So I guess I'm just checking in here with a little life update which I hardly ever do on this space now, but which I would like to do more of.
I have recently pored over two photography books which were inspiring in the sense that they make me think more about the photographs I take (and that having a less than pro camera doesn't make me any less serious about documenting and recording sights) The first book was Blind Spot by Teju Cole. In the words of his foreword author, Siri Hustvedt, his photos "emphasize the pedestrian". I like how the texts complement the photos, so socially woke with its layers of meaning that they all seem to come together to prompt a single action. To instigate. To single-handedly unearth buried truths long forgotten. Then, to remember. And also, I just like how the photos deviate from the mainstream (some POV that I don't think I would have considered if that particular sight was to fill up my eyes) The second book was A Photographer's Life by Jack Dykinga. The book in essence traced his imagery journey from his photojournalist days to being a landscape photographer / evangelist. I think alot of parts reek of egotism but I enjoy the wisdom to be gained from his experiences. Consider this. Total elapsed time for photography: ten seconds. Total elapsed time for scouting image potential: one week. All for the pursuit of honest imagery. To pay attention to the corners when it comes to image composition. To race against sunrise and sunset because timing is everything. To always search and never compromise.
Before I got together with Z, I didn't understand why people are so obsessed with getting increasingly sophisticated equipments. I felt like I can still take good photographs with my iPhone (even though I also owned a semi-pro Panasonic back then). I mean the best camera is the one that you have with you, isn't it so ??? But Z mentioned something about getting sharp details. And when I was flipping through the pages taking in Jack Dykinga's landscape photos, it occured to me that phone cameras will not give me images as clear as these when I blow up their size. That maybe my iPhone is really only good for social media content but not if I want more. So I guess I had compromised before on that technical front (have since changed to a semi-pro Sony I really love taking pictures with this camera) and I might still be very lacking when it comes to technical knowledge, but I hope I continue to take honest photos that continue to speak to me even after years have lapsed.
So this post is about photos and yet not photo-centric at all hahaha. Till next time, xx