Talk to Me, Baby: Self-Expression through Photography
By Methanie Dempsay Binder
11 Feb 2007
Occasionally someone will ask me, "How do you take such great photos?" My answer, surprisingly, does not involve a diatribe on the importance of metering and aperture settings. My answer is, "If you want to take great photos, wear your heart on your sleeve."
In my youth, I never learned the proper ways to express myself emotionally. Humor and laughter were encouraged in my home, but the more "difficult" emotions - anger, sadness, and confusion - were swept under the rug. By the time I made it out of adolescence, I was wound tighter than a drum. Which, as an aside, is not a great quality in a roommate.
When I was nineteen, I purchased my first SLR. I readily admit that I wanted to be a photographer because I thought it would somehow elevate my "cool" status among my jaded peers. I had no idea that the purchase of that Contax would be the key to opening the emotional window of my soul.
In the beginning, I took lots of experimental shots of TV static and mannequins. But every so often, I'd manage to take a different sort of photo - a cat on a ledge or a man on the beach - a photo that not only spoke to me, but also spoke to others. I learned to use photography as a way to have a non-threatening conversation with my peers about emotions and life. Photography became a way that I could say, "I'm sad," and have others respond, "It's OK." And none of us would have to utter a word.
It is now twenty years later. I have finally learned to express myself verbally as well as visually. I don't believe for a second I would have gotten this far if it weren't for my Contax, my Yashica, my Polaroids, my Olympuses, and all of my Nikons. To a certain extent, I owe those cameras my sanity. I owe them my life.
So, the next time you see something that breaks your heart, that frustrates you to no end, that makes you laugh out loud - shoot it. The technical aspects of photography can be learned in a book. But learning to shoot what you are feeling takes time - it is much more subtle. Your efforts will be rewarded in the form of great photos, and quite possibly, a happier existence.
