A few words to describe the photos which have appeared on my front page.
Southeast Asia Travel Photography Book
As my travels in Southeast Asia are soon coming to an end after eight months, I have replaced the black and white photo (seen below) which was taken on Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam during the first month of my trip.
In anticipation of my self published travel photography book on Blurb.com I created this promo image to greet all website visitors who arrive to my website via the homepage.
I really like this photo because all elements complement each other, colors shapes, subject placements, the upward angle and of course the smiling little monk very accurately sums up the Laos / Southeast Asia experience.
Only time will tell what message or feeling my book will convey and if there is any interest in some wanting to purchase it. Someone told me just yesterday (sounding a bit defeated) that he feels the travel photography and coffee book market is very competitive; not to mention instant access to millions of photos on Flickr.
I could not agree more and my only reply was that the photos have to be very special, perhaps coming from the heart or having some undeniably captivating quality which draws in the viewer.
My photos do have that affect on me; I do not mean the photos posted in my blog, those are snapshots. Purposefully I have not showcased my favorite travel photos from my trip on this website, they are being saved for future book and poster publication.
I do not usually change my main images often so this photo will stay probably until my book is ready to be purchased.
Vietnamese Boy In Classroom
I found this small elementary school at the end of a busy market in Duong Dong on Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam. There were only two classrooms with an eatery in the courtyard overshadowed by large trees.
This was a perfect setup because while I was eating I could scout the location and as the kids peeked out of the classroom noticing me they became a bit more used to having me around.
This picture “took itself” that is one of the reasons I like it; as I was eating I saw this one kid in the doorway listening to the teacher, I framed the photo and took one shot.
It was clear while looking through the view finder that this first picture was as good as it would get.
Another thing I like is that there are many straight lines in the photo that give it a nice geometry which is offset be the figure of the boy.
Old Cyclo Driver In Saigon Vietnam
This photo of a cyclo driver was the first one I took in Saigon, Vietnam that I really liked. I was photographing a large market in the Go Vop district which is not frequented by tourists.
The kindness and generosity (the willingness to be photographed) of the people made taking pictures a lot easier and a lot more fun.
As I was walking around I noticed the old man in the photo waiving at me asking me to take his picture. I knew right away that he was a great subject but still being new at travel photography I got a bit nervous about not getting at least one photo right.
I took about 10 photos at different focal lengths, varying the orientation of the image and the contents of the background.
I choose this picture for its simplicity, a different photo will be used in a separate blog post which has a busier backdrop giving more context to the picture.
Travel, street and people photography is so different from model photography; there is a learning curve I must be willing to accept. Models understand the need for extra shots often taking many seemingly identical photos of the same setup.
It is rare that there is a chance to take several shots of an everyday person without making them feel self conscious. They may think they are doing something wrong or the photographer may seem confused or unsure (to them) while adjusting minor details and keep re-shooting.
My own way of handling situations like this is to slow down, if I feel I have a chance to take a dozen or more photos by not rushing I try to convey I know what I am doing.
Quite often this works best, rather than taking as many paparazzi style rapid fire shots as possible which is intimidating even in the fast paced western culture.
Hand Over Face
This is probably one of my all time favorite photos. It is on my business card and as the background on my MySpace page.
The shoot with Sylvia took place on lava rocks nearby Hanauma Bay on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.
I was taking a quick break between shots contemplating what to do next. I do try to plan out shoot details out but even if I am successful coming up with concepts often I forget to use them during the shoot. One of the appeals of this photo for me is the fact that it is unplanned. This gives me much encouragement in case if I have few ideas before a shoot or if I draw a blank during a session. Inspiration and great unexpected pictures are just around the corner!
So as I was standing above my muse Sylvia I lifted up my hand to shield her eyes from the strong midday sun.
What you see on the photo is what I saw (except on the hand in the photo is hers).
Her small hand did not shied the sun very effectively, she mentioned later how much eyes were hurting but she is a tough girl and for the sake of the creating together she did not say a word during the shoot. I told her never to do that again but I was glad we got this photo without permanent eye damage!
A Good Hard Look
This photo was taken during my first modeling photo shoot of 2007.
For some time I had not been feeling very passionate about modeling portfolio photography. I had not been able to produce the images I envisioned and during these past months I had the opportunity to blame every personal and outside factors imaginable.
This picture had special meaning because it is time for me to take a good hard look into the mirror and see how to precede with my photography. I definitely will not be going down a road which leads nowhere! I am looking forward to the next few weeks and months with an open mind and optimism.
It is not easy to switch photography styles but the process does have exciting elements which is discovering a previously unknown world.
A few more words about my latest decision here: I Am The Best Photographer In The World!
Mongolian Beauty
Originally from Mongolia, Ocsi lives in Budapest; I was very happy to have a chance to shoot with her.
I am drawn to models with natural beauty which I describe as:
- a head-turner on the street. males and females both look and stare, sometimes car accidents happen around them.
- cannot take your eyes off of her or her photos. let it be magazines, prints, books or a computer monitor I love studying and spending time looking at pictures I like. I can look at them easily for 5 minutes or longer and have a great time.
- after waking up the model does not need 2 hours and 50 different products to get ready. the need for this daily total make over can have different reasons: low self esteem, covering up signs of damage of drinking history, drug use, too much sun or mistreated hair.
- no plastic parts. cosmetic surgery is of course OK within reason and for a good reason. but we all know many envy and everyone appreciates when a model is all natural.
The location was the apartment of a photographer, it was not a studio just 2 medium-small rooms, a kitchen and a balcony.
A few of the apartment’s features were promising at first sight. The orange walls and purple curtains of the living room, decent sized windows and a couch covered with sheep skin.
For this set up we chose a simple nice top for Ocsi to wear which contained the colors of the wall and curtains in it. Ocsi is an experienced model but still very natural making up her own stories, poses, emotions and going with the flow.
Light was provided by the window, a weak light from the ceiling which made no difference probably and a flash. The flash had a diffuser dome on it not to be too harsh.
I enjoy working mainly or only with natural light. It was funny to hear again the usual question from the photographer who owned the apartment: “how many lights are you using”? And equally funny to see his face and reaction when I said just natural and sometimes flash.
Another question is if I use big lights. I just say no to leave it at that but what I wish to say is yes I do! I do use big lights! The biggest one in the solar system called the sun, let it be direct sunlight, a shade or overcast sky.
He will convert his apartment soon into a studio with carefully calibrated lighting setups. Studio photography has it’s place and it is great. I find it a bit visually steril also boring for both model and photographer to work in also it can be intimidating for beginning or amateur models. In the case of big budget jobs studio photo shoots are of course the most professional and highest quality.
The famous saying comes to mind: “there is no bad light only bad use of it”. I could not agree more. A photographer blaming the light is like a painter blaming the paint. It is the lamest excuse.
I enjoy looking at this photo for many reasons:
- it has natural hair light. usually achieved by using a separate studio light aimed at the hair just for this purpose.
- a nice 3D effect by light falling on part of the forehead, one cheek and the nose, shoulder and arm. this is easily achieved by changing not the light source like in a studio but by changing the model’s position
- quality background. the orange wall. it was there. we used it.
- beautiful relaxed dreamy expression. it makes the photo for me regardless of any other detail.
Innocence Lost
This photo is a random snapshot capturing a split second of the life of a Hawaiian boy and it has a special meaning for me.
The picture was taken on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii on the pier next to the Honolulu Zoo. It is a favorite place for tourists to wave and people watch and for locals to boogie board and hang out.
As I was sitting on the pier enjoying the sights and sounds I noticed a kid screaming off of the pier at his friends who were in the water below. While yelling he was walking up and down on the edge of the pier with his back haunched over, his shoulders dropped and his head down clearly very upset.
I have been taking snapshots and candids on that day and as I heard him yelling I turned towards him, put him in the frame and took one photo of him to capture his anger.
The whole yelling incident took perhaps 15 seconds and after taking the picture I did not think much of the photo or what I saw.
I was using black and white film and when I received the prints this photo really stood out with its simplicity, contrast and story.
As I was looking at the photo with the boy’s head hanging down, shoulders slouched he almost looked like an old man after a long hard life or like a boy carrying the weight of the World on his shoulders.
I thought: Innocence Lost!
The boy was around 7 years old, life at this age already has its growing demands, fitting in at school with teachers, getting along with friends, pier pressure, living up to everyone’s expectations let it be family, good grades or behaving exactly how society says is the norm.
Just a couple of years earlier the boy’s life was much easier and happier but these are the years when innocence is lost.
Seems like the first half of life is a continuing loss of innocence and the second half is trying to find it again.
One aspect of my photography is to capture innocence which is never completely lost in anyone. What happens as it is lost is another fascinating subject.
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May 29th, 2007 at 10:02 am
The ideas in the life are importent. But life is short.