Life lessons through photography

I love photography. I love everything about it. Ever since I was a child, I could recognize the artistic medium of photography and I could appreciate the nuances of black and white portraits and the brilliant colors of sprawling panoramic scenes.

I’m somewhat of a camera junkie now, and while I don’t have any true brand loyalty, in some areas I can be a bit of a snob. For instance: I prefer using Leica cameras for black and white portrait work. Those images stand alone in their sharp contrast and brilliant rendering. And I know that Canon and Fuji — as well as Leica — pride themselves on their color science, but I love the color production that comes from Pentax.

The reason I feel this is all relevant is because all of it serves as a good metaphor for life. All too often we want to see things in bold black and white without acknowledging the complexity of how the grey tones are actually what help make the black and white stand out so much. There are often times when we are stuck on a particular idea or belief; and even if that belief might be self-limiting, we can’t seem to let go of the belief because it’s what we know and what we prefer.

As this new year begins and another election looms on the horizon, there are multiple different things being reported in the news; and it seems to just be pushing people deeper into their own camps. The tribalistic mindset is actually kind of alarming to me. How can we be in this information age and simply just choose to ignore information? We do so at our peril.

In addition to being a photographer, I’m also a journalist. I have several years of journalism experience from different locations; and I have always had a natural inclination toward asking questions. Even if the answer might scare me, I still have always been interested in receiving the answer. Like many people I grew up with, I was told I couldn’t trust the media. I was told to question everything. But when I questioned what I was expected to believe wholesale without any skepticism, I noticed that actions didn’t always match words.

Certain media outlets might have an agenda to push. Some corporate individuals have learned that pushing a certain narrative — regardless of its truth or lack thereof — generates viewership, which then translates into dollars. It’s not about truth at all. It’s about helping a billionaire buy himself a new boat.

There is a serious reason the media is known as the Fourth Estate. We are here to shed the light on the darkness and to keep you informed about how your money is being spent, and how your leaders are behaving. What is meant to separate the chaff from the wheat is the media. And I take that responsibility seriously. Thankfully, so do my new colleagues. And, while we can’t speak for other media outlets, we can clearly speak for ourselves. And we will clearly tell you that we’re here to give you the facts.

Now, those facts might not have the color mixture you desire. You may not like that the black and white image relies on multiple different grey tones in order for it to be a proper image. But liking or disliking something doesn’t make it any less real or any less true. Maybe it’s time for you to pick up a different camera, try shooting with different settings, test your options and see what is clear. You might be surprised at what the other options have to offer, if you will just open yourself to the attempt.

In the meantime, rest assured that my colleagues and I will bring you the facts, and will do so objectively for you to decide what to think. We will bring you the stories you want and need... as well as the photographs.

Jonathon Dawe is a staff writer at the Daily American Republic. He can be reached at jdawe@darnews.com.