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I'll start this article with an anecdote.
We were in Bohemian Paradise (a famous nature park in Czechia), specifically in Prachov Rocks, a place renowned for its stunning natural scenery, especially its rock formations. There, we encountered a family ‒ a couple with their children. The woman had a rather advanced camera and seemed poised to take pictures.
And indeed she did. But she said, "Someone stand over there for me; I want to take a picture of this place." Not "I'll take your picture," but "I want to take a picture of this place."
Initially, I didn't grasp what she meant, but then it clicked. From their subsequent conversation, it became clear that the woman considered nature photos (or photos in general) utterly worthless unless one of her family members was visible in them. So, even when she photographed a rocky gorge, a blooming thistle, or a scenic overlook, she invariably directed her husband or one of the children to "stand there" so the photo would "be about something."
To be clear, I'm not condemning or disparaging this in any way; I just found it amusing. Of course, I have plenty of photos for the family album too, but forcing family members to pose in every shot when I want to photograph something inherently interesting felt comically excessive to me.
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So, why did this anecdote come to mind? Because my photos in this article are from the complete opposite end of the spectrum, and that woman probably wouldn't understand them at all. Not only is there no one in them, but there's also nothing particularly "interesting" or unusual. The corner of a rusty fence, a dried leaf, an old padlock? Wtf?
The point is, these objects aren't what it's truly about. The purpose of some photos isn't to document reality, but rather to be a visual statement in themselves. It's about composition, lines, textures. It's about color and structure. About light, atmosphere, contrasts. About feelings and emotions. It's about the fact that even such a seemingly worthless photograph, to some, can tell a story. A story of decay, but also of resilience. Of loneliness, imperfection, of mystery or oblivion.
Or not. Everyone takes from it what they want, or what they're capable of perceiving.
I edited these photos using Luminar Neo from Skylum (https://skylum.com). If you're a photographer who wants to edit quickly and efficiently without getting bogged down in technical stuff, I think it's your best bet.
