christography

Almost great conversation, and I say almost only because we didn’t have time or more beer, or whatever that people these days need to get it going! ha. I’d almost forgotten about how he looked like when he was truly laughing! It was good catching up some!

Anyway, the reason why I started this post with a portrait was because I thought that it’s about time I made some comments about the audience that came for my ‘on fingerbowls and hankies’ exhibition.

During my official opening, I had some guests come over and asked about why I didn’t make the people in the photo look good? And by looking good, they meant, smiling, without wrinkles or blemishes. I was a little stumped, not by the question, but rather by the fact that there are still people out there who still believes that a portrait of a person needs to be one where the sitter is at his / her best.

Now, I can understand why in the past, it was important to capture people at their best! Photography was precious, then. People would dress up just to be photographed. But now? Even in the context of an art exhibition? Gosh, it is certainly not new that people don’t look their best in their portraits, just look at the self-portrait that Vincent van Gogh painted of himself!

And let’s just look at the concept of the person looking their best. When I photograph a person, I’d really like to photograph what’s there in front of me, so, for the purpose of a representative image, the person would look best being themselves, or being the person I feel and know. If they happen to be really sad, I would photograph them with sadness in their eyes. For me, that’s the person looking their best.

In this case, my friend had a good time, but the weight on his shoulders does not escape his eyes.

During a photography shoot, it is easy to say “capture the essence of the sitter in a split second.”

The essence of a person is made up of memories and I also believe in creating a memory for the sitting.

Can’t remember where I got this quote from anymore, sorry:

A good friend recently won a big arts award and I can’t help but be happy for him.

Was at the location where the submissions that didn’t win were to be collected, met a few of my students who are also friends with this winner. Sad to say that they were obviously not so happy that he won; making some snide remark about how it’s the same work, simple, etc.

Bad taste in mouth. Gotta gurgle it out.

what’s wrong with this?

Gorden matta clark

Hubert list

justin Kurland

Andreas Gurskey

Thomas Struth

Bernd & Becher

2 days ago, was just talking to a friend (photographer, of course) about the lack of courses training assistants.

Is there a market for professional assistants here in Singapore? Unlike America, there’s even an association for professional assistants! And there, students who’d go assist under a photographer are expected to do it for free, and photographers would set up interviews to see who they’d like to employ depending on which student has the best skill that will help in the work. That pushes students to out-learn one another and apply the best knowledge that they know.

I was told that in one of these photographer’s studio, the first question that is asked is “Do you know how this works?” pointing to a Minolta Color Meter. That, weeds out most and leaves them with only the better ones. You see, not many people have even SEEN a color meter much less work on one. So if you know what it is, and know how it works, you’ve probably been checking and learning beyond the classrooms. And this is just for the commercial photographers! Let’s not even go into what an Art Photographer would be looking out for beyond the technical!

Here, we get too many people who think that by doing an assisting job, they are here to learn instead of work. They do not add to the job, they usually add to the frustration to what already needs to be done. On top of that, we are suppose to pay them to learn. Most want to just end up as photographers because they pick up the most surface of skills and start on their own, charging the same prices, if not taking up just about any job at stupid rates; with no consideration for the future of their own making.

I remember when I assisted and I was only given instructions in an hour, and I had to know everything else, and think forward for the shoot, and work on what could happen next, beyond the shoot and even to the lab. And sometimes, even preparing before the shoot. I was never trained, but my passion and my common sense helped. How many of these are there these days? And how are people suppose to be photographers if they don’t have common sense, observational skills and the intuition to plan ahead? I shudder.

Last night, I had an Australian photographer, who’s based in America for the last 5 years, we picked on the same topic and it seems, things have also changed quite a lot there, too! Quite different from when I was working there way almost 2 decades ago! American (and Australian) students now would come to learn and not work. And more startling news that a lot of people are now copying works of famous photographers and claiming it as their own to get famous! Sheesh!

Through another photographer friend, I found out that because there’s no payment, the mentality of “No Pay, No Work” becomes these young students. In fact, some photographers are starting to charge for employing interns! In this age of fast-tracked-living, everyone is expected to learn things really fast, and mostly superficial knowledge is acquired, and not in-depth experiences. This will bring the future of photography quickly down the pipes.

Photography is said to be a lonely job. More than just the marital front, it is now in the work front as well. *sighs*

ever wondered how decisions are made on the way that big names supermarkets are allowed to infiltrate into the neighborhoods? the curriculum for students? the positioning of the buildings on CBD? the height of the ceiling of the new HDB flats? even the colors of the flats?

i think many times, it is those with aesthetics and a sensitivity to life that will feel how these decisions makes the difference in the way of life. but it is those whose income speaks louder than their heart that makes the decisions.

no more moms and pops stores. no more unique small businesses in the city. no more good, cheap drinks after a long walk in the city. no more leisurely time for the self. no more others before self. no more interactions between neighbors. no more anything that speaks from heart. no more quality life.

why do we need more population? why is the national identity so important? and if it is important, why about it is important? the people, or the money the people can bring in? and bring in to who, really?

i don’t know if it’s me, but i’d like my moms and pops stores, heck, i miss the days when my fresh produce travels down my street and i can talk with my seller uncle; vegetables, eggs, meat, milk grown by the very people who sells them, directly to you. i’d like the outside colors of my flat to be the colors of happiness, not grey-ish, out-of-date, cannot-sell paint colors. i’d like my ceilings tall enough so i don’t feel as if i’m too near the person who’s living just above me; and i can breathe better as air can circulate better. i’d like to be able to take a slow walk around my neighborhood and see little businesses by the people who stay in that neighborhood, i’d like to see shops where things are made by hands. i’d like to ride into city and see how the rest of the country is living their lives through the many local creative businesses are integrated into the international array of international businesses; and as i ride into the city, i see an outline that tells the history as well as the future of where the city will be heading, not just layers and layers and chunks and chunks of steel, glass and concrete. i’d like to know that my kids will be learning how to learn, and not learning the individual subjects because the principals want to gain points with the Education Ministry. i want arts to be finally recognized as the more important faculty above science.

too late.