Hello!
It's a Saturday today and I woke up bright and early to get some photos uploaded.
I guess the good thing about this off-peak data of the YES 4G plan is that it forces me to wake up early and stay awake for the rest of the morning in order for me to complete my work.
I had initially planned to write this entry almost one week ago but I had a lot of work to do at school so I had to postpone it.
First, the photo:
#32 : Agnes Kikilechu
I used to despise pet photos, especially cat photos.
I think it was because there was just so many, so often and that they were done very lazily and in unattractive manners.
Like, out of the hundreds of cat photos on the internet (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) there is VERY rarely even one that is done in a way that actually makes the pet look adorable or cute or playful.
But then I spent time with Meow The Neighborhood Cat and Kiki and it changed my perception on pets and pet photography in general.
Don't get me wrong, I've always liked cats.
I especially like dogs but as a Muslim I'm not supposed to have one as a pet but I do like to admire them from afar.
Pets are that sort of companion that does weird antics but still comes back to you when it feels like it needs someone to be with or someone to depend on.
They're adorable and one of the things that make them that much more beautiful is that they are very photogenic.
Unlike humans, pets are usually well-groomed, accessorized and have that natural beauty that humans don't always have.
And as I started to realized this, I took a bit of time to photograph Kiki as she played around in the living room, running around and just having fun.
Looking at the bigger picture here, it's not that I've decided to have my own pet or start a pet portraiture business (but I do take requests) but it's the idea of change; in both perception and working ways.
Photographing Kiki was one of the hardest things to do.
She was jumping about, racing invisible speed demons and would always find herself in dark corners and tight spaces.
This playfulness and carefree attitude shown by Kiki was something I wanted to photograph and immortalize in a more tasteful and pleasing manner.
I used the Nikon D7100 + NIKKOR 70-200 f2.8 VRII to photograph her and it was quite a toughy to get my focus correct.
This situation taught me to anticipate the moment, think of my next shot and had me prepare for the next sudden movement.
I had to lie on my stomach for most of the time to get a better low-angle and this made me feel like a National Geographic photographer shooting wildlife, albeit I was in a living room under a roof with air-conditioning.
This change of pace was a good one because I don't have much experience in shooting action shots.
Of course, you would say that shooting events would be similar, but for concerts, especially K-pop with their dance routines and crowd service, it isn't nearly as difficult as trying to capture a cat wrestling a paper ball.
I wanted to be better at photography and capturing photos of Kiki made me realize that even though I have done more events recently, I still have much more to learn and improve, and that a change in perception and world view would help me in becoming more whole (complete).
There is less exploration when it comes to things we become used to.
In photography, this is mostly seen in the type of photography we accustom ourselves to be involved in.
Since I'm just starting out, I didn't want my mindset to restrain me from learning more and practising more.
I knew that if I didn't try new things or go a bit outside of my comfort zone, I would end up shooting the same boring photos.
And I hate same and boring.
People who see the preview of this entry without reading it would probably think that I'm just sharing a simple photo of a cat.
For you, my esteemed blog follower, you should know that it took hundreds of shots and a few hours to finally get Kiki to get used to being photographed, to the point she actually posed for me.
This is one of a few photos that I got my focus sharp on her eyes and the detail projected from the D7100 is just stunning.
There has to be change in order for better things to come.
A change in mindset, a change in attitude or even a change in location and work ethic.
Changing for the better are what we humans are supposed to do.
It's in our nature to look for better, nicer, prettier and newer things.
We should always work to explore the world, broaden our horizons and take that extra step further to achieve the things we could only imagine.
Whether it be photography, academics, love or life as a whole, change for the better and change now.
""Don't you want to take a leap of faith? Or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone!" - Saito (Inception, 2010, cr IMDB)"
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