Overcoming the Gap in the photographer’s vision.

This post actually sat in ‘drafts’ for a few months as collecting the thoughts into a coherent piece proved pretty tough. 

A short discussion with Derrick Ong the other day set me thinking for a while. (don’t meet him if you are busy because he can make you think too much) 

Fujifilm X-T3, XF35 f1.4

As humans, we are creatures of habit, and it is never easy to ‘create’ beyond what we are comfortable with. 

Fujifilm X-T3, XF35 f1.4

Seeing the works of people like Jonas Rask whom I aspire towards, has also set me thinking about a question even the laziest enthusiast should ponder on:  

Given our limited time, how can we break from our hardened shells and evolve as a photographer?

And so I mulled on this for a few months, and a collaborative shoot with Fujifilm X-Photographer Derrick for Profoto kinda gave me an answer of sorts. Seeing how the gentleman got excited, and was seeking at every turn and moment, to make something different from the mundane as simple as an unmarked gray wall, allowed me to think deeper about what some call the ‘vision’ of the photographer. 

This was actually shot against a drab gray wall no one would even notice. Derrick added in 2 lights and a color gel & gave life to an otherwise drab shot. 

There should come a time in every self-respecting photographer’s journey where he starts to feel that:

I need to get better, to catch up, or simply to grow my craft. 

Growing one’s Vision matters. 

After recognizing this, the next step was how should I move on? I am blessed in that there are many professional photographers where I can learn by starting to simply watch them, and one of the ex-Fujifilm X photographer Aik Beng’s words came to mind. 

“Start with your backyard, one doesn’t need to travel to some exotic country to shoot nice photos. If you can turn the mundane into a visual excitement, then that is your own vision.” 

(version where I cleaned up the expletives) 

Fujifilm X-T3, XF35 f1.4

And I think this is why, after Jonas, Derrick and Aik Beng’s influences, I feel it will be good to spend a bit of time on myself instead of others and learning from the basics again so that I am not constrained by the shell that has already developed. 

And in this regard, to start by following what Aik Beng said. 

Fujifilm X-Pro3, XF18mm f2

So here’s starting again, I guess, and let’s see where we get to this time, especially after really consciously making space for myself this time over always tied up helping others with their problems. 

Fujifilm X-T3, XF35 f1.4

We all start or restart somewhere. 

Thank you for reading.