I figured it out!

I attended the NCC workshop for Judging yesterday. It is a workshop that discusses what judges should look for in competitions, and since I do not intend to be judge for now, the information was very helpful for self-assessments.

It is funny how things come about sometimes. In my earlier posting< i was rambling about this elusive satisfaction in my subjects. Notice I sought dissatisfaction in the subject not the content. I thought of far-away places to capture an impressive image.

Yesterday, I realized it is not going to far-away places to capture a memorable picture. Well, it can, in many ways such as photographing a very unique habitat, or culture or event. But, what I was grappling about was found in understanding the methods of photography.

Let us take one heavy criterion of judging, Impact/Appeal : what is the first impression? Did it hold the viewer's eye? Did it affect the viewer emotionally? spiritually? Did it communicate a meaning? Some pictures can be so strong, but in many cases may not be appealing. It is not something one would hang on the wall and see it everyday. I think of war pictures. Urban depression. Human turmoil. Subjects like these impacts, but are not appealing.

It was impact that I was struggling with, but not finding it in everyday subjects is a limitation that I brought upon myself. I can capture impact from a cup and a saucer, if I manipulate lighting, apply technique, create a story with my composition, use my own style, highlight the character of the subject..there are many methods to make an ordinary subject possess impact. A cup and saucer is ordinary enough, and subjects that people do not think about, but the challenge in great photography is capturing ordinary subject in a perspective that creates strong impressions.

I was impatient with my craft due to my own limitations, that inhibit my creativity... I am glad I attended the workshop that did not cost me a penny. A well-spent Saturday with my fellow photography enthusiasts.

Dream of far away places and faces

I just updated some photos.

It has been challenging for me lately to find subject that turns me on. After my trip to China, I have been looking for more dimension and stories that comes with the pictures. Yes, there will always be still subjects, flowers, sunrise-sunsets, they are all beautiful. Tibet was absolutely glorious, I want more of that.

I have been thinking of starting a project (great, here is another one). Something about people, it seems, People, photojournalism subjects are full of stories. I do not know why, India has always been on my mind. We had a culture photographer come to present her book in our group one evening, her pictures were amazing. She photographed India and Borneo. She traveled and lived in India for 6 months, lived and breathed the culture... she became the adopted daughter practically. I cannot remember her name now, her book on Vegas was just released.

Anyways, I do not know where this yearning and discontent is coming from. I do not know if photographers go through this discovery stage... what their language is, what they speak for, what they dream of. Something about human drama always moved me. The picture of a girl walking on the road, naked, after her town was just naplamed, is a bit too strong. I remember going to the museum in Ho Chi Minh city... there are more dramatic pictures to be seen there. I am not talking about that intensity. I guess I am talking about any emotion, captured in picture. Capturing, is what photography all about.

Perhaps I will explore this idea further.

Background, Foreground-DOP

When we were in Tibet. the innocence of a child and a an aged person can be seen in both faces. It is in their culture, the sublime spirituality and the serenity is unfathomable. Yet, it takes a great eye to see this as a photographer, this is what separates photojournalism, looking at your lover's face is different as you would look at a stranger. But, the connection is deep empathy. If a photojournalist have empathy, she can detect the subtle stories in the faces. If I can only spend at least a month in Tibet, and just take pictures, and really immerse in that culture. It would show me a lot of human character and journeys. Lots of story. Wow.


Thomas (guy in red jacket) took great pictures while we were in Nepal, Tibet, he had a knack on capturing stories in the picture. He would take pictures of beggars, children. He was a novice, sometimes his exposures are not right, but I can tell from the he angles, the subjects he takes and the surrounding symbols in the picture. I told him he is great in photojournalism, and not everyone can do that. There are landscape, commercial, still, many types. But, I gravitate between nature and photojournalism. I like stories. Even nature, depending how you shoot it, tells amazing stories.


And photos can capture that, or that is if the photographer has the eye to recognize the story behind a face.

When you take a picture, the foreground is your main subject and the background is your support characters. The main subject is the main story and the background tells what the subject is doing and where it is happening. This is why DOP is important, it relates, links your main subject to its surroundings, and supports your story in the picture. But, there are faces and subject, persons that can tell ages and ages, dimensions of humanity, with just a glance. I remember one picture of this face on Life magazine, the piercing eye of this woman, and it just blew me away. Her picture is her story, her face is the muted voice. I cant help but remember the vision, and guessing what the real story was, but the emotions that it evoked must have been riveted forever to many people that have seen that Life Mag cover.