A picture is worth a thousand words, so goes a Chinese proverb. A picture of a smiling child always brings a smile to our face and a picture of hungry and sick people always arouse feelings of compassion. Every picture if carefully looked at is a story, a piece of art and not just a two dimensional image.

Names like Ansel Adams and Alfred Stieglitz are photographers whose names are etched in the hallways of photographic history with gold. Looking at their works not only provides inspiration but a new eye and a new dimension to life. Their work is not only photographs, but time frozen forever.

What exactly goes behind making an image is not only skill but an art form. It's an expression and a story told through the eyes of the photographer. "Photography helps us to see" is cent percent right because it truly does so. It makes the eye wonder and the mind imagine.

Photography can be very rewarding and can lead to times where you feel the power of an image tremendously. A photograph taken at some particular time or at some instance may lead you to wonder about life, poverty, birds, mountains, hunger, love and unlimited emotions and feelings.

To be a successful photographer you need more energy and perseverance rather than knowledge. To know the basics and technical know how photography does not take as much as learning techniques and developing ones own style.

Like many professional photographers, one could be on the road to photographic salvation by working hard and giving it your best wile making continuous. Learning with time is something that has irreplaceable value.

A photographer's life can be easy and tough at the same time. The best results are spawned from experience and through experiments. The perils of a night long shoot or the wait for a perfect sunset can be both tiring but nevertheless rewarding when you get first prints out of the lab.

Careers in photography can involve being a freelance photographer, a full time photographer, or an image editor, to name a few. Work ranges from industries such as travel, fashion, journalism, stock art and many others.

Just like any other form of work, photography needs dedication, hard work and patience. The more of these ingredients and the more successful you can be. It becomes more rewarding once you get into an industry and start creating your own style and niche.

"A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety" so said Ansel Adams. Had it not been for photography, the world probably would have been a different place, for knowingly or unknowingly we do find solace and entirety in the pictures we see in everyday of our lives.

The next time you see a picture anywhere stare at it for a while, and try to find the story. Maybe you will find something new about yourself.

I am a freelance Photographer and journalist based in the Middle East. Goto my websites for more info:-

http://www.yemberzal.com
http://www.energyjournalist.com