Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Cross Roads

I have been taking photos of almost everything under the sun, and when I say everything you can take it literally.

It’s been years, I’ve lost count…since I started with this hobby. I’ve used a lot of cameras all of them not mine, technically (borrowed from my brother, cousin, friend and neighbor). I’ve served as a cameraman for events in school; at home; with friends; among my peers even to strangers. I never took it seriously though.

Through the years, I improved on this craft but I developed a liking for the candid; the unprepared; the unplugged type of photography the sort of behind the scene scenes. Many people may think of my style as rude even offending. I didn’t give a damn. It’s more of a feeling of indifference, being detached from your subject. It did not matter how the shot turned out, but how funny and ridiculous they’d look in the shot. I’m not related to them anyways. Well, I’m still here am I?

Recently, I reached the point when I considered stopping and do just the ordinary and focus on the all so regular things in life. It just felt like, I had to stop and forget about photography and everything that is associated with it, then and there. Burnt- out, maybe? Suddenly I chanced upon this flickr
and with the inspiring works of the locals:
farl (farl); ronrag (ronnie); boso (andrew); merlysunflower (merly); litratista (gigi); wasaby (aby); kool.angot (aileen); bingbing (binggaling); wantet (tet); rokbot (marvin); adlaw (dia); sweetsexything (jenny); diamonds in the sole of my shoe; koolitz (donj); dirthman (third); gani (gani); donskii (don); syke (mykl); stitch (jimmy); hocchuan (pat); jolengs (jun); temyong; estan; gomi; rare images from shutterbugrer (robert); shutterwil (willy) and his son, waltz (walter). From across the seas: kaleidoscopeGal (Mim); bloophynix; jack hess (jack); jym (jim); alexdpx (alex); Lall(lall); waves (alon); eunicej (eunice); gasss; eliremolona (eli); chillntravel (ciska); sam lamb (sam); baby7 (baby rose); holybluejeans (terri) and her daughters bluecat77 (nikki), girl4god (aly); hokulea and solea, soon enough, almost a year now, I’ve noticed the fervor creeping into my system once more. Since then, I take photos of the regular things and everyday events but this time with more care. I still, do candid shots. I will definitely shoot spontaneous gestures and unguarded moments of people I’ve never met before. I guess, “It’s a (bad) hard habit to break.” But discretion plays a great part in this now, for in the end the output that I publish will determine, did I do justice to my subject or did I ridicule him with my work?

I never thought of this profession (only now?) as degrading or putting myself down. Taking photos is one way of preserving life. You capture moments, you freeze time and in the end, who would make someone or something look good in a portrait anyways, but the man behind the lens?
behind the lens

I’ve been BLOGGED
!
http://flickersphotoclub.blogspot.com/2006/11/pow-3rd-week.html

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Erwin, thanks for seeing my name here and for the nice comment you've made on mine! photography is a very consuming hobby and once you're in, you can hardly get out!!

Erwin said...

Its my pleasure Ron!

aby said...

hey sir kph! great story! you've truly gone a long way. thanks for sharing your photos with us. congrats on the POW shot. winner talaga yun :D here's to more photos to come! :)