Photography Helps Me Write

I spent my entire lunch break finishing i-mag photography. A Filipino magazine on imaging and the imagination. I was particular interested in the articles that described the creative process of professional photographers because they highlighted the reasons that fuel their passion for this art. As with any art comes the value of craftmanship. Even Joyce Carol Oates author of Faith Like A Writer says, "Withought craft, art remains private. Without art, craft is merely handiwork."

I have pondered upon that statement for more than a month now since I finished reading that book. What it's saying to me is any pursuit of art requires discipline to follow through the perfection of the skill that produces the fruits of the artistic process. Without discipline, the artwork remains mediocre and the easy refusal of the artist to share it to the world. Too much rigor on the other hand removes the liberating experience that is normally shared between artist and artwork leading to a dry spillover of inspiration to enthusiasts.

I took to heart what was said about Marcin Stawiarz' photography, "A picture that carries great emotional impact is more valued than a well composed but literal recording of reality. For proof that one can easily understand, consider the way an inexpert snapshot of a child is treasured by a parent. And when the emotional content of the photograph holds universal truths, it also reaches out to other people across cultural, geographical and time barriers."

Art that moves and stirs the deepest recesses of a human soul is the ultimate purpose. Regardless of how it is taken. How it was made. What kind of post-processing done to it. These things become secondary when we're talking about what makes the image significant. An interview with Judes Echauz former Camera Club of the Philippines president and three time Master Photographer says, "to take better pictures you need only to maximize your 6 megapixel camera and not upgrade to the latest twelve megapixel camera because the genius is not in the pixels, it's in you."

At this point where I am trying to perfect my writing craft and shape up my artistic nature, I am brought back to basics. That true perfection of the art still lies in how I, as an artist, am able to make the creative journey significant not only for myself but for others. Where each creative endeavor is not just a set of tasks that lead to a finished outcome but most importantly a step that leads to the fulfillment of a dream.