Playing with Shadows and The Economy of Life

Had a shoot with Leonard around a month ago -- we've been planning to have a shoot for the longest time, and couldn't get around to planning it because I was a bit too busy with a lot of stuff. After the shoot, I realized how much I've forgotten that I loved shooting for personal projects. You've entire creative freedom with what you want to do, and having yourself as the toughest critique ever pushes you out of your own comfort zone. Really, if I couldn't please myself with my work then everything else is futile.

I've so much to improve on -- and this shoot made me realize that. I haven't been playing much with light and shadows, but I think this is something that I really truly enjoy and love. Hard light is so raw and gritty, and though it doesn't work with everyone, I love how it shapes and changes the structure of a face so evidently. I love how it makes everything look mysterious.

I noticed that the number of photos I take have changed drastically. Having been born in the digital age, I noticed this strange propensity of DSLR users to just shoot and shoot and shoot and shoot and shoot, and then select which one happens to be beautiful. It's like a sad game of chance. 1,000 frames of the same setup does not make you a fantastic photographer.

If there's one thing I learned from my dad, who was trained in film and still asks me what ASA I use while shooting, it's economy of shots -- much like economy of words in poetry. It's all about taking the best photograph in a single shot; it's all about setting things up with attention to detail and waiting for that moment before you take the shot. Besides, who would you trust with your dear life and hire to protect you? A sharp shooter, or a crazy trigger-happy gunman who will fire round after round in the hopes of hitting his target with his wall of ammunition?

I've so much room for growth. I haven't fully learned how to harness light and shadow, or contort bodies into shapes and faces into masterpieces that will convey an entire story with a single frame, without props and only their hair, eyes, nose, lips, skin and sweatbeads. I still have this fear of being technically inept, too.

Until then, I'm ready and set to grow with one single photograph at a time.