Even Nature gets sad... sometimes.

Even Nature gets sad... sometimes.

I saw the 'sad face' in the wood immediately through the macro lens while shooting one day. Well, I don't want to say much here... just this: to all who feels like life is just not quite on your side at the moment - this is for you.

You are not alone... even Nature thinks so! Hang on in there and believe that it will pass.

With every crack, new layers are revealed... and with every crack comes the light. Remember that.

So, Surprise Yourself Sometimes

a beautiful dancer

Any artist would know that it takes time and effort to improve in the area of art they are involved in. It could be a sport, a hobby or a profession. One of my passions is obviously photography. Those close to me know that I don't manipulate my photos other than the usual RAW workflow. (and nah, I am not riding on the high horse of the "no image manupliation" stuff) It's just not want I want to do at this stage of my photography. I blogged on this subject once but it's not the topic of the day. Moving on...

In every art, every artist eventually develops their likes and dislikes. They tend to develop their habits and style eventually. I don't think I quite have my "the style" yet but I do love macro and landscape photography and decided that I am not into lifestyle photography - people, places etc, especially people. Not sure why though, just perhaps I am not as interested in them as subjects as compared to say flowers.

Recently, in one of my learning projects about flash photography, I decided to cover a dance rehearsal of which my brother was a part of. I knew that they will be official photographers around on the actual event. I wouldn't like to intrude on another photographer's space, so the rehearsals were perfect!

And so, I set myself up, not knowing how I'll do (remember I don't shoot people) and shot away. When I came home, I loaded the pictures immediately, wanting to know how I faired in applying some of the techniques that day. I was pleasantly surprised - when I did manage to catch people at moments that is simply just beautiful to behold, the satisfaction is just electric. And when they go 'wow' at the photos later, I could just feed on it for months.

I had set myself up for a difficult assignment. I had no control over lighting except for my single flash gun. The models were obviously not stationary. I had no control over location and position of the subjects. And remember, I don't shoot people. My satisfaction was even higher as a result.

So, go surprise yourself sometimes. Go do something out of your style and norm. You might even enjoy yourself and I am sure it'll help in your usual style of art too! Now I understand why people are such good subjects! It has given me another perspective that is hard to describe... go, surprise yourself.

Morning Hues

Morning Hues

Well, 2009 is almost over. This year is full of changes for me, some good and some not so good. Just like the sunrise, life can be full of changes and we can expect loads of variety in terms of content - just like Morning Hues. It was a very cold morning and I had to get up very early which is amazing for someone who is not a morning person. The morning mist adds drama to the picture and disappears as quickly as it forms. Though life's challenges do not normally disappear as quickly as the mist, they do dissolve soon enough. We hope so anyways. So I hope this picture will inspire me and you out there of course, to just enjoy life and immerse the beautiful side of it. Happy Holidays!!

Beauty IS in the eyes of the photographer

Many enthusiastic photographers like me will at one point in time or another wonder why a seemingly good photograph doesn't get the appreciation it deserves. A photography friend once told me that he also had a stunning picture of some swans flying in the air but it only drew in some views but when he processed it through Photoshop and basically added a moon behind the swans, the same photo got a huge review.

Impact is what people look for. Dramatic effects and the wow factor. Do we really have to post process photos such that they get the huge number of audiences? I am referring to effects outside of the usual cropping, contrasting, saturation and sharpening.

Hmn, at this stage of my photography, I refuse to 'change' my photos (other than the 4 mentioned above). I may eventually one day perhaps only if it interest me to do so... who knows? But today, nope. I want my photos to just be photos even if it means missing out of spots in competitions. (Competitions shouldn't mix the two types anyways to be fair.)

To all photographers who share the same frustration, don't be. Stay true to what your eye sees and what your heart believes in, take the best photo you can and enjoy it to the fullest - it is what the photo deserves.