Shoot the Difference!

I have a reason to be proud of myself. I appreciate the amazing progress I am managing to make… I do what I’m good in doing..

Last week, I enrolled in a 2-week Basic Digital Photography Session , hoping that i could not just “focus-shoot-click” with my Sony DSH 6MP camera, rather learn how to use the aperture, shutterspeed, focal points, ISO, etc. (This is one reason why I posted very seldom in my blog lately!)

All the while, I thought my valuable 3-year old camera is enough to make a good start, but seeing the high quality Canon and Nikon (mostly SLR ranging from US$1,500 to as much as US$10,000 (a 21-megapixels Canon ) that my co-enrollees own, I feel sooo insecure! I though of backing off then. But because I know most of the “Camerades” and my desire to learn how to shoot rightly, I sacrificed my week-end appointment and continue the session.

Our last session was intended for workshop and actual shooting. Supposedly, the original plan was to go to Old Diriyah for an outdoor session, but since it was closed for renovation, the group decided to hold an indoor shooting. 2 Harley Davison bikes, as well as models were provided.

Most of my co-enrollees rolled up their shoots focusing on the subject… and the models. They were so excited to take their best shots, looking for right angles, come closer to the subject and adjusting their cameras.

When I shoot, I always want something different.. a shot that will result on telling a story to the viewer. I just let my colleagues shoot-and-click on some angles without any thoughts of an art.. Me? I stayed afar and when I saw a chance to put my idea in a picture, I took my camera and shoot. Most of them had taken a hundred shots, while I took only few but self-satisfying shots.

After the actual session, I choose the best shots and rushed to the photo studio for printing.

It was judgment and critics day the next morning. When I arrived, there were almost a hundred entries ready to be posted on the wall. I have seen good quality shots, of course taken by a high-quality cameras, but no one has ever make the viewers caught their attention and dig out stories from those pictures, except for my entries. A good-looking critique-cum-judge who is a top advertising mogul in Saudi Arabia, had good reviews of my work. It was so obsequious for a famous advertiser to reward my shots with an inspiring assessment.

The result? Out of a hundred shots, my 2 entries won!