23rd January 2019, Wednesday Morning 8.00am.
"Smile well while uncle clicks your photograph ! Listen to the instructions!" said myself to my 6 yr old son today morning while we were on our way to school. We were informed by the class teacher that today is their class photograph day and kids have to be dressed in their regular school uniform. We were nearing our school and I waved my son goodbye at the school gate. While going back to my vehicle I overheard a father telling her daughter, "Look into the camera, Smile well!" She didn't respond and without any reaction she walked off to the school gate. I was about to start my bike and all of sudden it striked me that I had to collect a parcel from my brother in law at the school junction. I went behind to collect the same. After collecting the package I was walking towards my bike and my ears heard, "Don't look here and there during the class photograph. Follow what is being said". I looked behind to see and it was one of the mother who was informing her 5 year old son. While I was driving back home with cool breeze all over my face, and my hair flying away, I culdnt stop thinking about the above parents instructions to their respective kids including mine to my son. I didn't have answers to these question which my mind asked me :
Do photos always need perfection?
Why do we always need perfect pictures?
Why not candid pictures? "
A candid photograph is a photograph captured without creating a posed appearance. The candid character of a photo is unrelated to the subject's knowledge about or consent to the fact that photos are being taken. However, if the subject is absolutely unaware of being photographed and does not even expect it, then such photography is secret photography, which is a special case of candid photography. So recently I came accross a forward on whtsaap yesterday about Mr. Chetan Gusani - last runner who was running at the sea link at Tata Mumbai Marathon held last sunday. What came to my mind the moment I saw the picture of him running on the sea link is the beauty of this photograph. Everything in life is not about perfection or winning, it is about the beautiful moments witnessed from behind. Mr Gusani would be totally unaware of someone clicking him from behind as he is just striving hard to run and reach the finish line. No matter he must be feeling frustrated that he is the last one running but must say this was one of the superb secret pictures(secret photography) captured which he will relish for lifetime as one beautiful memory because great photos don't need to be Perfect!
Candid are the kinds of pictures taken at children's birthday parties and on Christmas morning, opening the presents, the pictures a wedding photographer takes at the reception, of people dancing, eating and socialising. The moment I think of childrens birthday party, I feel like sharing a very recent experience of mine where I could relate myself thinking about the fact that don't we worry too much about the perfection in a particular, forgetting the real moments behind it.? So it was recently that me and my son attended a kids birthday party at quite an amazing play area for kids and adults. Kids everywhere were jumping on the trampoline and bouncing themself up and down enjoying their life to the fullest. Few other kids and mumma's wore their harness, helmets, gloves, shoes and were all set to do some climbing and crossing hurdles activities. There was a photographer who was being hired to click some pictures and that's what everyone does to capture few very beautiful moments . While I was eating some French fries and sipping my fresh juice, I saw the photographer had a great time clicking pictures of kids at the party because one could see all kids jumping here and there like cute monkeys everywhere. And the same moment we few mothers chit chatting had a discussion as to how difficult it is to capture these kids perfectly in one frame. Mothers want their kids to pose, look into the camera, take a Selfie, and most importantly to smile! Because otherwise the picture will not come good. Why not just click when the child is not aware. Or just click in whatever and however they want to get themselves being clicked. Candid pictures are always fun to watch again and again. It captures people when they are not aware of their picture being taken. Hence the name candid. Here at the party, the photographer was clicking pictures without staging a scene. Hence it is natural and brings in a sense of realism. That's where the real memory last. We want our kid to be so alert during any photograph moment as if we are giving them a lifetime task. Allas me and my son surely did enjoy every bit of the birthday party. But back in time when I think about it, I feel I struggled myself :
# clicking some selfies with my son wherein we wore glowing glasses, but he wasn't looking into the camera.
# Clicking pics of my son with his bestie (birthday boy). Both equally tired and not interested to smile.
# Clicking a Selfie with a dear old friend whom I met after a long time.
# Asking one of the mothers there to click mine and mine sons picture giving a "yo pose"while we were doing our climbing and crossing hurdle activities.
I am sure the photographer has surely captured moments that are unique, funny, powerful and real because candid photography is a very interesting art form. It's all about capturing the sponteinity of a moment. Whereas, I tried my level best to create a perfect photography which is totally the opposite of candid photography. Perfect photography allows the photographer to create the perfect space to take a picture where everyone is giving their best pose. Here people are aware that somebody is clicking their picture. This kind of photography is more formal in its approach.
Haven't you all seen offlate people are getting photo shoots done. May it be for a pre wedding shoot, pregnancy shoot, post wedding shoot, 1st birthday shoots, and so on. Agree to the fact that life moments are captured through photography. Sad but true that photography is shifting from memory tool to communication tool. People take photos to document an experience to help them later recall it. But this trend is changing, as we are witnessing a significant shift, among all the generation toward using it as an instrument for interaction and peer bonding.”
As with weddings, I have seen people getting candid style photography done during their family photography sessions, which can be so much fun. Some of our favourite candid photos emerge from the energy of teaming up with energetic families who are willing to get silly! Suddenly I went back in time, and recollected a wedding we recently attended. Everyone agrees to the fact that a wedding is a once in a lifetime experience. People want to remember their special day. We recently attended my cousins wedding in Mumbai. Thoroughly we enjoyed clicking selfies, solo pictures and group pictures, pictures with the bride, posing differently and so on. On the other hand I saw our kids who met each others cousin (after a long time) were having a gala time playing and running around the entire banquet Hall. We (who even met after a long time) on the other hand were just giving a tough time to our respective cameras. I observed at the end of the day we just ate and clicked pictures with some funny comments and we spoke very little.
Sooner at the wedding, I noticed there was a dessert counter and there were variety of waffels being served. My son is one big Waffle Fan. He must have eaten 4-5 waffels without my notice. Suddenly we decided to have a group family picture and everyone was searching for their respective family members. It was a task gathering everyone on the stage as we are one big huge gang (50+members). I too was searching for my son, and there I caught him comming hand in hand with one of his cousin friend. Looking at his state of mouth totally loaded with choclate sauce, I can say he relished the waffels wholeheartedly. But it was time to click and be on the stage. I told him, "look at you my boy, why didn't you wash your mouth?" I over heard one of my cousin telling me," Let it be! Let him not wash his mouth. This is how kids are suppose to be." I told her worriedly, "Soon there is a group photograph taking place. He looks so shabby with choclate all over his mouth." We were almost on the stage and had no time to clean him. And there, we all cheesed to the camera. I am sure my sons pic would have been the most funniest one with him cheesing his brown choclate teeth and mouth all covered under choclate sauce. But the beauty of this group picture will lye in the natural reactions of each one including my son's because candid are all about snapping photos of people when they are being themselves and not posing for the camera, which is why they are often the most treasured moments and photos from a photo session. It clicks people their best emotions and brings out the feeling of that moment. This is where memories lie. I would love to see this group picture again and again only to look at this funny shabby monkey of mine.
I firmly believe that vacations are a must and we all take a break from our hectic schedule to create some new memories. We’ve all done it at one time or another: whipped out our smartphone to snap a picture of a sunset at a vacation that is too beautiful to forget, or surreptitiously photographed a particularly impressive dish at a restaurant. If you’re on vacation, it's obvious that we document our lives to keep our memories from fading, but with such widespread use of camera phones and new devices and seeing n' number of same pictures in our phone or on our memory drive, don't you get this questions in your mind'?
"Are we taking too many pictures?"
"Aren't we logging our lives?"
"Is technology affecting our ability to make memories?"
Agree to the fact that photography increases the enjoyment of an event. But have you noticed that people who take photos of their experience usually enjoy the events more than people who don’t.” However I believe that taking too many photos can impair a person’s “ability to recall details of the event later.” As with all things in life, moderation is key — taking photos, but not doing so excessively, can increase our enjoyment of an experience.
We get so obssesd clicking picture that we are not taking photos to remember a moment, rather we are doing so to mark where we are and how we felt, thanks to our social media. Now I realise and I firmly advice that If you are on a vaccation and enjoying some beautiful site, take a couple pictures and put the camera away and enjoy the site. Later, go through them, organise them, print them out, and take the time to reminisce with other people. Those are all things that help keep memories alive.”
In the end, when it comes to candid photography or posed (perfect photography), I believe both offer their unique advantages and we are always thinking about how best to capture any given moment! Moreover, some photos are best when they are candid because it always spontaneous :Expect the unexpected. Photos arent supposed to be the perfect depiction of anything. They exist for delight. Life is all about precious moments and we human beings don't leave any chance to capture them, but we shouldn't really care if pics looked perfect. We should see those authentic moments that people aren't around to capture.
Thank you.
Happy clicking! Happy cheesing!
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