THE FIFTH ELEMENT IN PHOTOGRAPHY

There are many ways to look at photography. Like music, one can see it as an expressive art form that captures the always changing moment. If you break down a photograph into only four elements you will probably come up with something like this: light, form, line and color. Corresponding elements in nature are: fire, air, earth and water. Going further, the elements of man reveal another sequence: heart, mind, body and soul. There is also a fifth element to consider – that of moment or space or consciousness. It is this fifth element that can elevate the common photograph to one that exceeds our expectations – to one we cannot memorize. What makes a memorable photograph is nuance or a subtle gesture combined with colors and symbols that strike a universal chord. The photographer who has a deep passion or connection with the subject is more likely to be ready when this appears in the viewfinder. Finally, it is the viewer’s intellectual or emotional response to the image that makes a lasting impression on the consciousness that transcends experience. Joseph Campbell once paraphrased Heinrich Zimmer as saying: “The best things in life are transcendent, the second best are misunderstood, and the third best are conversation.” It seems even photographs can be put into philosophical terms sometimes.

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