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This is a chapter from my seventh book called Bookeh - Through the lens of a Trinidadian photog


I woke up early. It was around midnight and I decided to make a photo that would be this chapter. The room was dark except for the light from the air conditioner switch. I had the idea to do some light painting. What I decided to write was the word love. What does it mean to have a love for photography? What does it mean to have a passion for photography? How do we say this photo was made with love? These are the questions that will guide the writing of this chapter. What better way to tell the story of love than painting with light. Rumi beautifully wrote "love is the soul's light". Light painting, pioneered by Frank Gilbreth in 1914, involves long-exposure photography to capture light trails. Gilbreth used this technique to study human motion, laying the groundwork for artistic light painting. Light painting is not the easiest thing to do. I struggled with it. Many times the word love came out crooked. I think you need some luck to get it right. I like this photo that I settled on because the letter v is in the shape of a small heart.

I was curious what others had to say and so I ended up in the photography subreddit where the question was asked five years ago, "Why do you love photography?" There were a variety of answers and some of them I related to. Someone jokingly said that they love photography because they cannot draw for nothing. This is interesting because the word photography comes from the Greek words "phos" meaning light and "graphis" meaning stylus or paintbrush. Photography literally means "drawing with light" as I mentioned before in this book. Another person said it forces him to look at the world differently. This I can relate to. It is not just my yard or home, it is an entire world to explore and moments to capture. Instead of boring I can go exploring. One person said that photography is another way of telling a story. That is exactly what I have been trying to do with this book. To share my love for photography through my lens and my words. I love photography because I can freely express myself. I can be artistic. Photography is an art. I can share love through my art. I can share the beauty that I see in this world. I want to make the world beautiful. I want to remember the world for its beauty. Beauty is in the lens of the beholder.

In a sense photography saved me. And continues to save me. It saves me from the negativity that surrounds the times we live in and that can easily destroy the love that lights the way. I have come across stories of people who were saved by photography. Whether it is with mental health struggles or any other of the various struggles. Who knows it, feels it. I started with a dark room and a tiny source of light. My canvas was blank. I could hardly see but I was guided by this light. I could draw or write anything with this light. I chose love. This reminds me of a quote that I love so much from AR Rahman, "All my life I have had a choice of hate and love. I chose love and I am here." It is no coincidence that both light and love begin with the letter l. Lens is another l word. The difference between word and world is the letter l. Light and love are the lens through which we see the world.
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