How do you express your thoughts and impressions through an image?
Is it the photographer's feelings? Or is it the feeling of the subject or atmosphere of the environment?
Does it matter?
For me, each preparation to get out to take a photo usually ends up in vain. No, don't get me wrong.. I still go out.. I still take the photos... This morning, I thought that I would have a good breakfast with Lee Cher, then go for a jog around Seng Kang Park and take some photographs while I jogged (kinda like the group in the movie "Yes Man"), and no it did not happen... So I did what a "trying to be optimize time" guy does.. I scouted what I wanted to shoot, then return to shoot it after. More than 100 shots later, the best shot of the day is the first photo above. And it was a shot pointed out by Lee Cher as I was shooting the 90th shot of a bug-eaten leaf. Finally, for today, total number of shots taken 143, published shot ... 1.
It then dawn on me that there were many other days where my photography outing ended up in the same way. A day of kite flying with many kites captured by my camera. But in the end, the one I really liked, was the one where Lee Cher flew a kite with no one else in the picture. Was she really lonely? Not really... but was she enjoying her time of solitude? Yes I am sure.
One more photograph that is very treasured by me was the one that I took at the Singapore GP 2010. I thought I needed fast lenses with fast ISOs, but eventually.. the treasured shot had nothing to do with the mean machines, but the one of a performer from Africa, sharing his African culture... It was "Africa! Africa!"
Sometimes life is like that isn't it? Even this blog was like that.. I was finishing my "playing together" blog and was ready to go chill out in-front of the TV, but something inspired me to write about some of the pictures that I cherish because I knew I captured the moment. But as I started to gather images, I realize that all the pictures have one thing in common.. spontaneity! One can only plan so much.. stick to your plan, but be ready to adapt and be flexible.. Take what you planned and make the best out of it. Sometimes, it is the one who didn't plan, who will get (or help to get) the day's reward..
Enjoy spontaneity spontaneously!
This is a very well written blog. I enjoy your sharing about spontaneity. But I think there is more.
ReplyDeleteSome works relay more on intuition than plans. Taking photos is one of them. But without the prior preparation, you will never reach the level of intuition at that moment in time. For example, what prompts you to take that shot at that time? Something must have triggered you. That something, in my opinion, comes from your preparation.
You may not know it too. Some preparations are done sub-consciously. It is like cycling. Once you learn how to do it, you intuitively do it without thinking. The same goes for doing something creative.
The point I am trying to get to is spontaneity doesn't really happen spontaneously. It happens because you have prepared yourself for it subconsciously. It may appear spontaneously but it is actually not.