Thanks to Cheryl and Byeongsik, I’m now a proud owner of this book by late Korean photographer Han Youngsoo.
While rather ‘old-fashioned’(gosh I hate this description), books like this always reminds me of our ‘responsibility’ as image-makers.
We often think about the immediate recognition, even more so in the social media age. For that, I’m working hard not to be guilty.
What we frequently fail to remember is that we cannot recreate past moments. If all photographers only think about is what’s topical and trendy, nobody will be making many images of the present, which will become the past. Ok correction, most will be making them and not appreciating that some days, they will be appreciated by a bigger audience.
Be honest, how many images have you binned because you didn’t garner 1,244 likes?
Of late, I have also been intrigued by the works of Dr Ivan Polunin, who left us with a priceless treasure trove of images of Singapore. I have tried not to think about how a ‘foreigner’ could be so motivated and committed to making pictures of his adopted home. Thinking about that often brings up the obvious question – why am I not? I wish I know what drove him because I would like to be that driven too.
Having said that, without people who are passionate to make sense of them, these pictures are often neglected and for lack of a better word, useless.
Shoot, share, think, persuade, populate, popularize, edit. Repeat.
I know I know, I’m missing something.
I find this ‘cycle’, this inter-relationship, this connection, to be super fascinating. And I also often wonder about where I fit in, if I fit in, and what can I do in this process.
I find this ‘cycle’, this inter-relationship, this connection, to be super fascinating. And I also often wonder about where I fit in, if I fit in, and what can I do in this process.
Most times, I try to remind myself that I should shoot first and worry later.
But thinking is easy, doing is hard. Have you not hesitated to make more images because you have already made a few thousands you haven’t even looked at properly? I find that excuse very handy when I am just lazy.
I don’t like being lazy but I also tend to overthink.
Someday, one side of me will win and I hope it is the side that remembers the simple joy of making pictures.
