I got into photography simply because I wanted to capture moments and remember them forever. I would start by taking a million photos of myself, my cat, my dog, or my brother. Then, as I got older, I started taking photos of nature and landscapes. I then began making weird videos of myself talking slow and then fast forward it, so I sounded like a chipmunk. Electronics fascinated me so much, then the iPod came out and I pretty much lost my mind to technology. I stopped playing with dolls, and I began photographing and recording my everyday life. My photos represented myself and the life I live. They had nothing to do with others, and rarely had to do with anything other than my own humor and creativity. I am now 23 years old, and I am getting my Portrait Photography Certificate from The Art Institutes of Pittsburg, Online Division. I am learning about things like exposure, aperture, shutter speed, and all of the other basics of photography that you need to know in order to become a professional. Now, I am only in the third week, in my second class here.
The reason I am writing this today, is to express how I feel about what I am learning so far, and to try and figure out if photography is supposed to a way for individuals to express their creativity in their own way, or if photographers are supposed to be presenting their photos for a suggested audience's approval. Now, when I take a picture, it is because I have found interest or beauty in something, or better yet, I just think it's funny and want to remember it. If I scrolled through your phone, what would I see? Photos of your animals? Photos of your children, events at their school? Maybe, I will stumble across a beautiful photo of a tree you saw in a field, around eight in the morning. There was some fog in the photo, and it looked rather fascinating to you, so you wanted to capture it to show to your friends or just keep as a good memory. Such a simple, yet beautiful photo, shows so much individualism and creativity. It is a side of a person that you may never get to see in any other way. You did not take that photo because you had to, or because it’s your job. You took that photo, because you wanted to. The action of taking your phone out, taking time out of your day, and taking a photo, is really and truly amazing. Photography is an art, and it is also a way to show your inner emotions to others without having to speak. If the photo you took was black and white, of a simple tree in a huge field, that might tell somebody that you are depressed, or feel lonely. Even if you did not mean to take a somewhat, depressing picture, most photography really expresses inner emotion. If you took a photo of a tree in color, with lovely flowers around it, that would scream joy and happiness. It is a warm and happy picture, rather than the white and black photo of one dark tree in a fog covered field. If you can feel such intense emotions, if you can relate happy and sad emotions to one simple picture, how come there are so many step by step rules in order to take the 'perfect picture?" One picture may look "perfect" to one person, but the person standing next to them might have a completely different idea of "perfect". So, who is to say what the "perfect" photo looks like? Sure, there is better lighting in the morning than in the afternoon, and there is such a thing of having too much exposure. There are tips and rules you should follow when it comes to professionally taking a photograph. So, just know that I am not telling you that photography classes are useless because you should teach yourself. There is a lot you must learn when it comes to photography, and it for sure is not easy. I, however, am simply just stating that grading a student on whether a photo is GOOD or not, is not what we should be doing. Did I take the photo correctly? Are the settings set correctly? Did I do the assignment and follow all the directions? If all of those answers are indeed, yes, then you should congratulate the student for doing it right, and tell them some tips on what YOU think they should do to maybe make it better and more presentable. Now, forget that I am talking about school and grades. Use google to find "good photography" and "bad photography". The photos under "good photography" all look like they belong in magazines. They are creative, interesting, and well edited (when editing is needed). When you type in "bad photography" you find blurry photos, exposure that white outs the entire photo, and pictures of people from weird angles that give them no justice and make them look disproportionate. The differences here, are how the people are using the camera and editing software. Some photos have a lot of photoshop work done to them, and some of them could be straight out of the camera, no editing needed. If you have good lighting, the camera is still and not shaking, the angling is right for the object or person you are photographing, and there is no intense clutter in the background, you have yourself a great shot. This is all you need to take a good picture. People teach you "not to take crooked photos, make sure it's straight" what if I like the crooked effect and I want to incorporate that in my picture? Do it. Who is to say what looks right and what looks wrong? Photography is simply one’s way of preserving a beautiful memory. You do not need thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and an intense knowledge of photoshop to create a "good picture". So, if you think the photo is great, and you are happy with the outcome, then your work is done. If you are looking for acceptance, approval, even praise for the work have carried out, then get ready to get disappointed. Photography is supposed to express your INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY. Not be presented to a group of people for approval. If you like the photo, awesome. If you hate it, there is no need to be rude. Give advice, tips, criticize my work if I ask, but do not tell me that my work is "bad" or "not correct" when I have done everything correctly. Yes, this post is personal. If you have not guessed that yet. Now, I want to know, am I the only one who things photography is supposed to express individuality, not commonality? Herbal Medicine Should Be Primary
I am not exactly sure why everybody does not choose to use herbal medicine over any other form of medicine. It confuses me because herbs have been around since the beginning of time; making herbs the first method of medicine and healing. If the ground we walk on provides us solutions to the problems that the ground itself creates, why don’t we use those solutions? Instead we use things the earth provided us, add chemicals and lab based ingredients to it, and call it medicine. Does it help? Sure, but there is also a very high chance you will develop negative symptoms the first day to the last, and don’t forget the lifetime effects it has on your body and mind; but your cold is gone, isn’t it? Shennong Bencaojing (The Classic of Herbal Medicine) by Shen Nung’s Pen T, was written between about 200 and 250 AD. It is the oldest book ever recorded on herbal medicine; containing 365 entries on substances (herbs) used for medical treatment. Sadly, the original text does not exist anymore. I would have sure loved to hold that book in my hands. Herbalism was then preserved in monasteries in Britain and mainland Europe; they used monasteries as medical schools. Herbal Medicine eventually got to the monks, who used their “Physic gardens” to grow the herbs they needed. If you think about it, we survived for millions of years by just using herbal medicine; so why did we stop? We all know that all you need to do to have access to these herbs, is to grow them or buy them right at your local grocery store. If you have a garden already, grab a few things to add to it next time you are out shopping. Buy things like Echinacea; which helps boost your immune system, so it is great for everyday use or to drink when you are sick. Lavender is always a great thing to have on hand; it provides calmness and stress relief. Chamomile helps put you to sleep, and Basil just taste delicious in almost every meal. There are simple and common herbs found for a dollar almost anywhere you can buy your usual groceries. Why go shopping when you can go to your back yard? Your garden is ready and you go to grab some herbs to bring inside. They smell delicious, they look beautiful; what do you do? Do you go inside your house and add chemicals to it to make it more potent, or to make sure it really works? No, you make tea with the herbs, or you add it to your dinner. So why do we, as humans and scientists, add artificial anything to our already perfect medicine? The obvious answer, money! Doctors don’t make money if they tell you to drink more tea every day; why tell you to go home and begin a garden of medicinal herbs when they can suggest some form of prescribed drug that same day and make a fortune? I am not saying that prescriptions don’t help you and that other medicine does not work, so do not perceive it as so. All I’m saying, is that we can grow medicine for a dollar in our back yards. You don’t even need soil or fancy shovels; just use dirt, water, and a spoon from your kitchen! If you are still reading this yet you know you have a dollar in your wallet or bag, then I suppose I have not done the best job at letting you know the positive reasoning on how herbal medicine could save you cash and save your life. That’s okay, I just hope you leave here today with more knowledge then you had before. Just remember, the ground gives us solutions to our problems, and has been since before 200 AD, with no negative or long lasting side effects. Herbal Medicine: Let’s make it primary! Resources http://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/herbs/brief-history/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shennong_Ben_Cao_Jing |