Nowadays, digital cameras on the market are not that expensive anymore. More and more people are owning an SLR resulting to more and more people claiming they are photographers. I know people who sport the latest equipment more advanced than the best photographers out there..so does this make them better photographers than they? Does owning a camera and photography equipments make a person a professional photographer? What does it take to be one?
I don’t want to sound disdainful especially to those budding photographers out there. I myself cannot profess that I am an expert in photography. I still have a lot of things to learn. Maybe for me, it will be a never-ending process. My intention is for all the so-called photographers to examine their hearts and ask themselves if they are into photography because it is just a fad to own a camera or is it their desire capture life in a moment and share the joy this brings to them.
I have been pondering on this topic for quite some time now and I can’t help but parallel it with Christianity. Around 32% of the world’s population is so-called Christians.
“Christian” literally means “follower of Christ”. Many people claim to be a Christian but doesn’t know the real essence of Christianity. Does going to Church every week, giving to charity, going through all the rituals, etc. make you a follower of Christ? Is it defined by works?
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
So it is not through known practices or good works a person is saved but through believing and accepting Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior (John 3:16). But how can you tell if a person is a true believer?
According to Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Therefore, you can tell a Christ-follower if he has the Holy Spirit which bears fruit.
“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33)
It is sad that a lot of people have lost their way and have shrugged off Christ in their lives but still carry His name. They are bad trees bearing bad fruit. There are no bad Christians because in reality, they are no Christians at all. They live for their own interest and they have denied Christ through their lifestyles.
A real photographer in the same essence produces good fruit or good pictures. It comes after a lot of hard work and search for knowledge. Because in their heart, their desire is to benefit others by sharing the gift they have received from God. So it is not how advanced your camera and equipment are nor it is in the way you market yourself but how you are able to share your passion and talent by letting others see through you the beauty of a captured moment.
For a few great photographers, it’s not really about themselves anymore nor it is about the money. Some photographers have dedicated their life in sharing the blessing of photography to others.
This is what a true photographer should aim for…this is what a true Christian should be…a blessing to others.
