Special Issue
Photography is the keeper
of time and history!
Vafa Farajova
I am an amateur photographer, but in
my job I work both as a journalist and as
a photographer, so my knowledge of photography often comes in handy.
Quite a few of my friends have gradually turned their photographic hobby into
a business that generates a good income.
All that it takes is just… wish and work.
As the saying goes, no pain, no gain.
Unfortunately (it is my subjective
opinion), photographers come in several
categories. There are those who rush to
try everything: their works show few
signs of masterhood – just uniform, standard images that give the viewer little
inspiration.
But there is a different sort of photographers, who put their soul into their
works. For them the foremost priority is
to create an artistic work and evoke a
tornado of emotions. They have a style
of their own – every professional has his
distinctive touch.
For me as an amateur, photography
is a state of soul. My images communicate what I feel at every particular moment. Hence, the photographs have a
different air around them: merry, positive or sad. There are professionals with
a God-given talent, although they never
attended any photography courses.
Unfortunately, there are not many photographers like that in Azerbaijan. They
may not be be commercially successful,
because they know the true value of
their works, they are perfect masters of
their craft, and for them money does not
come as the foremost priority, however
money is important for art. More often
than not, photographers do not have
other sources of income, as they live off
their art, and to create art they need expensive equipment. Photographers are
not on a salary, and their works are the
only source of income. This is one of the
downsides of the profession, as without
professional equipment you will not be
able to deliver quality, and no one will
Photography is the keeper of history, without which there
is no future, and we cannot be indifferent to the future.
Photography is also the keeper of the past, about which we
should not forget.
Author information:
Vafa Farajova is a journalist with
18-year experience. Born in 1976
in Zangilan Region of Azerbaijan,
moved to Baku in 1993 and
has been residing there till the
present moment. Graduated from
the State University of Baku,
and Moscow State Linguistic
University. Worked fo ȁ