love

Falling in love in Japan

Destiny works its magic the least we expect it. If it is bound to happen, the universe will conspire to make it happen as one event leads to another, leading you to where you are now. 

Gundam

My recent adventure brought me here to the island of Japan. As kids, we have always talked and dreamed about coming here to see our childhood heroes; Astroboy, known here in Japan as "Tetsuwan Atomu" or Mighty Atom, Gundam or "Gandamu", "Chōdenji Mashīn Borutesu Faibu" (Super Electromagnetic Machine Voltes Five) more popularly known as Voltes V. These are among the Japanese superheroes we grew up with, or at least in my lifetime. 

Being outside my home country makes the world seems so huge and filled with so many strangers, but on the other hand making new friends, and acquaintances makes it a bit smaller and with lesser strangers. Although language can be a barrier for traveling tourists, it shouldn't stop you from exploring the country's tourist and local hot spots. Being there, living the moment and making more memories adds color to the experience. A trip to the Land of the Rising Sun would not be complete without getting to taste its food. It was such a gastronomic delight. The flavour and taste is well balanced, a must try for all, especially for first-time visitors. It is an experience to be enjoyed and fondly remembered. Japan has its share of colorful history, rich culture, and the diverse population has made her to who she is now.

Traveling, seeing, and meeting new people can be a great experience because you learn to communicate in a number of ways without having to speak any Japanese. All these made our stay fun and much more interesting.

In my title I said Falling in love in Japan, yes, it’s IN Japan, because what I was really driving at is both "Falling in love with Japan", and "Falling in love in Japan". The people and the culture are very deep rooted, which I find very admirable and humbling.

Spending nearly a week in the country seemed too short to see the sights and sounds and more wonders of Japan. If given the chance to go back, I would go in a heartbeat, where I can immerse myself and experience more of what Japan has to offer.

Keeping the Passion Burning

"What is passion?" you ask, the dictionary defines it as "an intense desire or enthusiasm for something." A passion for cooking, a passion for traveling, a passion for being in love...A Passion for Photography.

Being in love and keeping the fire of love burning, is just like photography and keeping the passion for the craft burning. On very rare occasions we have this transcendent moments when we finally understand why we are doing, what we are doing despite the existence of many reasons that may keep us from loving and continue making great images.

"What got you into photography in the first place?", "Why did you choose photography as a hobby?",  Why spend your time, effort, dedication, commitment, and yes.. a lot of your moolah on this? The answer would ultimately boil down to because we simply love photography, the simplest feeling of gratitude and content of capturing and being in those rare moments, breath-taking landscapes, marvelous cityscapes, wonderful portraits, captivating fashion, and special "once in a lifetime" occasions. 

So how do we keep the passion burning?... In my opinion, well it's just like in any relationship, we have to never stop learning, understanding each other's limitations, (by each other I mean you and the camera), capitalizing on its strengths, trying different techniques. The key ingredients here are acceptance and understanding. If you are easily discouraged by what photography challenges you then, photography may not be for you. I would rather encourage you to try another medium than convince you to stay on photography and later have poorly composed photographs. You really have to love what you are doing to get great photographs. Being a photographer is also being a story teller. We tell our stories through the images we take and the moments we capture.

The challenge is to capture a photograph that would capture the heart of each moment and eventually captivate the eyes and heart of the people looking at your photos.

Knowing that other people appreciates your passion keeps me pushing myself forward. Seeing them relive the moments of an event or even the simplest of Sundays melts your heart and hearing the stories behind each image.

 

Finding the right camera is like finding "The One" in a relationship

The never ending search for the right partner in photography has always been every photographers' dilemma, just as every person searches for a lifetime partner. We always find ourselves looking at a lot of available "The One" in the market. In a relationship, we always want it to be our last, we do our best to make it work, we invest emotions, energy, and most importantly, time.  The camera is an extension of an artist's eye, it is a tool that helps us express ourselves.  

For some, new doesn't always mean it's better, for the rest, the newest is always better. Each one of us has our preferences and yes..budget. :) Knowing the difference between "what you want" and "what you need" plays a vital role in making the decision. 

In choosing the right camera for yourself, you need to examine and take into serious consideration more than a handful of factors. 

Characteristics. This is among the most important things one needs to consider. Yes..character has its share of flaws, and strengths; it is up to us whether we can accept it, and live with it or not. This usually mirrors and complement our own personality and disposition. We need to take time to examine the camera's capabilities and limitations, weigh out everything that matter most to us. A well-balanced character makes it easier to accept and more comfortable to be with.

Reasonability. By this, I mean living with the cost of maintaining the relationship and actually being bounded by how deep our pockets are. One may afford the top of the line camera, but it doesn't necessarily mean that one is happy, and one may only have an inexpensive, pre-loved, entry level camera and be ecstatic at the same time. Well, this is all about being contented and knowing your monetary limits.

Aesthetics. Being comfortable with your partner, whether in photography or in life, is equally important with acceptance of its concealed characteristics. Just like how a pair of shoes or jeans fit, we need to actually feel the way it fits on our hands. This also plays hand in hand with ergonomics and how functionality meets beauty.

Value. Do not confuse value with price and worth. Value in this sense is not a number, but rather it is the usefulness of something. For one person, the value of a camera may be different from another. It is how much we value something that makes keeping them worthwhile.