The "meaning" of Photo

I was Just taking a part in a discussion about the “meaning” in photography and decided to write some observations. There is a sentence that says “A photo is worth a thousand words”.

But is it a true? I have noticed that most of the people seeing something special get very excited and their hand in a fast movement finds a photo camera and one second later a shutter button is pressed and photo is made. Many people than, take their photo camera back to the pocket, and review the photo on a big screen of their computers in their homes, being happy to have captured this special moment.

I have to say- it is easy to get excited, but be careful not to explode.

As we know photos tall stories but it is a photographer that have to translate the reality into the print. As each person has his own mind, thinks his own way, so he interpret the world in his own way. The process of making a photo is like translation of this interpretation. To translate anything you need to know what to translate and this is a pure reason why you have to encourage yourself to think deeper and longer on whether there is any reason to make this photo, and if there is, than what exactly it is.

First rule is – Breath deep, and think.



Recently I have seen a photo made during one of Spanish fiestas. A photo of few children. Each child was looking in another direction and doing something else. Not to describe to much this photo I have to say it was a snap shot. Obviously some could say nice smile on a baby face, another could state that there are lines vertical, horizontal, diagonal or whatever, some other could state that there are nice colours on this photo. But is it enough to make this photo worth. Lines are obviously

important but when they are a subject of a picture or when they are leading a viewers eye to the main subject, or when they are a major part of composition. When a subject is a smile than focus on it.

Second rule is – Take your time.



Many photographs (probably many of my as well) are beautiful and meaningful to the owner but no other viewer sees in it anything special. It is mostly because we put our memories and feelings to the photos. Unfortunately, very often, we put them so deep than no one else can see them. For this very reason when you see children smiling, stop for a moment, and try one more time. If these children are laughing, they probably will do so for few minutes more. So take your time and think what you want to show. What is so special in those particular children, and why they are worth to make a photo. You will see after few seconds that it is not about some lines in the frame but about a smile by it self, a beauty of a child, or about the funny situation they are in. sometimes you can get involved and wave to those children, tell them something so they don't mind you being there. Keep watching, understanding this moment, and keep shooting. Do not make one hundred photos and try to pick up the one that means something. It may then mean that you just made a hundred photos and got luck with one, or maybe that one of hundred appears to be a correct one. Make ten of them but thoughtful.

Third rule – do not exaggerate the meaning of the “meaning”.



Sometimes photos look so fake when someone tries to make a meaning or tell a story about nothing, Some pictures are made just to look nice and than all the rules apply (composition, light and shadows, sharpness) but they are design to tell only thing (in 1000 words if you wish so)- that this world is beautiful and diverse and that this is a world in our times.

Fourth rule – read instruction manual, and learn basics of photography technique, so you know how to capture whatever you want to capture. What a shame when some great photos are coming out to be to dark, out of focus, without contrast, with disturbing composition, and boring. Well it is another subject for another day.

Is photography an art?

Let me start with the sentence- Photography is not an art.

Defining an art as the way of dipper expression of oneself and his surrounding I would say that photography is definitely not an art. It is a tool and It is your eye, what you want to communicate, and what use of camera you are able to make, that can create an art.


As a photographer I am not trying to push down photography as the artistic way of expression but I see that percentage of quality photographs is getting lower with everyday. More people are having photo cameras, many of which are digital SLR. So are we all artists. Will our work someday be observed as an artistic expression?
Only few years ago everyone had 35mm photo cameras and there was no question of “how many mega pixels you have”, there was a question of having or not having an eye for photography or about building needed skills. When I talked to people these days, we talked about photography, about different angles of seeing the world, and about where to go and in what kind of weather. Our conversation on technical points would finish on filters that we use.

I am not trying to be sentimental here but sometimes I feel like equipement is taking over the feeling for what we do.
I use personally one with 85 mega pixels. And it has five lenses build in. Also it has Photoshop inside so I don’t have even to look through the lens to make a good photo.-obviously I don't have something like that but sometimes I feel talking with photography passionate that they really think that expensive camera is more important than anything else.
Imagine people in 100 years. How they will react on watching our culture through the photos. Will they think about our silly 10 mega pixels or will they take some of these photos and think about expressions we gave.I sell my photographic prints on my web site www.mirophoto.com . People buy them, and hang them on the wall. I try to make photos that will remind painted pictures and I am happy when someone appreciates my way of seeing.
But is my photography an art? Will it become when I sell 1000 copies of one picture, will it be when someone offer mi exclusive buy for a 1000 euro?
It will become an art only when you will see with your eyes, what I as creator, wanted to communicate with you, whether was it a beautiful landscape, girl on the steps or a Cuban guy living in a times of Castro and smoking huge cigar.
At the end I still believe that making a good quality photograph is to “know how”, it is to go out in the rain and wait the correct moment, or sometimes just sit down and wait for a good idea.

I wait for your opinions on this subject

Finally I got to this island. Cuba, was my destination since many years. I wanted to see this place before anything change.

At the first moment I have felt as I have found my self on the another planet. everything was different than in Spain where I live. Only political and economic situation was reminding me the one from Poland (my father country) in 80's. I will not talk about the prices in Cuba as they were crazy. Everything was so much more expensive. The best idea in this situation I could have was to rent a scooter and drive through many kilometres of the coast and villages.
Having a luck of being able to speak Spanish I decided to use my time and make a research. I think I made about 50-60 kilometres on foot, i talked to many, many people, and shoot about 600 photos.
I have come back to Europe few days ago and feel a little bit tired. I have to say that I was much impressed by people, landscapes, climate , music, and overall ambient of Cuba.



The only think I didn't manage to do, was to take a swim in the sea, but walking through the coast I can say was very interesting. On this photo you can see my best finding. It was a turtle shelf lying on the beach. I spend here about one hour trying to get the the best picture of it lying on the dead coral reef.

To see interior of this shelf, some other pictures, and also to read some more about Cuba, or even buy some of my photos I made there please visit mygallery of images from Cuba

Finally decided to print my first post cards. the problem with postcards is than it is very expensive to print them. Obviously when you print in offset the price per print is low but the low price you have to multiply by 1000 or more, so the costs are growing.
I would like to invite all of you and see the choice i have made so far and give me some opinions on my choice.
the subject is Costa Del Sol -in Spain, and i would like to show my area not only as a beautiful choice for holidays but also its amazing ambient and Mañana type of country.

So please see them all and give me some opinions.

The web site finaly working

Finaly the web site www.mirophoto.com I consider as almost done. Lots of thinks are still missing and I will not stop customizing this site, but finally, I can invite you to see my portfolio of the best photographs done so far.
So please visit and tell me what do you think.
www.mirophoto.com