Discussion Topic - Photographs
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Discussion Topic - Photographs.
Part 1: Introduction & Interview
Q. 1. What type of photos do you like taking?
Answer: I like to take photos of nature such as trees/green forests, lakes, rivers, green valleys, mountains, water springs and beautiful animals like deer, antelope, rabbits and small birds. Sometimes, I like to take pictures of the passages between two mountain sites.
Q. 2. What do you do with the photos you take?
Answer: Once I take photos, I try to store them on my computer or save them online so that I can access them anytime I want. Sometimes I print them and store them in my room like some kind of souvenir. I also share some pictures with my friends and families if they really like them. I also have a picture album in which I try to save those pictures as a symbol of some great memories.
Q. 3. When you visit other places, do you take photos or buy postcards? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: Actually, I do both, I mean I take pictures and buy postcards because just buying postcards is not enough fun even though they might be very nice looking. On the other hands, taking pictures allows me to view a particular site or place in its original look which may be different from the pictures on the postcards. Besides, taking pictures allows me to create some fond memories for the future.
Q. 4. Do you like people taking photos of you? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: No, I don’t really like people to take photos of me unless there is a very valid reason to do so, primarily because I don’t have a very good picture face. Besides, I don’t really like some strange people to take pictures of me because of safety and security reasons. However, I do not mind taking a group picture with my family or friends.
Q. 5. What is the best photograph you have ever taken?
Answer: I have taken a great many pictures in my life, but the best pictures, I have taken so far, is of a mother elephant trying to tend her sick little calf in a very gentle manner as if the mother doesn’t want to hurt her baby even in the least.
Part 3: Details Discussion
Q. 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of taking photographs?
Answer: Talking about the advantages of taking photographs, there is no better way to preserve old or new memories and special moments of our lives than taking photographs. Besides, taking photographs can act as a wonderful stress-reliever by helping us focus on the beautiful things around us such as the beautiful wings of a flying butterfly, a giggling baby, or a blossoming flower.
As for the disadvantages, photographs don’t always tell the full story behind an image as the interpretation of the image can easily become clouded or incorrect. Besides, some images can arouse some negative emotion which can depress us from time to time.
Q. 2. What, in your opinion, are the pros and cons of digital photography?
Answer: Digital photography is more convenient (comparing with “regular” camera) to use, offering us the ability to view our pictures immediately, and it costs much lesser in the long run as one doesn’t need to buy “films” anymore. Besides, it offers a more efficient storage facility as we can literally store thousands of pictures without ever needing to change a memory card. It also allows us to print the pictures from our own homes without ever going to a picture studio.
Among the disadvantages, digital photography requires a certain level of computer skills to manage and edit images. The digital camera can also initially cost more than a film camera. Besides, there always need to be a backup plan for storing images if a hard disc or memory card failure occurs.
Q. 3. Is it necessary to take a course to become a good photographer?
Answer: Yes, it is necessary, in my opinion, to take a photography course to become a good photographer – again, “good” is the qualifying adjective here - as, without it, it will be very difficult to take the photographic skills to the “next” level. A good photography course would not only allow someone to learn basic things, like how to manipulate lighting and utilize different settings in different kinds of situations in order to create new effects with the camera but also “long exposure photography” (taking advantage of the blurry effects) and high dynamic range photography (taking multiple photographs of the same scene at different exposures and then putting them together which is also known as “exposure blending”, by the way).
Q. 4. Do you think that some pictures in the media are taken by amateurs?
Answer: Yes, I do think that some pictures in the media are taken by “amateurs”. But, when we say “amateurs”, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the pictures, taken by the amateurs, don’t meet the “professional” requirements, mainly because easy access to digital camera/technology has made it really easy to take pictures just as good and fast as the real professionals. Some even argue that “amateur photographs, in of itself, is a style” because photography is a form of “art”, and creating “art” is not always bound to follow any ‘specific rules’ or patterns.
Q. 5. Should people be wary of sharing their photographs online? Why/Why not?
Answer: No, I don’t really think that people should be really wary of sharing their photographs online because people today can easily share them online by using shared cloud folder, setting privacy features on photography network and private photo-sharing apps. We can also easily create “shared email accounts” and email our pictures so that only selected email users are able to access them as they wish. Besides, even if there are “privacy breaches” online sometimes, the existence of strong cybersecurity laws these days allow people to take punitive actions against the perpetrators. So, being wary is not the solution, rather taking effective measures are what would keep us safe when sharing pictures online.
Q. 6. How has modern technology changed the way we take photographs?
Answer: Modern technology has certainly changed the way we take photographs and use them just like many other things in this world. For example, with the introduction of digital cameras, literally, anyone with some good common sense can take hundreds of pictures even before learning about the settings and concepts, such as ISO, depth of field and aperture. Besides, storing and sharing of photographs has also become an instant thing, and all we need for that is to have a Bluetooth connection with our computer to send images and changing memory card sometimes. Finally, image editing has also become very easy and quick, as opposed to the film camera, with many image editing software.
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