Photophobic

Neldy Jolo

I joined as a writer and photographer in a program called Garisan Landasan Sabah 2014 that involved the gathering of artists, writers, painters and photographers. I once asked someone’s permission to take his picture in a train bound for Tenom. The middle aged man whom I asked refused me. I then wondered if there is a specific phobia or fear in the matter.

I have been in photography but seemingly not an expert yet. Whenever I bring my camera, I usually take photos in the streets. Some people whenever they saw me taking pictures from afar, cover their faces or turn their faces away.

In my wanderings in the Sulu archipelago with my camera, my friend used to joke that I am “like an agent” or “an intelligence officer,” because of the thought that every person bringing a big camera is an agent. I don’t know what the terms means exactly, if it is a general term for an “agent” and “intelligent”, and if so then yes I am an agent for arts and peace. I need to be intelligent too in this case

I think they are afraid of the camera and shoot not me. In contrast, I heard of a conversation that he is not afraid of taking pictures, but just afraid of the pictures that were already taken. He has pictures of his friends, family and his on the walls of his room.

He feels like the pictures are looking at him. He hardly dresses up in his room because he felt the person in the picture can see him. It’s strange, I think. If the people are just shy of someone taking pictures or looking at pictures there must be something related to psyche.

Some people also get headaches by looking at certain images or pictures. If possible they will ask the people to throw and remove the picture in their visibility. One religious person in a meeting room, who was going to pray, saw a picture in the wall and asked the caretaker to remove it. He is not comfortable because he thinks; he might be worshiping that image, not Allah. The caretaker removed it to consider his Islamic belief. The caretaker was not Muslim.

What is this phobia or fear look like if you describe it physically and what do you think is the name of this phobia? There is one, a fear of visual called “photophobia”, but somewhat it only relates to the effect of lights that hit the eyes.

Whatever it is, one of the fears of photographers is to take any person’s picture without permission, because oftentimes the best attitudes of the subjects are when you take shots of their candid characters.

While most of the people like their pictures to be taken for safety take pictures of animals and nature. It is really hard to be a photographer, but it could be very easy to be a “photorista” or a photography artist. I love you image. Layag Sug!

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