TheAllenChu | Photo & Retouch

I have always had a very strong, opinionated philosophy in regards to photography.  What i’ve realized is how impactful a great image can be.  Needless to say photography has, without a doubt, been an overwhelming part of my life.  From an early age I remember seeing issues of Vogue at supermarket news stands, and completely being in awe of how utterly amazing and mind blowingly gorgeous the images on every page were.  From beauty products to fashion editorials to power portraits of important persons, I was completely hooked.

So what is the true power of an image?  In my opinion a great image stops the viewer in his tracks.  It takes him into a different world and cultivates his imagination.  It makes one start wondering about the story behind the image itself.  Great photography is not only about telling a story but it’s also about letting the viewer decide the story for himself.  A powerful image will take your breath away and will jar emotions within you.  A great image for a photographer is a life changing experience, whether it’s an image you shot or a shot you saw somewhere.

Now how do you produce a powerful image?  Simply put, there is no 1-2-3 set of steps to create a great image.  There are no guidelines to great photography.  Photography is, and always will be, an art form.  I use to believe that photography was simply about capturing a special moment in time.  I use to believe that photograph’s were simply about having the eye and experience and technique to capture the essence of that split second.  The more i’ve shot, the more i’ve realized that while that is true, there’s so much more to a great image.  Whether it involves the retouching process, or the format it’s shot on, or the production and team involved in setting up an image, the whole process is part of what makes an image great.

It could be shot with a Holga, a polaroid, a 35mm DSLR or a Hasselblad or Red One.  It doesn’t matter.  The only things that truly matter are the journey to the end product and the product itself.  Great photography is not taught.. it is found.  Photography must be appreciated and respected as the great art form it is.  It should be treated with care and taken for everything that it is.  A great image doesn’t simply come from an expensive camera and an array of photoshop filters.  A great image is a personal and intimate thing.  In the end, powerful images are forever, especially to those people the images have personally effected.