photography and perception
In this week's podcast episode (#8), I discuss how (and a little bit of 'why') I went from teaching to filmmaking. You can watch it here. All episodes of The Thomas Galgani Show are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. While episode 8 and some others are solo recordings, there will be plenty of weeks where I will have a guest on, and I'd like to have on more filmmakers, photographers, and artists who would be willing to share some of their experiences.
I've learned various lessons from photography and filmmaking that apply to everyday life. The lesson I'd like to share today is about more context for an expression I've been familiar with for years: "perception is reality." The message behind this saying for me has always been about the need to show others that you are behaving or perhaps even "existing" in a certain way.
Examples of this could be looking in shape or appearing receptive to feedback by making eye contact and not having you're arms crossed. I learned this from a young age and began applying it in my own ways; using a notepad and pen to take notes in college or set appointments instead of a phone (since you can be doing anything on your phone, but a notepad conveys a higher likelihood that you're paying attention).
Before we delve more into what photography and videography has taught me about perception, let's pause for a crash course on photography basics to understand the fundamental camera manipulations that affect an image.
Exposure, composition, and movement are the three primary aspects to achieving a nice-looking image. Other elements such as lighting and color, of course, play significant roles, but the basics start with the first three I mentioned.
Exposure refers to the amount of light you're allowing to hit your camera's sensor, and changes can me made to ISO, shutter speed, and lens aperture to adjust the overall exposure (ISO is better understood as the camera's way of "artificially" adding light to an image, and it's better to keep this value low to avoid a grainy look). However, neutral density (ND) filters can also be applied to lenses or internally to further reduce exposure when needed.
Composition and movement refer to the camera's positioning, the camera's angle, and what is happening in the frame.
I could go on forever about each of these categories, but I want to emphasize one thing: what you see with your eyes is not necessarily what your camera sees. The outcome of an image requires intention. Regardless of how advanced a photographer's gear is, a photograph can easily look much better or worse than how something appears in real life depending on the skills applied.
One of my favorite things about photography and filmmaking can be summarized in a line from an Artlist (a royalty-free music provider) commercial that went something like this: "This isn't the real world. This is your creation." It's fun to get lost in a photograph or a movie because nothing needs to be realistic, it just has to be believable.
Whether it's framing a subject a certain way for a photo or manually adding motion blur and sound effects to a video, there are so many ways to alter how the viewer perceives the art, and this perception of images can have lasting impacts.
We have physiological reactions to movies despite knowing they are not real — we get scared or excited, smile, laugh, and even cry. Documentaries also can't carry the same effect if they're not done well. However, if the creator can affect the feelings of his or her audience, it's worth considering to what degree the creator's work may affect his or her own feelings about everything.
"Perception is reality..." but whose perception? The audience's or the artist's? I had only ever thought about this expression as referring to what others around you perceive to be true, but it's reasonable to focus on how your perception is also your own reality.
The camera settings we discussed above are analogous to possible changes that you can make in your life. What adjustments can you make to ensure that external factors of your day affect you in the ways you desire?
Surroundings and ambience can even be changed.
Many don't realize that those beautiful, "candid" family portraits are actually posed. The photographer positions subjects so that they don't appear awkward or directed (usually, they must be posed to not appear posed). Even photographer Greg Williams, who's famous for his "candid moments" of celebrities, facilitates opportunities for organic expression, and the raw emotion and authenticity of his subjects are captured only as a result of the atmosphere, trust, and direction he provides — he has conversations with his subjects and helps set the stage for artistic success. (I learned this from a photography course of his I found to be really helpful. If you want to take better pics with your phone, I recommend it.)
Is it faked or created? If it's created, is it unauthentic?
In life, the same concept is applicable. If your perspective of the day is more optimistic because you have established healthier habits and spend time with more positive people, is your optimism manufactured?
Remember, perception is reality — not just what you present to the world, but also how you present the world to yourself.