that was taking place in Sweden at the time. Seeing this i realise that nations, cultures, religion aren’t important. These fire crackers truly symbolise celebration and festivity. This tells us that the Austrians are joyous and celebrating on the occasion of a Swedish wedding. This then changes what we want. I begin to wonder why we as people can’t be as generous celebrating with others in their times of happiness. I want India to celebrate the joyous occasions of other countries and people to forget about differences and come together to celebrate festivals. Why can’t the Hindus celebrate id and the Muslims celebrate Diwali? Isn’t celebration one for all and doesn’t every person have the right to be joyous and join in festivities? Thus if one photograph can change the way i see things, photography can definitely change WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE WANT or even WHAT WE SEE, and WHAT WE REMEMBER.