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Every picture must be technically perfect, even if it doesn't say anything, or no one would bother taking a look at it.

Nonsense. If a shot is compelling, if the execution reinforces the mood, most people don't care about "technical perfection."

Instead of going out and looking to capture intersting scenes with your camera, you go out with a Microspcope looking for scenes that happen to be under perfect conditions.

More nonsense. Knowing how to utilize the conditions to convey what you want is what makes for a successful photo--there aren't "perfect conditions" that make your photos good.

Am I getting out of line here, because my technical skills are not up to par?

Frankly, yes. Instead of making up nonsense stories to rationalize why people aren't impressed by your shots, you should spend your energy improving your skills and trying to develop a better understanding of how to make your shots work.

Labels: Night, Nikon D40, Philosophy of Photography, Photography, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:38 PM | Permalink

Perhentian Island, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia

Taken with a Pentax K100D and Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro lens

Labels: Pentax K100D, People, Photography, Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:37 PM | Permalink

Perhentian Island, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia

Taken with a Pentax K100D and Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro lens

Labels: Landscape, Pentax K100D, People, Photography, Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:36 PM | Permalink

Perhentian Island, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia

Taken with a Pentax K100D and Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro lens

Labels: Animal, Pentax K100D, Photography, Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:34 PM | Permalink

"Can they in fact be themselves in such an artificial environment sitting in front of the camera? I personally don't think they can."

I disagree. All portraits are staged, so I contend that they are just being themselves in an artificial environment. Whether they are "relaxed" or "comfortable" is a different question and the answer to that is dependent on both the sitter's psychology and the directorial skills of the photographer.

"Natural" vs. "artificial" light is a false dichotomy. It is false as in the distinction lies two implications:

1. that the photographer has given up some degree of control over a very fundamental formal aspect of their photography.

2. that natural light is somehow more "trustworthy."

Some photographers may be more comfortable just taking things as they find them (I sometimes am), but that doesn't relieve you of the decision of when and where and how to make the photograph.

"If they wear a ton of make up who am I to say they can't." Of course they can! It's their choice. But if you think it looks bad, why don't you think you have an obligation (as the person making the photograph) to point that out?

Labels: Nikon D40, People, Philosophy of Photography, Photography, Portrait, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:33 PM | Permalink

Perhentian Island, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia

Taken with a Nikon D40 digital camera and Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM lens

Labels: Landscape, Nikon D40, Photography, Portrait, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:33 PM | Permalink

A great image is one that invokes a strong emotional response in the viewer. The emotion can be sorrow, happiness, even anger, but the viewer must be affected. Lighting might make a great photograph technically, but a well lit, boring image is not a great photograph. A potentially great photograph might be ruined by poor lighting, but good lighting alone will not make a great photograph.

Great photography is produced by the vision of the photographer. The ability to see the story in a scene and understand what angle to shoot from makes a big difference.

If you want to be a great photographer, seek to see things through your eyes and the lens and learn to project what you see to the photographic palette in your mind's eye. Shoot with purpose and foresight.

Labels: AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G, Nikon D50, People, Philosophy of Photography, Photography

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:32 PM | Permalink

Perhentian Island, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia

Taken with a Nikon D50 and AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G lens

Labels: AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G, Nikon D50, People, Photography

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:30 PM | Permalink

Perhentian Island, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia

Taken with a Nikon D40 digital camera and Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM lens

Labels: Landscape, Nikon D40, Photography, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:29 PM | Permalink

erhentian Island, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia

Taken with a Nikon D40 digital camera and Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM lens

Labels: Animal, Landscape, Nikon D40, Perhentian 2007, Photography, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:29 PM | Permalink

Perhentian Island, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia

Taken with a Nikon D50 and Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor ED 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G DX (kit-lens)

Labels: AF-S Zoom-Nikkor ED 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G DX, Landscape, Night, Nikon D50, People, Photography

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 6:28 PM | Permalink

Labels: AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G, Nikon D50, People, Philosophy of Photography, Photography

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 5:18 PM | Permalink

A batik boutique. This is at Pasar Kedai Payang. This coloured and patterned cloth is now becoming popular in Malaysia and the best Malaysian batiks come from the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. There are two types of batik, the hand drawn and the stamped. Recently there are also machine printed batik which design is clearer and colour on one side only.

Hand drawn batik uses a small copper cup and fountain pen like ‘janting’ with melted wax to draw across the length and breadth of the cloth. Dyeing process is like filling colour on the drawing block, only different is the outline is wax instead of pen. The waxed areas resist dye. The cloth will then sent to ‘boil’ in warm water in order to get rid of the wax after it is soaked in chemical that makes the colour stay.

Stamped batik has the similar process like hand drawn batik, only different is the janting will be replaced by a copper or sometimes a wooden stamp which looks like a domestic iron with artistically patterned bottom.

Today batik is not only used for outfits but some innovative commercial individual has made full use of this beautiful and artistic textile into making bags, cushion covers, curtains, slippers etc.

Taken with a Nikon D50 and Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G lens

Labels: AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G, Nikon D50, People, Photography

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 5:16 PM | Permalink

Children Playground,
Tok Jembal Beach, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Malaysia

This is a great way to get rid of an interfering background. Step in close, and fill the frame with your subject. If you’re doing a portrait of a child, go down to her level and fill the frame with a tight close up.

Taken with a Nikon D50 and Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G lens

Read more of my entries from my other sites
hackspot@flickr
fadzlymubin@flickr
Hackspot on Wordpress
Picasa Photo Album
shutterhack@blogger

Labels: AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G, Nikon D50, People, Philosophy of Photography, Photography

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 5:11 PM | Permalink

Read some TravelBlogs if you dont believe me!

Perhentian Island, Terengganu, Malaysia
Taken with a Pentax K100D and Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro lens

Labels: Pentax K100D, People, Perhentian 2007, Photography, Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 12:54 PM | Permalink

Kamel, my close friend since high school. He runs a holiday resort in the beautiful Perhentian Island, Malaysia called The Reef Chalets.

The Reef Chalets provide scenic and peaceful seaside accommodation and personalized services in 12 spacious seaside chalets set in a semicircle around an indigenous island garden. The Reef is strategically located on the big island a few minutes walk to the best snorkeling area and the most beautiful swimming beach with resident turtles.

Virtual Tourist - Pulau Perhentian Besar Travel Guide
Plan a Pulau Perhentian Besar vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Pulau Perhentian Besar locals. link

My notes:

I notice that there seems to be a predominant opinion among most photographers/viewers that a portrait photo is BETTER when it is processed in a certain way. Especially with portraits of (younger) women I feel that most viewers automatically expect a face to be retouched in a way that it appears FLAWLESS.

This flawless look - in my opinion - is something extremely artificial and inhumane. In fact I often see portraits that remind me of a doll, or of the characters in my daughter's SIMS computer game, more than of live human beings.

I know how to produce this effect of slick perfection in my portraits. But - I simply don't WANT it. I don't WANT to remove the skin from my model's faces and replace it by a piece of plastic foil.

I think this "glamour look" is ok for a certain kind of "beauty photograph" style. I don't want this kind of cold and unpersonal perfection in MY pics though because I am interested in authenticity - true emotions, true beauty - whatever...

If I want to take a picture of my beautiful girlfriend I think it's the atmosphere of beauty more than anything else that does it. If she FEELS beautiful when I take her picture (because I let her know that for me she IS beautiful), then the picture will radiate this atmosphere of beauty...

I find it a little tedious to read remarks like "the lady will be happy too" if I would do some more "corrections". I believe actually "the lady" would have more reason to be INSULTED than to be HAPPY.

Labels: Nikon D40, People, Perhentian 2007, Philosophy of Photography, Photography, Portrait, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM

Posted by Mohd Fadzly Abdul Mubin at 12:26 PM | Permalink