A change in perspective

One day on my way to work, I happened to walk by a camera store. I was a bit bewildered when I saw hordes of people under gigantic New York sheds waiting to get into a camera store under peak summer. So, I decided to quench my curiosity by making a quick stop myself.

I patiently stood behind a man wearing a bright neon shirt and a fanny pack. After the suspenseful wait, the doors to the store opened and we all made our way in.

At first, I faltered to understand everybody’s excitement around cameras. After exploring some more, I saw it too. The store had a unique mix of artistically designed cameras that were stationed all over. They had them in every color, every lens- 50 MM to 100 MM to 1500 MM, every size, and every quantity that people demanded. What was more refreshing was the excitement around them. People asked all kinds of questions about camera features, shutter speed, and design. They maneuvered through every rack, taking their sweet time to really study what the camera could do before choosing that perfect fit.

That is what struck me the most!

I started to draw a parallel. I started to see how our way of looking at life is so different. Very often, we choose the first camera that is given to us. That dusty camera that was once in the trunk of a storage closet. The camera that has been passed down by generations. The camera that you are expected to wear around your neck for the rest of your life, no matter how antiquated its lens has become. Only if we took the same time to be patient and enter a world full of differentiated cameras, we could create novel experiences for ourselves and those around us.  

Everybody should be given the chance to explore the lens that suits them and the strap that feels most comfortable. When you choose your own camera, you have the ability to give it your own aperture, your own contrast and most importantly your own brightness.

Changing your camera may not change the view, but it will make it better...and most importantly, it will make it yours.