Pictures are wonderful “creations” that always show us a unique story, euphoric moments, beauty etc. When we look in some pictures sometimes we feel mixed emotions, sometimes excitement, sometimes sadness, sometimes love. We are able to “freeze” a moment, to “time-travel” to the past, and convey a message to the world–an advocacy or a thought-provoking idea. In a wider sense, photography is a very powerful tool either for good or for evil.
It’s interesting to note that photography actually was a taboo in its very early days as people believed it to be witchery. Well, they might as well have a basis for the thought since photography is like a mystical invention that is continually evolving and has now actually become so vitally ingrained in our daily lives that to have it done away with is like to end the civilization itself.
Before photography became a proper art form, however, for almost half a century after its invention, there were certain rules that photographers convened on, such as sharp focus, the representation of reality exactly as it is and the rejection of any sort of manipulation (although back in their day they have access to the methods of photographic manipulations, yet they chose not to use it), both on the scene and in the dark room. Essentially, we can almost be sure that their photos represent the world exactly as it was.
The first 10 years of the 20th century is known as the focal point of the revolution of the art of modern photography. Photographers started modifying images by using soft focus, special filters, dark room altering techniques and printing processes that allowed them to “create” scenery, rather than “capture” it. Modern photographers proposed a fresh way of experiencing photography, a new way to view and discover our everyday life.