Written by Valerie
As the GTE blogger for this semester, I have been able to take my love for photography and give it a new purpose. After a couple of years of photography lessons, I was able to work on my skills and begin doing photoshoots for people’s special events. Being able to see the looks on people’s faces when they saw themselves captured in the way they imagined it is one of the most satisfying things I have been able to do for others. However, knowing that my blogs with my photos mixed within could help or even inspire a single soul is even more fulfilling. I gained my love for the art of photography when my dad gifted me my first digital camera for Christmas at the age of fifteen. I would like to share my thoughts and admiration for the craft.
Everything has to have a beginning. Just like the camera had its beginning and evolution, so do people. The camera and its functions capture that evolution. “The magic of the camera, the enchantment of photographic technology may precisely lie in its believed capacity to capture the spirit of a place [and] create copies imbued with the power of the original place visited,” as stated in The Framed World by authors Robinson, Mike, and Picard. For tourists and people alike, taking a photograph is an event in itself that turns into an everlasting story. “It is seeing which establishes our place in the surrounding world; we explain that world with our words, but words can never undo the fact that we are surrounded by it,” as mentioned in Ways of Seeing by Berger, John, and Dibb. When sharing travel photography, there is always a level of enchantment to it. It starts with the feeling you had when you first spotted the frame of the photo, the sensation when you took it, and then there is the joy you get from sharing that experience with someone, which could manifest an interest in them to pursue similar knowledge or experiences.
“A photograph captured every detail and was considered more truthful than a manually made picture,” as stated in From Snapshots to Social Media by Sarvas, Risto, and Frohlich. Prior to recent advancements in technology, people believed that a photograph was the most unbiased and authentic form of communication. However, with all the new technological innovations this may not be as true. Despite all, since the creation of the camera, it has been a beloved art among all.
Everyone has different talents and interests, but I hope that everyone who views these blogs can enjoy them half as much as I enjoyed creating them. A single photograph has the power to influence the world, but I only aspire to influence those who visit the Georgia Tech-Europe blog page in hopes of learning more.
