PHOTOGRAPHER

UNEDITED SAMPLE LITERARY ARTICLE
By Bernadette Tadena Guiamoy
IV – Michael Faraday


Click. Flash! And then, everything stops. Your pale white hands have now captured the whole world. And all in that picture will be precious, treasured memories in your photo album. Little did you know, that picture took part of my heart with it.

Click. Flash! My eyes burn in blindness, my body perfectly still in front of your lens. You took my picture once again, then part of my soul with it. You never really observe your photographs, do you? You just “click and flash” away, never looking past the obvious. Never knowing what you could find by looking deeper. You just appreciate the fact that they definitely have deep meaning but you never stop to even think of what it is. You were just happy to see it.

Click. Flash! Will you stop it? This is getting somewhat irritating. But, I do not want you to feel bad about what you are doing. Rather, I will just let you be since I do not want to discourage you in any way possible. Frankly though, I would if you catch me in my moods. But no matter what, I do not want to see you sad. Because there are no frowns in your films, there is no sadness in your prints. And, I want you to stay the same way.

Click. Flash! Okay then, don’t stop. Just continue. Hone your skills. Take your time. Don’t stop until you perfect it. Don’t stop until you are satisfied. But, you never will be, will you? You always want me in your films. You always want me in your prints. You like the fact that you can burn my eyes. You like the fact that you can blind me. You like the fact that you can do what you wish and still end up not hurting me. Well, maybe a little. But no matter what you do, I end up forgiving you anyway. You can solve anything with a single hug, or a single kiss. Because by just a single click on your camera, the whole world stops. Captured with no knowledge of it. Captured with no knowledge of its own beauty that you appreciate.

Click. Flash! There you go again. You never will stop, will you? No matter how many times I decline, no matter how many times I shove you away; you will never stop, will you? You never give up, do you? You make me want to burst out in tears, break down in my depression. But, I just can’t do that. I just can’t do that in front of your camera. Even without it, I just can’t. Because, you are still there. I cannot let you see that side of me. I cannot let myself make you sad. I want your films to be full of happiness. I want your prints full of innocence. I want your heart full of love. And, I know what you will say. That when you will take again a photograph of me, it does not matter what mood I am in, because the camera will still need light for it to see. And, I will be that light for you.

Click. Flash! I can’t do this anymore. I can’t bear it. But, please, don’t stop. Continue and continue. Do not think of what I feel. Do not think of what I want. Just continue and continue. Stop the world. Stop my heart. Continue and continue. Capture what you can. Capture what you will. Just continue and continue. Fill your lens with light. Fill your film with negatives. Fill yourself with dreams. Fill your heart with joy. Fill your pride with love. Fill your prints with beauty. Fill your little photo album with my memories.