For the Love of Photography

I end my day with the best thing I love to do. This is my latest posted photo title. I titled it as such for it is what I have felt and able to rationalize what the bird must have felt during this moment. This was taken a few hours ago in SM MOA. Flying and fishing, is what I think this bird loves the best to do.

I was in Corregidor earlier for a trip but to be very accurate, only for photos. It was a very fulfilling day of photoshoot. The island is really a treasure of our country aside from its pretty site, it is an island that is full of history. After Corrigidor, my friend Richard hitched me to MOA. Running low in budget as I was I didn’t want to take a cab as CCP was a place of almost no public utility vehicles except for Taxis. I wanted to go straight home and rest after a time of sunburn, docking, walking, running, climbing from shooting here and there. Yes, it was tiring to have a trip in the island probably due to the warm weather that we have now. Yet, when I was about to go down in MOA, Rich suggested to snipe at the Ice Rink then when I’m done, it will be time for the sunset. The idea gave me a smile, Oh yeah! That is brilliant. So I did just that. Sniping at the Rink but I was early for the sunset. So I had the 2nd degree sunburn in the baywalk along MOA. I can’t believe I am so tan right now! Nevertheless, all of these have not stopped me from doing what I love to do the best. Shooting..or Photography to be accurate. This time, I have discovered that one of the hardest things to shoot are the birds. They have really caught my eye and I wanted all the details I could get from them but it was not easy. I have to shoot 20 to 50 only to get 2 or 3 stunning shots. I went home with aching feet, legs, shoulder, right arm, right fingers, and right eye. All were caused by Nikky. For us, there is such thing as rant when we don’t like what we do, but when it thrills you, no one can stop you. Will the global financial crisis stop me from upgrading our gear? I doubt it if there’s no big reason for it. Will my aching arms and feet stop me from getting the best angle for one single photo? Again it is a no. Will your aching shoulders, stop me from bringing 1 flash, 1 camera, 3 lenses, 6 batteries , lens hood and a diffuser to maximize the use of my DSLR? It is an unending no my friends for I am happy with what I do. I am fulfilled every time I squeeze that shutter release with my index finger. I am delighted for every breath taking photo that I have made. All for the love of Photography! If you, my fellow photographer, haven’t felt yet, numbness and pain from your fingers to shoulder blade in your shooting arm, then, I guess you have not shot enough.

When do I stop? I stop only when God asks me to. I stop only in my dire need to stop. But today, I am firm..there’s no stopping. But I hope to have a budget for a new external hard drive. Darn these hard drives, they get easily full when you shoot raw! LOL!

My day has really ended with the best thing I love to do..Unlike the bird, my best love is photography. Before I end, I am thinking, of all the pains of being a photographer, do our DSLR ever rant? Well, in my case, if Nikky can just speak, she would have long told me, "Jay, you love me yet you overuse and abuse me". All I can say is thank you Nikky and thank you Nikon for being at the heart of my images.

Thank you O God for photography and your perfect creation! 

Always your One Shot, One Kill Photographer,
Jay

Photographer, this is your life!

I am a photographer, and more often than not I think about the past four months that I have spent clicking that shutter or dragging that slider in Photoshop. Since I bought my first dslr last August I never looked back. Shooting anything and everything that captures my eye. It's funny I have never knew this thirst in photos until the arrival of Nikky (my D60). But don't misunderstood me, before Nikky there was Casio Exilim Compact Digital Camera and I was already shooting a lot back then. Actually, I was so disappointed when the Casio camera broke last February that I have to buy a new one again. If there was something to be thankful about it, I was only 7 days away from going back home in the country and not much left to photograph in London. March until July passed without a camera because of some concerns I needed to attend to financially. I even went to Bohol with my family but still no camera. Good thing my mom and elder sister got one on this trip. But she doesn't know where the backup cd is! Arrrgggh!

Finally, last August, I made it a point to buy a DSLR as an early birthday gift for myself in September! Wow! I got really excited! I chose Nikon for the reason that my friend Jo, (please pray for her, she's in the hospital as of this writing. Miss you Jo! Get well soon!) has inspired me with her stunning captures here. She's a D40x user and her dad is superb shooter too with his D3! See here. (The zenfolio page, I forgot). Wow D3! I should have that someday too! That was the story behind my D60. I never knew any multiply group or a good photographer's blog back then.

Today and for the past four months I never stopped shooting. Accumulating 40Gigabytes of photos with a stunning 10k shutter actuations count to date. My multiply website does not really show how much photos I got. I still have hundreds left to post process. A huge backlog it may be it does not matter, it doesn't bother me rather it exhilirates me. Every photo comes an equivalent emotion, a feeling that comes from deep within. A photo that brings in a smile, even a laughter or a smirk or even sadness and perhaps a teary eye or a shed of it. It is simply life unfolding. We photographers capture life, but how and when can we capture such when our life unfolds with every moment spent in capturing and processing? I doubt if it can be done. Nevertheless, it is really not essential. What is essential is in every photograph, it is full of emotions. For many, the lovely scenes worth remembering. Funny thing is for candid and paparrazi shots, the moments left unnoticed are emphasized and brought to immortality. For some, it brings back memories of old times. For a few, dreams that came true and dreams that are nearing our reach and even the dreams that can't be reached. Who wouldn't say that what you capture is who you are and what defines you? Beauty captured, perhaps you admire beauty and longs to be with one. For tourist attractions, you are an adventurer and longing for more. For nudity, an artist thristing for more or the desire to bring out your fiery passions. For nature, the love of it and intimate protection of mother earth. For Religion, to honor God for His marvelous creations. In fact, it is a medium of glorifying Him, to thank Him for every shot that you take, for without Him there is nothing to capture. For with Him, there is life worth remeniscing, worth the second to the nth thought, worth another thank you Lord. 

I understand we differ on perspective in photography, but for me, every image has a piece of me. Figuratively and literally. 

Literally, I don't look so good shooting. Toinks!

I go down and dirty. But yeah, if dirt or water can be avoided, the oddest position that it can be!

Taking deep breathes and going in pools of emotions and thinking.

Taking the shot on the position you learned or by instinct.

Going to the best position that you think to capture the moment.

In whatever part of the world that you may be. Either a pro or a hobbyist. A DSLR or a compact digicam user, your photo is you. Speaking in first person, my photos is what defines me. It is what makes me happy. So the next time your friend tells you, "Lahat nalang pinipicture mo!" (You're photographing everything!) or your mom tells you, "Pati ba naman yan pinipicturan mo!?" (Why are you photographing even that?!)..tell them, this is my life and who I am. I express myself thru photos, I make the pretty even prettier, the beautiful to exemplary, the mundane..extraordinary..the ugly perhaps acceptable (lol!), the unnoticed..immortalized.

 

It is a passion that brings out life, that brings back the past life and the present. Photography is life. An extraordinary passion. For you, what is photography? Why do you shoot?

Whatever it is, keep on shooting!

Photographer, this is your life!

Always passionate,

Jay

All photos are courtesy of IJ Molina, my fellow shooter friend. Thanks Ayj for always shooting me.