The Beginning of My Photography Journey
(And The Reasons I'm Very Passionate About It)
Reading time: 10 minutes
My love for photography is not by accident. My dad has influenced me to some extent. From a very young age, I remembered my dad taking our family portrait at home. He always carries this huge camera bag that is bigger than me at that time. When I was about 8 years old, I start to become curious about my dad's camera. I asked him whether I can borrow it for my school's retreat, so I can take some photos with my friends. Without hesitation, he denied my request. I was upset at that time. But now, I realized why he won't allow me to touch his cameras.
I was mischievous and gave my parents lots of trouble back then. My favorite TV show at that time was MacGyver. I always try to do his tricks, such as unlocking the car with metal wire, and of course, I failed. Instead, I snapped the metal wire inside the key slot, and my mom was unable to unlock the car (back then, no such thing as a remote key). Not only the car, my dad's radio, my mom's microwave, my sister's toy, and many other kinds of stuff around our house have been the victim of my 'autopsy' to feed my curiosity. It makes total sense that my dad won't let me borrow his camera as it is very likely that I won't return it in one piece. Even though my dad refused to lend me his camera, I still manage to sneak into his room and steal his Nikomat camera.
My Dad's Camera: Nikomat EL
Without any knowledge on using an SLR camera, it is no surprise that 90% of the photos were total failures. The failure doesn't stop me. I saved up some money to get my own point-and-shoot camera so that I don't need to sneak out and steal my dad's camera (he hasn't found out that I steal his camera to this date). Taking photos with my own camera start to grow my interest in photography, but yet, I'm not sure why.
Eventually, I learned photography in depth through a photography class in college. I learned not only about using the camera but also the techniques of developing and printing the pictures in the darkroom. The wonder of the chemical reactions in the darkroom sparks great interest in photography in me. Since then, I became a photography nerd.
My head was always filled with questions about photography, including the philosophical side of it. I realized that most of us are overindulged by the development of digital photography. We took countless photographs with our phone camera or digital camera. But why we do so? Most of those photographs will soon be forgotten and become digital noise either on our devices or on the internet. The value of photography has been diluted. I started to question myself. Why I'm so in love with photography? Was it the result? Was it the ability to capture memories? Was it the gear?
Through self-reflection, I found out that what I enjoy the most from photography is the over-all process and the learning I get throughout the journey. Here are some of the reasons I took pleasure and fall in love with photography:
Creative Problem Solving
Exposure is the key to photography. I don't mean exposure to fame and the number of likes on Instagram, but the light exposure. Getting the right amount of light to draw the image. The very basic fundamentals of exposure lies on three main components: exposure time, aperture, and ISO (ASA). We need to adjust the metering to strike the perfect balance. Today's digital cameras are equipped with auto mode. All we have to do is press the shutter button. It turned us into a lazy photographer. Understanding the exposure and shooting manual force me to make active decisions all the time. I have to learn how to use every single knob and button on the camera. But why don't I just use the auto mode? Using manual mode unlocks many creative potentials. Instead of taking flat images, I can be creative with the exposure. Creating silhouette, high-key, low-key, isolating the subject of my photograph, emphasizing the story, and many more. Capturing a picture is like a mini problem-solving situation. I need to understand the condition, envision (visualize) the image, and get the right settings on my camera. I need to understand the problem, the goal, and the ways to do it.
Convey moving objects: This can only be achieved through manual adjustment of low shutter speed. Emphasizing objects' movement will create a more powerful story.
Planning & Risk Mitigation
Just like any other task, capturing photographs required preparation and understanding of the process and appropriate tools to do the work properly. I believe many photographers out there, at some point in their life, experienced regrets. Not having the right equipment and missed the opportunity to snap a good photograph. But then, why don't we just carry everything? Photographic tools are heavy. I know from experience, lugging too many photographic gears will wear you down to the point that you don't have the energy to press the shutter button anymore. Afraid of missing out on opportunities for great pictures, I climbed the Yellow Mountain for ten hours with 30 kg (66 lbs.) of photographic gears on my back. The result is a sore body with no quality pictures. Learning from this experience, I always do my research before any trip and plan ahead on which necessary pieces of equipment will support my work. What type of photographs will I take? Do I need an ultra-wide lens or a telephoto lens? How many rolls of film should I bring? Which film roll will work best for this type of environment? Understanding how each of the equipment works is imperative to get the result as I planned it while being effective and efficient at the same time. I apply the same principle to everything I do: knowing the goal, understanding the challenges, and preparing the right tools to do the task.
Understanding the tools: SCUBA diving involved some inherent risks. Carrying too much equipment will increase the risk and prevent us from maneuvering freely underwater. However, taking underwater photographs has its own challenges, such as low light environment, backscatter, and color loss due to depth. To produce good images, we need to understand the challenges ahead of time and prepare the right tools to overcome those challenges.
Quick and Calculated Decision Making
Among different types of photography, street photography is one of the genres I enjoy the most. I consider street photography as one of the most authentic representation of the story. Faithful street photography is never staged or scripted. It is full of unexpected moments. No matter where I go, I always find something new and exciting to shoot. I learned to be more authentic and less concerned about altering my persona. I used to hesitate about taking pictures of strangers. However, I realized that taking the risk to actually approach them might reward me with authentic photographs. Yet, I also learned to be respectful of others. Some people are not comfortable with a stranger taking their picture, and I should respect their feeling. Also, I need to have a quick reaction to capture the moment that might disappear in a split-second. Being quick to react does not equal carelessness. There are boundaries that we need to respect. No matter how great the picture might be, I should never put myself and others at risk. Street photography taught me to be respectful, dare to take the risk, and yet, quick to decide and always measure the risk.
Split-second decision: During my travel to Cape Coast, Ghana, I saw a group of young kids playing along the coast, kicking and tossing their flip flop. I managed to capture the moment right before they noticed my presence. Shortly after, they realized that I was taking their picture and decided to approach me and greet me. We spent a moment to interact and get to know each other. Should I hesitate on taking the picture, this moment might be gone, and it won't be as authentic.
Seeing World Differently
One of the most valuable lessons I learned through photography is about the way I see things. We tend to follow our intuition to focus only on certain things. Through photography, I learned how to keep an open mind. Seeing things from different perspectives. There are times when we need to look at the bigger picture, but there are also times when we might want to focus on the details. It's easy to get distracted, letting ourselves to run on 'autopilot' and missing out on the small details that actually matter the most. Photography has taught me to slow down in the process, maintain focus on the bigger picture while taking the time to pay attention to the details. Sometimes we also need to change our vantage point, seek higher ground, walk a new path, look up, get up close, and meet a stranger. Only then do we discover new things and enjoy every moment in life.
The details and the big picture: Visiting magnificent temples in Cambodia, we are easily awed by the sophisticated structures built centuries ago. Some people may pay more attention to the colossal structure rather than the small details within. The fine details on the wall are as staggering as the structure itself. It conveys the details of the civilization that once exist centuries ago.
Be Comfortable with Discomfort And Embrace The Future with Faith
No matter what you do, do something different. I always seek to challenge myself and do something out of the ordinary. The whole point is to deliberately change my perspective so I can go back to my regular work with fresh ideas. It change the way I see things. Things that I don't even really notice. Getting out of my comfort zone through photography taught me to be friends with discomfort, both physically and mentally. Lay low on the ground, get myself wet and dirty. Approach a stranger and be comfortable with it. Staying in my comfort zone won't give me what I want. I would never have discovered that there is beauty in everything. Stepping outside the comfort zone has always produced growth.
Discover beauty through discomfort: I have to lay low on the ground, get myself wet and dirty to capture this image. My wife was laughing at me, wondering why I lay on the sand just to capture this image. She get the answer once the film was developed and she saw the result. I was focusing on the future. The picture that I want to create. The beauty of the color transition from the sky to the ground.
Many other reasons that made me very passionate about photography. I will share more in details through another story in this journey. Anyone can learn something from the things that they are doing. My goal for writing this story is to encourage more people to start growing and learning from the things they love. There's beauty in everything, and all we have to do is keep an open mind and begin to enjoy every little moment in life.