I was thinking about photography today and I had this little epiphany. I realized that the photographer is, in most cases, as essential as the subject of the photograph.
Of course there are elements of photography that are also important—-technique, equipment, lighting—-but what really makes a photograph work is the connection between the photographer and the material being photographed.
In fact, you could even say that a photograph represents the inner language of the photographer, a visual language that is expressed through the lens and comes to life in the image.