Shooting landscapes

I remember as a kid (don't you love it when articles start like that?), a 'good' photograph was one that captured the landscape really well. 

And so, no matter what my camera was, I always pushed for capturing a good landscape. 

Recently, however, my pictures have been of a more documentary style. It comes from the belief that I have about pictures capturing reality and freezing it forever. Manipulating the picture to make it seem like something else is manipulating reality, and so I was dead set against it. 

Just yesterday though, while I was editing my pictures from Ladakh, I happened on a technique that truly opened my eyes to something new. I've been following this Instagram accounts for a while now - accounts that edit their pictures so well, the pictures seem other worldly. 

A part of me has always been skeptical of it because of that very belief i talked about above, but a part of me was both envious and in awe of it all because it's truly beautiful. 

And while I was editing, I chanced upon the technique on how to do it. 

Suddenly, my perspective on it all has changed. I still believe landscapes cannot truly ever be captured on camera because of their raw beauty, but from an artistic perspective, landscapes provide the most room for experimentation. 

Now, my recent trip was a mixture of many different kinds of pictures - landscapes, people, street, animals etc. and I never imagined I would have gained such a new outlook on photography as a whole. 

It's an exciting time for me where I can experiment around with a new style of photography and see where it takes me. 

Cheers

Spotlight #11 - Marshall's big adventure

I'm very excited to bring this week's spotlight forward, because it involves a friend of mine.

Marshall Chen is a guy who I've known for a long time. Back in college, I almost immediately associated Marshall with a camera. This guy was extremely enthusiastic and was constantly out there doing his thing. 

As I started getting much more into the hands on aspect of photography, it was almost instinctive that I talked to Marshall. I had noticed that his Instagram feed had started to become a lot more professional, and his pictures continually improved. 

The picture below is one I found on his Instagram that I absolutely love. 

"I took this picture on my way back to LA from Laughlin, Nevada, and yes -- while I was driving.

I saw this billboard on my way to Laughlin and kept it in mind. The other side of the board was blank. It just sat there in the desert to rust. 

The road for the most part is smooth. There are some curves here and there but mostly straights.

Rugged tarmac surface creates plenty of noise, but at the time it makes me feel like I was riding a horse through the desert. 

And my 1.4 liter straight four Chevy Cruze now feels like a V8 Camaro." - Marshall

Besides the composition of the picture, I really love the colours and the open space. To me it clearly shows the spirit of adventure and the long road leading to nowhere. This idea resonates with me, and this picture shows me that every time I see it. 

What are your thoughts? Do you like this picture as much as I do? Leave a comment below and share your perspective!

Spotlight #9 - Cricket

Today's picture is a bit of a throwback to my childhood. 

Before my parents moved up north, Chennai used to be my home. 

During my recent trip there, on a random evening, I took a walk with my fam. On our way there we saw this - 

It was a small ground, but there were two separate cricket matches going on. It reminded me of when I was a kid and would do literally anything to play. 

Cricket used to play a huge part in my life when I was a kid. As I walked by this, I realized just how important it is in cities in the south, especially Chennai. People breathe it all over India, yes, but it's something else when you go down south. 

Their passion is different from the aggressiveness everywhere else. There's a sense of lightheartedness and pleasure that you can feel. People just want to play, they don't care about anything else. 

That's exactly what I see in this picture. 

What about you? I would love to hear what you think about this picture, and if you have any special memories. Leave a comment below!

Cheers :)

Spotlight #6 (with second special guest)

Continuing on with the trend from last week, I've got on another friend who's venturing into the rabbit hole of photography. 

Funnily enough, Doug was my roommate for an entire year, and I had no idea that he was such a visual person, and yet now almost a year after moving out, we've reconnected over this simple common interest. 

One look at the picture, and you can see why I as interested in finding the story behind it. Here's what Doug has to say:

"So this is a photo I took while my family was traveling around Cinque Terre, back in September. There is a hike between the five cities that make up the Cinque Terre coast, we had been hiking most of the day, and we approached Manarola right around sunset. 

I shot the photo on my iPhone 6s, using the panorama function, and only lowered the brightness before taking the photo. I take a lot of sunset pictures, like too many, but there is something incredibly beautiful about this photo, it captures something beautiful, but it also captures a memory, which is how I feel every photo should be taken."

-Doug Lappe

Listening to what he had to say about it was awesome, because it's exactly how I feel about the pictures I take. It's the memory that makes up most of it, and invoking an emotion in the viewer is the best part about photography. 

Follow Doug here.

What are your thoughts on the picture? Do you have another view on photography overall? 

I would love to hear it. Leave a comment or two below. 

Cheers

Aman

Spotlight #5 (with special guest!)

This week's photo spotlight is something special. It's the first one featuring a fellow photographer but first a friend, Mike Schwarz.

This kid is a genius and is on his way to doing some great things. You can see what he's up to here. 

I've been following him for a while, and came across one of his pictures that i foundfascinating. It hit me hard, and got me curious about the story behind it. I immediately knew there had to be one because of the character and life that the picture has got. 

Here it is.

So i did a bit of digging around, and asked Mike if he'd be interested in talking about it.

And here's what he has to say about it

"I was visiting Cuba with my brothers. We spent four days exploring the island, meeting new friends, and eating everything we could.

They had left on an early flight out. Mine was the following morning.

I had one last day to salvage in the gorgeous city of Havana. What did I plan to do? Take photos, write, and drink rum.

I explored the streets for hours, documenting the incredibly unique architectural aesthetic, street food, and people found on every corner. After being driven around in several '52 Chevy Bel Air taxis, I learned of the incredible respect Cuban drivers have for their cars.

This mentality speaks to the Cuban's perseverance and resilience both economically and politically.

Each car takes on a character of its own in my photos. The bright colors, antiquated design, and unique drivers made this subject matter impossible not to obsess over.

I took probably over 100 car photos while in Havana. This one happens to be my favorite."

-Mike

Let me know what you guys think. Does this picture speak to you as much as it did to me. 

Be sure to follow Mike to see what crazy stuff he gets up to. 

Website - http://www.mschwarzthekid.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mschwarzthekid/

Instagram - http://instagram.com/mikeschwarzthekid