Trapper's Swamp

Sunday Rant — Photography is not a spectator sport

2012-02-05T09:44:32Z

These days everyone, their mother and their dog seem to have a digital camera of sorts. Mobile phones now sport cameras that will put compact cameras of yesteryears to shame, and you don't need to look far for an example.

Apple's iPhone 4S

And then there are entry-level DSLRs and their mirrorless (I hate that term; rangefinders don't have mirrors either, but you don't lump them together) counterparts like the Olympus E-P3, and the increasingly fashionable retro-styled cameras like the Fujifilm X100, the available-soon X-Pro 1 and the Olympus OM-D, which is styled like the old OM SLRs that were so popular in the day, have made cameras cool again. Let's not forget the march of Lomography in the minds amongst the young and hip.

Olympus' new OM-D

Let me be clear — the easy availability and accessibility of cameras is a great thing for photography. The tools have been available to the masses since Kodak made the Brownie, but now you don't even have to buy a camera to take photos, merely a mobile phone. And there are more of those than cameras.

My problem with this is not about exclusivity, or even the massive tide of meaningless photos shared on Facebook and Flickr and all the other social media sites out there, but rather about how people care more about cameras than about photography. In fact, I have nothing against people uploading yet more photos of their cats in various cute positions. Or their lunch, illuminated by ghastly fluorescent or tungsten lights. If you feel the urge to do so, go on ahead.

Even gear obsession doesn't bother me as much as people who believe they can pick up a camera and immediately become an Avedon, Leibovitz, or Cartier-Bresson. Or they can just attend a lighting workshop for a couple hours and light like Heisler or Winters. Or just bang away with their automagic-everything DSLR and think of themselves as the new Alex Webb or Abbas. Or mistake your 4000 Facebook "Likes" on your photo for something that is worth a solo gallery exhibition. Or think that they're David Burnett because they use a Holga.

Sure, photography is easy. All you need to do is point the camera somewhere and click. Or tap on the screen. But that doesn't make everyone with an iPhone and an Instagram account Chia Aik Beng. (Who is a good friend of mine and his photos constantly make me marvel "How did he do that?"). Or even Mr Brown or Chase Jarvis, both of whom has some really brilliant stuff coming out of their phones. But just because something is easy to pick up doesn't mean it is easy to master.

Photography is one of those things. It is an art augmented and supported by an understanding of science. But people miss the first part. Mastery, or even consistent proficiency, is the result of a commitment of time and discipline. Malcolm Gladwell said mastery requires 10,000 hours of practice, and he wasn't joking. Abbas' recent exhibition at the National Museum was a culmination of 45 years of work. Alex Webb's "Istanbul" contains photos taken over a period of 10 years in Turkey. Cartier-Bresson's "The Decisive Moment" is a selection of work spanning two decades, between 1932 to 1952. Annie Leibovitz spent years on the road covering The Rolling Stones.

The list goes on. If you want your photographs to sing, then you will have to keep practicing. It doesn't matter what you shoot, as long as you keep doing it, often, and preferably constantly. Learn your basics, turn it into a reflexive, instinctual thought, and keep it out of the way of taking photographs. Then just keep shooting.

Martial artists practice constantly. Racing drivers drive every day. Novelists write daily. Concert musicians practice every day. Why should photographers do any different? Why is there an aversion to doing the hard work? Do the work. Photography is not a spectator sport. Don't expect to improve if you don't want to put in the work. Weekend and armchair warriors need not apply.

Busy with work and balancing a family? Sacrifice some sleep and head out at night, just like Aik Beng. It's raining and there's nothing to shoot? Bullshit, just ask Danny Santos. Need more gear? Nonsense. Terry Richardson shoots with disposable, one-use cameras.

If you're only shooting for fun, and don't wanna hear any of this, then I'm sorry I've wasted your time that could've been spent on 9Gag or Facebook. If not, give yourself a kick in the butt, and get busy with the work. Do the work. Enjoy doing the work. The rest will follow.

Update!

2012-02-05T08:31:17Z

I haven't been writing as often as I should and I apologise; it has been a busy start to the year, and with the Lunar New Year occurring this early, in January as opposed to the usual February, family obligations take priority.

Some friends have asked what is happening to this blog, and I'll admit that I am torn between keeping the politics side open or swing it to the photography elements. Or I can just keep doing both. Over time I've realised that my photography and my politics are intertwined — they feed off and inspire each other, so I'm inclined to keep writing about both topics, if given enough time to do so, that is. It'll be an eclectic mix, but I think people might already be used to that :)

There are a couple of posts I'm working on, so you can look forward to those for a start. Happy Sunday, people.

Happy birthday, Karen

2012-01-05T07:56:18Z

I'm not very good with sweet nothings, and since I've been told this is part of my charm, I'm keeping it that way. I'll just say this: thank you for being a part of my life, for making our house a home, for being the loving daughter, mom and wife that you are, for putting up with my nonsense, for being my anchor, for keeping me sane, and for making me a better person.

Can't think of a better way to grow old than to grow old with you. Happy birthday, Karen.

PS. And never forget I'm still 22 days younger than you and will remind you every day for the next 21.

You can find photos anywhere

2012-01-05T06:54:55Z

All 6 of you who read my blog (probably an overestimation on my part) will know I went to Japan on vacation with Karen last month. This is the first time we've been to Japan, so it's really more of a recce and sightseeing trip, not a photographic-centric one. But even then, I came back with 7 rolls of colour negatives and slides and 8 rolls of Tri-X exposed, which is quite a fair bit.

What I've learnt in these years photographing is you can find photos anywhere, as long as you are receptive to it. That is more than just keeping your eyes open, it is also being ready to pounce wherever you are. I took these at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office, where they have an observation deck on the 45th floor. I certainly did not expect to shoot much more than the generic scenic scenes (I wouldn't even call them landscapes), but I was ready when the opportunities presented themselves.

Just one minute later, the elderly couple moved away and gave me this scene.

And just a few minutes later, after a quick cigarette break — they have a smoking room just one floor down, which is awesome — I found this, almost gift-wrapped, left for me to savour.

Is it luck? Of course. It's all luck. But when it happens, are you ready to catch it? Or will you just say you're unlucky?

Goodbye, 2011

2011-12-31T03:02:25Z

Gonna spend the weekend with the family and close friends, and away from the studio. This has been an eventful, if not downright tumultuous year. There has been several highs and just as many lows.

We've witnessed and participated in two elections this year, and while both were disappointing, results-wise, to me, there are signs that my fellow countrymen are slowly waking up from our political slumber. Whether that is a good or bad thing remains to be seen. We've also seen quite a bit of bad news, foreign and domestic. Japan's earthquakes and tsunami in March, followed by their nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima, are prime examples. Some would say Republicans taking control of the US House of Representatives is catastrophic too, but that is kinda overshadowed by Kim Jong Il's recent death.

Locally, we have had nothing but disaster with our public transport system melting down with the operators making deer in the headlights look like nimble ninjas. How that would work out is uncertain, but even the usually believable defenses and excuses offered up now look incompetent, and only idiotic diehards believe it doesn't need fixing or improvements.

And then there are the personal challenges, managing a business while juggling family commitments. Running a photography business is tough, especially in a climate like Singapore's, where price sensitivity is often the only thing that matters. And the business isn't the worst bits of the year; there has been other dramatic, and melodramatic, changes that are not welcome. Friendships change, people change, and sometimes it is not for the better, so in that sense I'm glad to see the end of 2011.

That said, there are plenty of things I'm thankful for. Working with fantastic professionals like Anita De Bauch and Natallia Simkina, having and gaining great clients on our side, my recent vacation to Tokyo, still having good friends who are still willing to put up with my shit, and gaining new ones, is something that does not happen too often at my age.

My photography has also improved, at least in my opinion. I appreciate the kind comments that have come from various people, from bloggers to other fellow photographers; thank you. You have no idea how much your kind words means to me, and I am grateful. I can only keep working at it to make 2012 an even better year, and hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy producing them.

Whenever the going is tough, I'll look at photos like these and I'll be just fine, because everything will be just fine. Here's wishing you a great 2012.

Black & White 100 Project - 90 of 100

2011-12-29T10:19:18Z

Uncle Soh is one of those characters who make our kopitiams (Hokkien for "coffee shop", which is a very Singaporean term to address a local eatery that obviously offers more than just coffee or tea) more colourful. He isn't particularly mobile, but after a lifelong career as a sailor, and at the age of 92, that is not unexpected.

He uses a small, red shopping cart to put the stuff he's bought from the supermarket — "for his grandchildren", he says — as support. Instead of yelling for the attendant to take his orders, he uses a whistle, and he uses it loudly. He may not seem friendly, but I've always managed to engage him in conversation, even if the chat isn't deeply personal, and always share a cigarette or two with him.

Maybe that's why he didn't say no to me taking a photo of him, in a spot he regularly occupies at the kopitiam. Some at the joint find him a bit of a nuisance, given his penchant for using his whistle like an overzealous football referee, but I'll miss him when he's gone.

Black & White 100 Project - 89 of 100

2011-12-28T08:17:21Z

Found this shopping cart abandoned at a corner of a graveyard, itself also abandoned, and I had to take a photo. There is something creepily tranquil about finding this at a place where it doesn't belong, sitting amongst dead leaves. I still wonder how it got there and why it was left there.

Black & White 100 Project - 88 of 100

2011-12-27T08:35:28Z

I have a confession to make: I'm bothered by the pervasiveness of mobile phones, and the near ubiquitous obnoxiousness associated with compulsive mobile phone usage. The term "Crackberry" is a perfect description of what seems like an addiction to the devices. I am a big proponent of technology, and mobile phones have made our lives easier, but it seemed to have overtaken us.

Somehow I don't feel they are mere tools anymore, when they shouldn't be any more than that. Like this gentleman here. When at the art gallery, study the art, not your mobile phone. That's the least we should ask for.

Black & White 100 Project - 87 of 100

2011-12-23T10:12:20Z

This is one photograph I like but I cannot quite explain why I like it. I like the greys and strong blacks, the emptiness on the left side, and even the slight industrial feel of the ceiling. It's steadily growing on me every time I look at it, and that makes it good enough to share with you.

Black & White 100 Project - 86 of 100

2011-12-22T07:13:01Z

I'm not sure how many people even remember the events of World War I, or the massive changes it caused, among them the end of several empires and the beginning of the end of imperialism. More than 9 million combatants were killed in the war, and this monument, standing within sight of Singapore's central area and just across a road to the Esplanade, is a reminder of that.

For a large landmark in a prominent area, it appears that most people don't pay much attention to it. Just like how everyone has short memories and refuse to learn the literally bloody lessons that our forefathers have left us. And we really shouldn't.