The Shades
Four years ago, I stayed away from wearing any type of shades because I always felt uncomfortable sporting them. The experience was comparable like your first arrival at a gym, where your mind is more on imagining how many people are looking at you when in reality nobody really cares.
The insecurities stemmed from thinking I didn’t have the “face” to wear any type of shade but the problem was that I wasn’t wearing ones the right ones to compliment my face type in the first place. Eventually my wife convinced me to get over the nervousness in wearing an accessory that others confidently display, especially since I would need some form of eye protection for our Mediterranean honeymoon cruise at the time.
I’ve always been an admirer of the classic aviator shape but I’ve never believed in paying the ridiculous amount that some name-brand aficionados do. I went with these from Banana Republic and the 50% off employee discount made the purchase even sweeter.
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Obligatory Look Back at 2010
Every person has a certain year ingrained in their mind that sticks out more than others and as it is a habit for one to reflect back on one that’s coming to an end, I feel compelled to write down a small reflection on 2010.
About Life
Although we got married in 2009, the most gratifying of experiences in my life has been coming home to my wife. Without sounding too melodramatic, the term love is just a word until you actually find someone that gives definition to it and Vanessa has done that for me.
I’m glad to have reached a point in our marriage where people stopped asking about how married life is. Not because I find it annoying but because I’ve ran out of refreshing answers to describe that I’m loving every moment of it. As for that next unavoidable question any married couple gets, we were ecstatic on the morning of November 1st when we found out that we are expecting our first child.
As for the traveling we’ve done, not only do I thank my wife for having the innate passion for exploring destinations that people only fantasize in visiting but for putting up with my doggedness in wanting to capture all of with the camera. I might have been a pain at the moment as the photographer but inside I know she treasures each moment I’ve captured because I see how she thrives in sharing them on her iPad when friends come over.
Aside from the personal, I would be remised if I failed to mention what a year it’s been in using social media. From Flickr, to Twitter, to Tumblr, it’s amazing not only to have read and exchanged links with people who I share very similar interest with but to feel that you’ve stumbled across this great online bar with folks that you genuinely want to meet in person.
If at any point during 2010 we exchanged correspondence, then I’m including you on the list of fascinating people that I’ve met online.
The Blog
Borrowing from Ben’s assessment of his site for 2010, I’ve equally been taken back from the response I’ve received from mine. Despite the large number of articles out there telling you what you need to do to gain tremendous readership, I think all that is just icing to what you should be concentrating on if you have a blog. It’s like a cake where it should all be about the flavor of it. If people like it, they will come back for more and that’s what I’ve been working on as I had mentioned before.
Despite the incessant downtimes that Tumblr went through in 2010, I’ve decided to continue with the service while secretly working on a WP version of my site that I have installed locally on my laptop.
One of the biggest implementations to the site earlier in the year was the ability to purchase prints straight from the site. I’ve been using Fotomoto which has been successful to say the least thanks to the publicity I’ve received from Shawn Blanc, Chris Bowler & Pat Dryburgh just to name a few.
I’ve also had the pleasure of being invited to join Carbon Ads Network as part of their Photography Circle. That in itself was an exciting moment as I continue to share photographs and writing that hopefully people will want to continue to see and read.
The Photography
I love photography and the only worst part about a treasured life experience is not having something tangible to produce evidence that it happened and that’s why I shoot what I see and value what I capture.
I’m more than appreciative of all the positive feedback I’ve received from my photography in 2010 that I refuse to let 2011 pass by and not do something further with the photographs and the passion I have for taking them.
Thank you all for the readership in 2010 and I look forward to sharing what else I have planned for 2011.
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Rear Perspective
I firmly believe that an effective photograph can capture stories better than words can because not even the best writers can describe a photograph in detail like the work itself.
Photographs certainly tell stories but they also allow viewers to construct their own opinion about what’s going on in the picture but as a presenter myself, I like to automatically supply context on what’s happening which has been the driving force in creating this site. To not just share some of my favorite work but to shed light on the creative thought behind it.
I’m fascinated by this sort of information just like I am about the behind-the-scene footage you’re served with when buying your favorite movie on Blu-Ray or DVD. Case and point being the movie Inception. I loved it and the particulars that will show what went into developing it will only make me value it even more.
If you’re the type of photographer which feels there’s no need in explaining your work, let me direct you to my favorite tip from reknown photographer Aline Smithson where he ask for you to get in the habit of doing something when submitting to a photography contest -
Learn how to write about your work. As a blogger and curator, I need some insight into your work, so I can write about it. Photographers often feel that the images should speak for themselves. Honestly, some do and some don’t. Even a few sentences are a big help.
If you think about it; the captions you add to your photographs can only further enhance what you already feel proud of. As for this particular photo, it’s simply a case representing that I generally always carry a camera with me and that not being the driver gives you the likelihood to focus on what’s around you rather than just on the road.
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