Perfecting
I remember those magic moments of photography when I didn’t think about the finished product but just focused on how much I wanted an image. The results were usually a surprise: lighting and composition were spot-on, it seemed as if the camera read my thoughts.
But the more I analyse the process of creating a photographic image, the less magical it feels. There’s so much to consider: light, framing, exposure especially. Things assumed to be automatic after a few years with a film camera that gave me no idea of what to expect. The camera is after all a mechanical tool, albeit extremely intelligent in these days.
It’s time to hold the reins tighter, exercise more control and use the camera and stop expecting random surprises. It’s time to make things happen, but improvement or unexpected results are welcome to occur despite extreme control.
Buttery
A former lemon butter jar filled with unorthodox plastic neon toothpicks.
Working in a photography studio has forced me to rethink the process of photography. A lot. In summary, a studio environment is very different to that of a hobbyist in the sense that the former is extremely fast-paced and things need to be done all the time: photos have to be post-processed, proofed, printed, proofed again, and sent to sub-contractors for framing/mounting. There is no chance to get it wrong, but fortunately digital photography has made it extremely easy to take hundreds of photos and choose the top ten percent. It’s extremely stressful most of the time, deadlines loom and expectations are high.
I had been intimidated by the more seasoned photographers, as they have built a good collection of work that represent perfect execution and an established train of thought leading up to execution. Working with such people should mean that I’m inspired to take more photographs, but no, such was my feeling of intimidation and ineptitude that I procrastinated greatly, choosing to post-process and manage job files all day long instead of spending half that time practising and executing what I’d watched and learnt, had been taught to do with much attention to detail.
It was the feeling of severely low self-confidence, that I would never take photographs like that because I’m too much of a perfectionist to even hop up the first rung of the ladder, choosing only to hold it steady for those who were halfway or even near the top. Practice makes perfect, and I really should practise lots because these are days without deadlines; when those days of project briefs and deadlines arrive I have to be, must be wholly prepared.
Here’s to more days of practice, especially after next week when my schedule clears up dramatically at the end of the semester. As said before, it’s been stressful trying to split my time between study and work, so hopefully the spirit of determination returns and brings something good soon.
Just Looking
I’ve been a little short of words lately, as most of what I do at work comprises of image editing, printing and more image scrutinising. I hardly have time to take pictures but I’m going to make use of newly found skills learnt at work to play with photos in Photoshop more often.
A pause in the morning walk with Ms Haremones at Sungei Buloh.
The obligatory camera-in-hand mirror shot with my “new” 1N, formerly Ms Haremones’s. I have coveted that camera for a long time and was very pleased to be placed in its charge when Ms Haremones decided that it was time to go fully digital. More Ektachrome photos, I hope!
That reminds me of the undeveloped Tri-X and Velvia 100F still in the fridge. I can’t remember what they are anymore.
Canon EOS 1N, Portra 400VC, 50mm 1.4.
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