A Picture

My sister had her graduation ceremony yesterday. It was a joyous occasion for her. Her 4 years of labour, time and late nights were all for this day. She is the most hardworking student I've ever seen in my life and I am proud of her achievement.
On a day like this, there will be hundreds of cameras snapping away. Some are the digital point-and-shoot cameras while others have the hardcore DSLRs. A typical 'kiasu' sister like me was dubious about my sister bringing just her point-and-shoot camera. I thought that was mediocrity. I have to lug my Nikon D40 along.
So, the shooting begun. Somewhere towards the end of the day, my sister had the chance of taking a photo with one of her classmates. Her friend hired a professional photographer to take her graduation photos. I asked the photographer to show me one of the photo he took and there on his camera's display screen was a picture that looked surreal and professional. At that moment, I wished I had his camera, his speedlight and his gadgets. I thought it might be the camera that could produce something like that. I tried to hide away my seemingly unexceptional camera in case he knows I am just using an entry-level DSLR.
In the end, I felt ashamed of myself; not because I owned a less superior camera but I have lost the focus of why I was in love with photography in the first place! An expensive and topnotch camera can produce the highest quality photos but I think the best picture is one that can paint a thousand words. It is one that when you look at it, it's poetic; it's indescribable; or it simply brings out the heart of the image.
My favourite photo of the day taken with my humble and cherished D40 was this:



It may be an ordinary photo to some but to me, this picture captured my sister's joy while hugging her best friend who had journeyed with her throughout the 4-years course.
Her happiness was contagious. Their smiles were perfect. And I think this picture can paint a thousand words of their uncontainable joy that day.