This is a picture that has been circulating in Facebook these days. It is mocking all of us guys who own an SLR and is trying to learn the trade. I don’t know who actually took this picture or who made the caption. But one thing is sure. The one who made the caption doesn’t own an SLR and seriously envies all of us who have one. The one who actually took this photo is not a monkey. He is really a good photographer. The picture is really funny and smart.

At first when I saw this post I had a good laugh and agreed to some of it. It is true that all of us who have an SLR have a Facebook photography page (I too have one, though I haven’t uploaded much photos or publicized it yet.). And yeah!  some of us are crappy, but that is not an issue; about which I will explain later. But seeing the same post again and again, that too in different formats (This one is really creative and smart but others are pure boring and dumb.) made me kind of irritated. So I posted this on my facebook post today morning.

These days every Monkey with an SLR think they are a photographer.
But some monkeys graduate to become world class photographers later. So you need to monkey around for a while to become a better Monkey.
So if you own an SLR don’t heed the stupid ridicules from these aspiring SLR owners and continue clicking and sharing.(But also please don’t pose around as if you are Ansel Adams; at least for a while).
Proud to be a Monkey.

I don’t understand from when it became bad to be a beginner. From when is it looked down upon? I don’t remember having came to this world fully able to talk, walk, write or even pee properly. I was given training and slowly only did I became qualified to do it on my own. Same is the case with photography. There is no shame in being a monkey. Every big photographer was once a monkey. They too did all the mistakes we do. I don’t believe they got all the settings on the camera, ie aperture, shutter speed, ISO, so many other minute details and finally the composition also perfect on the first shot. They learned by trial and error.

And about the issue of having a Facebook photography page: I only look upon it as a learning tool. It is a place where I will get maximum exposure for my pictures. I have around 600+ friends on facebook, if I could get atleast 10 of them to like my page I get 20 eyeballs to scrutinize my picture and give me feedback. That page is like my mother who used to help me with my home work after school or  guided me while I learned to walk. And about the little pride we have when one of our photos get appreciated by couple of people. Have any of you seen the face of a kid who had successfully ridden a bicycle without training wheels for the first time? It is the same emotion. We are happy that our hardwork got it’s results. Is being happy and proud about your hardwork a bad thing?

So this is my advice to myself and fellow photography enthusiasts. Let the haters hate. Let us be proud monkeys. Let’s go around clicking, processing and sharing our work. Let’s do this more often. Let’s improve our skills. The naysayers will soon buy an SLR and join our troop. Till then let them envy our cameras.

But let’s not be pricks while doing this. It’s true we are not yet Ansel Adams or Helmut Newton. And there is no guarantee we will one day become one. So please don’t pose like one. Be humble. Listen to what the seniors of our trade have to say. Learn from them. Listen to them. Also be kind to the lesser of us. If any one ask for guidelines and directions, give it to them. And take all the constructive criticisms you get on that facebook photo you posted. Even if it is from a non photographer friend. Being a photographer is never a prerequsite for being a good connoisseur. Also the non photographers have an advantage of not having their own personal styles and usually will be unbiased.

So be a monkey. Be a proud monkey. But behave like a cultured one (NB: I don’t know if there are real cultured monkeys.)