Strong Arms

(Camera: Ricoh GX200)

Whether this is a strong arm hinges on one's perception. To the author, this is a strong arm which, with the man and his body shape, remains the author of his once youthful father from the eye of the small boy then. The slightly blurred image rightly reflects the distant memory the scene recalled in the author's mind.

All these perceptions are enough to make the arm and the man subjects. It is our perception that spurs us to or stop us from using certain subjects. When the perception bestows on us good feelings about a particular thing or scene, it moves us to press the shutter; or, on the contrary, not.

So, in effect, we can make everything a subject in an image while refraining from using some. This is all right. There is no right or wrong about our perceptions. There is only the task to transcend it. Since perceptions never criticise, the task will not be an easy one because we seldom objectively notice if we have transcended and to what extent.

The gist is that whether in the final image we simply reflect the perceptions we have in mind or bravely expand them, the subjects we use should always be those which interest us.  This is the first step to liberate a photographer to make a truly eye-catching image worthy to be called his or her own creation. So, even you may follow the footsteps of masters, refrain from using their subjects in the images.  Use subjects that, first of all, interest you.  This is an important rung to take you to a higher level of the photography ladder.