LENSA.CO.UK

Light. Thats the finishing word for the title. Something in life that we’ve taken for granted all this while. Maybe because we’ve experienced it on a daily basis. One thing that this current obsession of film photography has taught me is that light is exactly what the title says.. magical. God’s good gift, no make that blissful, to us.

Waiting for the train to come early in the morning. Golden light illuminating the platform with people rushing about. It was too good not to take. Snap.

With taking photos, on a digital back, i lost that special feeling, i got obsessed into making the perfect picture. Snap, look at the LCD on the back, then snap again, and again… In the end its less about light for me, but more for the final product. Gone is the excitement. As an architecture student, i’ve been taught that the process is crucial if not more important than the final product itself. Though in photography, the final product is ultimately what we want to achieve, for me i’ve lost the joy which is the process of taking a photo.

Around 3-4 pm, going out on a random trip. When confronted with beautiful light flares from the front. A silhouette should be the obvious result. But the light is low and not as strong. And my wonderful girlfriend is a great subject as well. One shot wouldn’t hurt. Snap.

36 negatives. Is all you have for taking photos. So better make that 36 count right? For this reason precisely, i am forced to think before i shoot. I’ve read a lot of quotes that say ” don’t think, just shoot”, but there should be  a clause in that the quote only applies to digital. Cause you have that luxury with digital.

Multiple exposure shot. Shot at a nearby traffic light with blazing lights from vehicles. Hence the bokeh. Later positioned myself to shoot at my friends. Snap.

With film, every shot makes you analyze the situation, composition, lighting and meaning to the picture. Your hesitant with yourself wether to press the shutter or not. Every pros and cons of the picture is then considered. Until finally an imaginable image of the photo comes to mind. You see the final image in your mind, or at least how its going to come out, then and only then do you press that shutter down. It might work out as you want, it may not, but for me, at that moment, i’m happy and content. The most i might try is 3 exposures, if the picture is too good to miss or mess up that is.

Beautiful autumn afternoon light illuminating the rows of colored trees. Wanting to take a Satorialist shot as well of my good friend, Amirul. The result has to be good, or so i thought at that time. Snap.

At the moment, the real joy comes from discovering wonderful light. That excited feeling that you get when you know that the light is so breathtaking that the final image has to come out beautiful. Its almost as if you’re a light catcher, encapsulating light in a light tight box, then trapping it forever on a sheet of film emulsion. This might have something to do with me having an obsession for Ghostbusters earlier on in my childhood. It could be that this feeling is the same as those with a passion for traveling to far and new places, rabbit hunting even. For those of you trying to understand light better, here are some of my experiences:

• Look at the way light falls and drapes over your subject, does it produce flattering light? Does it make your subject look better? What is the light trying to convey?
• The best light is early in the morning starting from sunrise till about 8. And in the afternoon about 4 till the sun sets well over the horizon.Time is relative according to which part of the world you live in, but you get the idea.
• Stop, THINK, shoot.
• Walk away happy and get excited waiting for the results of the roll to come back from lab.

I wanted to capture the sweeping hill view across to the city. Magic hour struck and it was time for it to be captured. Snap.

Light, 5 letters, that brings an impact to the way we see, the way we feel. This article is not film biased, it’s a reminder that we should sometimes step back, enjoy what God has to offer, take a little bit of that beautiful offering, and walk away happy. Simple as that  ; )  happy light hunting.

Related posts:

1. Fashion + photography = style in the making
2. I know you got soul, Nikon F3 review
3. ULTIMATE Ebay Camera/Lens buying guide+tips
4. Seeing with our eyes closed
5. I S What???