Sometimes, you just got to have fun
You cannot always be sending serious messages to the universe.
Albert Camus, Seriousness & Fun
Unleash Your Creativity: Break Free from Photography Norms!
I have been discussing Albert Camus and his speech, ‘Create Dangerously.’ The speech is serious and can create the impression that the artists must send
a profound message into the universe for us to consider them authentic and worthy of being presented to the public.
This injunction can weigh on an artist’s soul, making them wonder if they have said something sufficiently wise or provocative.
Do we have to be serious all the time? Why can’t we step back and have fun? Art, photography, writing, painting, and all sorts of human artistic endeavors should be fun, and when you play, the happiness can be infectious.
Our school teachers always told us to be serious and not to ‘play the fool.’ In my time, teachers often whacked us, and the whacks were not fun! Smiling when not invited to do so was dangerous, with swift reprisals!
I shot these photos from a rickshaw.
Now, I will turn my attention to these images that I shot on my last visit to Allahabad (Prayag Raj). I don’t quite remember where we were returning from, but we were quite possibly searching for food and Khusrau Bagh. The two of us sat on a rickshaw, and the rickshaw driver grumbled whenever I turned to face the traffic behind me to shoot photos. My friend was corpulent, and any movement on my part threatened the delicate center of gravity of the rickshaw, and we almost flew into the oncoming traffic a few times.
I took a few images of people on the roadside – the woman in a green sari, and the man. Then, I photographed the people in the vehicles behind us, and remember smiling and waving at some of them. We were having a jolly good time, but for my friend and the increasingly surly rickshaw driver, we may have stopped for a party.
Then, I used a Zoom Lens
After a while, boredom overtook me again, and I decided to experiment. I used a slow shutter speed on my camera and varied the focal length on my zoom during the exposure. I’ve done this a few times, and maybe it is time I put together a small portfolio of images. When you try this technique, it is impossible to predict the results, and that is part of the fun.
I’ve also done a few crazy things, like standing in the middle of traffic and photographing it with a slow shutter speed. The WWE franchise advises viewers not to try the stunts at home. Similarly, I advise against standing in the middle of the traffic with a camera. There are too many crazy people on the road, and many cannot control their vehicles. Have fun, but don’t take stupid risks. Do not try the stunts I tried!
I hope you enjoy the images. Let me know what you think.
I made the video using a mix of Canva and the Movavi Video Editor 2026. There is a fabulous Black Friday sale ongoing, so check it out!
Also, I used Topaz Photo, and there is a brilliant Black Friday Sale ongoing there, too. Check that out also!
I used the Creative Lab in Epidemic Sound to generate the music. Explore Epidemic Sound!
Rajiv,
Was able to see the video without the tab crash. Great pictures and great effects and great advice too.
Larry
Rajiv,
I couldn't see the video because the tab crashed but will try to look at it in through my laptop. I like the pictures. I don't agree with Camus because I think he was too serious. Seriousness is a relative subjective perception especially as regards worth. Existentialists protest that existence is devoid of life or whatever life it has is meaningless, capricious, numb and dumb. So everyone is stuck in the can/can't conundrum. Can't find meaning in life cause there isn't any because existence is dull and numbing and one has to live or think dangerously to make anything, anyone and themselves come alive. You probably disagree but the best way you disagree with Camus, is that you insist on having fun anyway. Which is what a guru would say to do or a Bollywood hero in their film. I think Camus was a sad chap who never watched Bollywood rom-coms of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Because he would probably not understand 3 Idiots even if it is not a rom-com (except for the small subplot). I think there is seriousness and there is life but the joy, fun and any happiness of the spiritually intense are always far more important than abject seriousness. The guru says if one is too serious one is not living in the moment as life is unspooling like a movie when curtain comes up after the doctor smacks one on the butt. So your life prompt (have fun whenever you can) is a good one. Being too serious is a thought stopper not a thought multiplier. And since life is always on the go, there shouldn't be any life stoppers like the one Camus had when he died in car crash at age 46. I wish I could have sat down with him and sorted it out. "Yar, why are you so discontent? I know you are French but my apologies, you really need to go to India and talk this out with a Guru." I agree with you having fun is a valid form of living in the moment and finding meaning and fulfillment in search of some sort of contentment. Rod Stewart was right, "Every picture tells a story." But every person tells a story in how they are, what they say and do. And also sometimes in how large a capacity they are able to have fun whether being alone or with others. So thanks so much for this post.
Larry