Photography, at its raw form, is something all of us can really enjoy.
From the youngster who wants to take snapshots of his favorite pet to a centenarian smiling for his 101st birthday.
Photographs do not only capture moments but also memories.
This is the reason why people would rather take time to perfect their shots that really show the mood, emotions, and setting of the memory being captured.
Is it the message? For photography enthusiasts, they believe that the "message" trumps the overall technicalities in a picture.
Simply put, even if you use a simple camera with zero editing, as long as you captured a "perfect" moment then that is already something worth hanging on your walls.
This is a more newbie oriented approach on photography although this should be imbibed by photographers worldwide.
Their justification behind this is that photographs should not be works of perfection but of instant and candid slices of time.
Editing will just destroy this sanctity.
Or the technicalities? However, there are photography followers that believe in the technicalities more than the message itself.
They believe that photographs are all diamonds in the rough that need to be refined to truly shine.
This is why they use a multitude of accessories and software that "enhance" photos.
With the current technology, it is much easier to do the editing after taking a photograph.
Why settle with something that is flawed when you can just load it up on your laptop and spend a good 5-10 minutes to ensure it goes out perfect? Which one is better? Should you favor one belief over the other? Well, for some senior photographers, either way is acceptable and it depends on the effect you want achieve.
If you are going to use the pictures for the purpose of keeping a certain point in time frozen then it is better to just forget the technicalities.
If you want to provide the best possible output then you should try to focus on the technicalities.
Either way, you are enriching the craft of photography with your creativity alone.
Will the balanced combination of messaging and technicality create a better job? Does mixing both disciplines will get you better results? You can.
But how? You should be able to capture and relay the emotions and feelings of the person to its viewers while making sure you provide the best output possible through photo enhancements.
And by editing a photo, you should be conscious enough to avoid the unethical line.
This will keep your photo genuine and preserving the message will not be compromised.
Can you do it by following only one school of thought? Fortunately, it's easy to cross the borders between the two disciplines.
Simply put, your resulting masterpiece will be the best of both worlds.
Photography, notwithstanding your techniques, skills, and beliefs, should be enjoyed first.
It should be a celebration of the moment and of the memory.
It is a showcase of colors, emotions, and feelings.
No matter which discipline you decide to follow, what's important is that you enjoy what you are doing.
You should be able to identify the best of moments in a blink of an eye and be able to understand its flaws if present.
Go on, grab your camera and immortalize today!