There’s this infinitesimal appeal when these kids write “I love taking photos” and “I love photography” in their About Mes. And I kind of like the former. I had this conversation with my cousin about a girl friend. I told him that she’s into photography and he asked me “She’s into what?” for like a hundred times. I didn’t get what he meant so I answered it in the most literal connotation. On the verge of annoyance he told me that “photographer” is such a heavy “label”, kind of overrated in a sense but only a few qualifies to be called one, only a few understands to start with.

Like what, you forced your parents a cut from their salary because you want a DSLR for your birthday, get it in the process, go to Auto exposure, take gazilion of self-portraits in front of your vanity mirror and call it photography?. Sling that thing on your neck, stroll in the mall and call yourself a photographer?

I don’t wanna talk about labels per se, I just don’t like the way things are confused and perceptions messed up. I don’t like the shallow mutuality that these kids get thinking they’re superior over others because they own the newest model, or the best lenses. DSLRs don’t automatically make you a goddamned photographer, we’ve probably heard a million times but it doesn’t make it any less true. If we follow the same logic, point and shoot users and film hobbyists are not inferior with their single lens reflex and digital “equivalents”. It’s not in the equipment, it’s in the enthusiasm, it’s not the sharpness and vibrancy, it’s in the perspective, it’s not the multi-funtion and whatever features it’s measured on how you well you know your camera, it’s not the bulky-feel-good-feel it’s about how comfortable you are with your memory box.

I mean, hey, I’ve been into taking pictures for like five years but you never heard me declaring I am a photographer, and I don’t tag my photos with “photography” at the very least.  ”Say I’m a photographer out loud, if you can’t utter it no one will”, says one god here, yeah right. What if the aesthetics are non-existent in the stills?, insinuate still? Call it issues, I could not care any less. There’s something wrong here and I can’t not talk when I have arguments needed to be forwarded.

I’m a photographer, like really?