About Me
A free-thinker and a free soul. I love nature, the ocean, traveling, discovering new places and meeting people. I just never purposefully picked up a camera before, to capture all of life's wonderful experiences, until I met my beautiful and wonderful wife, and had our amazing kids. I literally woke up one day and realized that I really ought to learn how to take "better" or "nicer" pictures of my family, the fun times in our everyday lives, our vacation trips and adventures. This is what got me into photography. I'm a happy and lucky "HubbyDad" who's crazy in love with my family.
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I like taking candid pictures, unscripted, un-posed, unplanned, natural pictures. There's just something about it. It's genuine. It's real. It is life as it happens. However, it can be quite challenging. It is unpredictable. Just when you least expect it, it happens... you see it... a look, a stare, a laugh, an expression, an emotion... and you're either ready or not, it's either you catch it or you don't... and when you miss it, it's gone forever. Being prepared is just one of the challenges, as it is quite another thing to be mindful of another's privacy and personal space. You may not really want a camera around all the time, just like you "disconnect" and turn your mobile device off at times. It can be ironic too that the more you try to capture the moment, the more likely that you miss out on being in the moment. You have to be discerning, sensitive, considerate, patient, and detached, and know when to capture a moment or when to put the camera away and be part of the moment.
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Most of these photos are the spur of the moment images taken of families we meet at the park, travelers we meet on the street, people we sit beside with at cafes, on the bus, on a train, or people we've stood beside with on a long queue for a ride at an amusement park. While traveling, I've had tourists ask me to take their photo with their mobile phone. Then I ask them if they'd like me to take their photo with my camera and email them copies. Other times, I simply ask to take their photo. This usually all takes place within 60 seconds or a couple of minutes, if I'm lucky. So, there's really no time to pose or compose the shot, no time to fix or alter the lighting, no time to change lenses, and no time to be finicky about anything. You just take what your given and make the most of it.
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From such a rushed situation, the fun continues when you see what you can come up with during post processing... nothing drastic, just cropping, and some tweaks. In the end, I just love their reaction and appreciation when they receive the photos and reply telling me how surprised they were and that they loved the photos. It is serendipitous that sometimes, that person just happens to be an accomplished actress or model. The encounter is very rewarding. It gives me an opportunity to make someone happy with the photos, and I just love that feeling, but in some special instances, something even more valuable emerges... friendship.
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When the subject at hand is more about the human condition, it's a real struggle to get through the emotions and see through the welling up of tears to peer through the lens and capture the powerful and moving experience.
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Landscape and travel photos are a joy for sure. However, in my experience, it is a bit of a challenge for a variety of reasons. Besides getting the technical stuff right, there's the reality that you are on vacation to enjoy your time with your family, and not stop at every breathtaking sight to take a gazillion photos and keep everyone waiting on you. So similiarly, you don't really have all kinds of time to wait for the golden hour or set up a tripod. In many places, a tripod is not even allowed. Plus, in most cases, there are way too many people. You can pre-plan your trips and schedule to see an attraction at a time when there are less people or just make the most of the situation. The weather and just plain luck are also factors. All in all, these challenges add to the fun.
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I hope you enjoy the photos. Feel free to say "Hi!"
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"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience" - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin