look past the end of the lens

disclaimer: first of all, dili ko maniniyot. i take really sucky photos.

But I am a fan of visual art. I'm just a poser, really. (and forgive me, i know not any photography jargon.) I've been planning to try lomo. But since I have a normal day job, the stress tends to extinguish that 'fire' and I end up being bitter and frustrated.
From time to time, i look up photography sites in the internet. I do my personal research on lomography, digital photography, etc. sometimes. My favorite is Henri Cartier Bresson. He perfected the combination of technical skill and aesthetics. (all he had was an old Leica, he didn't have photoshop and whatnots that time). I, for one, am a big fan of him. He takes very simple photos, but they are still very effective in evoking emotion. He captured human condition in its simplest, most crude form.

I have a question for all of you, photographers. where do you get inspiration from? what, in the first place was your reason for taking up the lovely and most challenging/noble/precise/ (insert more adjectives) field of photography? (I know, cliche. but this is an honest, innocent question).

Maybe some would say, "wala lng, hobby" or "para makakwarta" or "uso man gud"- which is quite frustrating sometimes. It's a bit painful to think that it has become a status symbol. What good is a sandwich kung walay palaman? But it's now your chance to redeem that. And i believe in the talent of the Iliganon. ;-) (Kudos!)

I'm sure most of you have come across this site, http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.StaticPage_VPage&SP=photographers_list&l1=0&XXAPXX=SubPanel10

But I figured it might give you some more ideas. (You know, when you get bored with the usual subjects- landscapes- sunset, sunrise, mountain, nature, flower, kalachuchi?, etc.) Aw. Once you click on that link and explore their portfolio, you'd get my point.

Thank you (Gran, for letting me join. hehe)
Cheers!

-Elan

Anything that catches your interest is a potential photo subject. Maybe you "grow up" when you start shooting not just people smiling looking into the camera with the peace sign. When you start shooting landscapes, flowers, etc.

But it helps if you attempt shooting for a publication because then your photo will have a purpose other than to satisfy yourself. And yes, Magnum photos do inspire. In my case, before the Internet, the Life photographers became my inspiration, or at least the photographers who were featured in the 15- or 16-volume Life Library of Photography, which include many Magnum photographers like Henri Cartier Bresson.

These days, VII (www.viiphoto.com) is among the top photo agencies to watch.

Bobby T.

so the question is..where do we get our inspiration?

for one, i get inspiration from the people who admire/appreciate my work. especially my mom. she was the one who really pushed me and even gave me my d40 because she saw potential in me. they are my driving force. frankly, it feels good when you know that there are people who really appreciate your work. and i believe dun nagsisimula ang lahat.

the other one are my co-photographers. especially that i am one of those who is least-blessed in terms of camera accessories and equipment. i do not see my co-photographers, who has better equipment than me, as competition but rather as a challenge. challenge to surpass them even if their equipment is better than mine. and in achieving this, i am actually hitting two birds with one stone. with this i am also inspiring those young aspiring photographers to do better and not let their lack of better equipment prevent them from getting good photos

but that's just me

i like it when i give lectures, and when the young participants ask me which camera is better. and so i tell them it doesn't matter, as long as you are able to control aperture, shutter speed and focus, which means just about any dSLR available in the market today.

and when i ask them to bring out their cameras, i'm delighted with the fact that most, if not all, of them have better cameras than i do.

i like this situation coz the masters i ask, or the masters i read, who say that the camera doesn't matter, all have better equipment than mine.

sorry feeling close ko.. anyway, thank you for taking the time to reply to this post. i appreciate it.


And sakto jud. Makabitter usahay nang uban nga gaulan ang equipment pero dili sila kblo unsaon og gamit. Haha But anyway, you have no reason to be intimidated at all. I hope y’all inspire more people. (bisan wala mo kaila nako, kaila ko ninyo kay sikat man mo. haha) To see past what is visible, to capture a moment in a fraction of a second and make it last is not a talent everyone has. *thumbs up*

agree with you, sikat jud kaayo na si icon, labi na sa mga chics.

hahaha chicks pa gani na sir. wa pay labot ang sa mga lake ana. hahahahaha