Subconscious writing
This is an attempt at writing down my thoughts as they come to me. The idea of subconscious writing alludes me. These words, where are they coming from? When have I heard them, or thought of them? Is it possible that just the act of writing brings them into existence? Which brings me to the question, why do we do the things we do? Where do thoughts and ideas come from? How am I and what makes me; me?
The Power of Creative Exploration
Consistency, repetition, limitations, or limited creative exploration creates genius. Hear me out on this one. Think about great artists and writers. Their limitations are the medium they use for expression. Their consistency is the genre or style in which they use their medium of choice. Then consistently; practising that particular medium. Getting better, while also pushing that medium and exploring it within their style. That is the fine line you have to walk to create masterpieces, and where true genius comes from.
Buy the camera you'll use, not the camera you want.
I see too many photographers worry about their gear over capturing the image. As photographers we love gear, we love buying it, talking about it, reading about it and writing about it. Owning, researching and showcasing photography gear in itself is a hobby. I've met so many photographers with far better and newer gear than me. Amateurs normally have better gear than me. But I'll tell you one thing, I'm not afraid to use it, and sacrifice my camera if I must for that perfect shot.
It's not the person behind the camera that is important, but the person in front of the lens that is.
A lot of photographers are forgetting this one important aspect of a photographer. That photography, the person or subject should be more important than the photographer. We are not celebrities, we are not talent, we are not history. We are storytellers, archivers, and documenters.
I grow up without knowing I had dyslexia
I’m 36 at the time of this writing. I started reading books in my mid 20’s. I only started writing and learning to write once I created this blog. It’s a hard thing to bring into into light because I don’t want to be known for it, or pitied. I have dyslexia and auditory processing disorder, and I only found this out in my 30s. All this time I have been struggling and not even comprehend or understood that I'm different. I thought I was just dumb, slow or stupid but I'm not. Here is my story about what it’s like to grow up with dyslexia and auditory processing disorder without even knowing it.
How to backup your photographs
When it comes to our photos these images are a livelihood. They keep the lights on and food in our bellies. People would say that gear is the most important aspect of photography. But I would say you can replace a camera or a lens. An image only happens once in a lifetime. That moment is everything, and protection should be a priority for us photographers. This is how I back up my images and recommend you should too or at least try and do at least two of my suggestions. But again, your life, your moments and do with them as you please.
Poem - Steel lands
God rays bounce off steel mirrorsEveryone walking in digital prayerSuited monks on their daily pilgrimage…
How reading books made me a better photographer
Over the past year, I fell away from photography, I did it for a job daily. When it came to my personal work I completely stopped. I no longer cared about a camera on my person when I walked out the front door. I stopped reading books and stopped working out. I did my job and went home, and my personal drive for development and creativity dried up. It wasn't until I started reading books again that something changed.
Time doesn't exist
Our world is run on a clock, be it the time we get up too and go to work, to the dates of events like our birthday or celebration, to the sessions of our crops and weather conditions. I would say these events are just that events and only we put a measurement on them that is dictated by where we are rotating around the sun, and spinning on this rock. Nothing more than our attempt at controlling something that doesn't exist in the first place. There is only entropy, that shows time passing. No causation no passing of time
The dangers of aspiring to be a perfect person
Be it a healthy person regarding fitness, eating habits. Being it a time-efficient hustler, and productive person. Or be it minimalist, aspiring to consume less and aspire to have only long-lasting high-quality items. To the spiritual or person of faith that preaches their belief without request. There is something about these people that isn't quite right. Something about somebody that labels themselves as (insert aspiration here), that rubs me the wrong way and that is they are generally speaking assholes.
Romanticism
I'm attracted to the romanticism of academia and minimalism from the 1960s-70s. I can't help it, but be drawn to these aesthetics. Film photography, writing in journals with an ink pen, reading physical books, drinking tea or simple talking walks and talking about philosophy. So why is it that we struggle to let go of the past or hold onto the past as if it was better than where we are now? To put it simple why do we romanticise the past?
The best point-and-shoot camera I've owned
I've been around for a while; all 36 years, and during that time I've accumulated and used a number of point-and-shoot cameras, from the film days to the adoption of digital. And I can honestly say after using, Yashica, Ricoh, Leica, Fuji, Kodak, Olympic, Canon & Contex my favourite point-and-shoot camera can be summed up into these categories; ease of use, quality, features and size. It would have to be the…
What's in my camera bag
Like all of us, I carry around a few things every day in my bag. Be it going to work, for a walk or trip. I wanted to share what I can't leave home without, why I choose these particular items, for everyday use and the essentials I need when leaving the house.There is something about having a neckless or watch that you wear every day and that one day you forget it you feel naked. Like something is off; not quite right. And these few items I can't leave without, I would rather be late leaving the front door than going outside without them. It's not that I need them to live or for my job, but rather for comfort. Like a morning coffee or newspaper. Here they are in no particular order.
Walking to work
After dealing with a period of depression I decided to go back to my roots and the way things were. And one of the transitions was walking to work again in the morning. Now walking to work is a privilege I know this. At the same time, it is tremendously time-consuming. I lose about two hours of my day walking, where I could save that by driving to work or taking public transport. But the time vs cost against reward is so worth it and where is what I get out by adding 2 hours of me to my commute.
Does having all this photography gear make me a good photographer?
Does having the latest gear, or the best or a large amount of gear make you a better photographer? Everything you see in this photo I use daily for my commercial work. This gear is an asset that helps me make a living. But does it make a good photographer?
Let your subconscious take over your photographs
Once you subconsciously realise that when you are taking photos without a desire or theme; it's then when we go through our edit and our archive that we start to see melodies throughout our work. Be a spectator to your instances, and let go of theory, rules and guidelines. That is when you start to notice your voice was there all along hidden in your spontaneous subconscious mind.
Queen Elizabeth II's and the cameras she used
Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-serving monarch. She died at age 96, after reigning for over 70 years. To honor, her life as photographers let's look back on what cameras she used over the years. As she was an ardent photographer.
Photography is selling us a lie
When it comes to what photography is predominantly used for in our society, documentation; or to put it simply to sell us a feeling or product. An extraordinary amount of advertisements focus on three emotional components to manipulate us. This idea is that whatever they are selling will bring us happiness, love, status or luxury. But advertisements wouldn’t work well if they focused on what we really need. Is advertisement or our focus photography selling us a lie?
The great debate
Film vs Digital. Full frame vs Cropped sensor & fixed vs zoom lenses. Which is best and which one should you use or get? I'm going to put this debate to rest with real-world states and in-field options from professional uses.
A fresh start
A new system and a fresh start. These past two years I had a News Years resolution to do less, and play more. What I didn't realise was that what I stopped doing was what brought joy to my life. And playing games isolated me more and removed me from responsibilities. So like a good person in a capitalist society I purchased a new/old camera.