street photography

good side

I tend to walk the streets of Los Angeles as a form of therapy. Being present in my life on a daily takes its toll on me and I find it hard to decompress or to process all that has been thrown my way. I admit, though, my life isn’t bad at all. It's the normal run-of-the-mill life—bills, budget, work, family. A life of privilege, some would say. 

As I walk, I tend to photograph places that I and others have done hundreds, if not, thousands of times. I think to myself what if the light was wrong the last time, the angle was skewed, or the focus was not quite right. 

A self-proclaimed perfectionist, I want the photograph to embody the subject in its grandeur. I want to feel that I captured its good side. 

Recently, mom was in town spending time with my son. Snapping away, she captured pictures of him to remember him by. As I looked through them all the lighting wasn’t perfect, the angles were skewed, and the focus was not quite right but she captured my son in all his grandeur. She captured his good side. The side she remembered.

How we see the image through the lens is exactly how we want it to be. It’s perfect to us. 

And sometimes that’s enough. 

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rue

Urban hiking is nothing more than walking—flat roads in a city, with little to no incline. It is my preferred form of enjoying the outdoors with just one caveat—that I have my film camera in tow. To me, photography, as is any art, is a discipline that needs to be cultivated and practiced. And while obtaining a theoretical knowledgeable is helpful, nothing can help one understand photography more than the act of doing it. 

I see the streets as my practice field—a place where I cut my teeth towards my ten thousand hours. A place where a decision must be made about capturing light, motion, and composition in a decisive manner. And if done properly, producing a moment that is art. 

But it is challenging. Delayed gratification, found in film photography, often reveals short comings and error in one's judgment, leaving a few salvageable frames. It’s those few frames though that keeps one coming back. It gives one motivation to refine their craft with confidence that next time they will get the shot.

To me, that’s where the fun lies—in the process of chasing an elusive moment like the masters of yesteryear.    

Bangkok, Thailand