Overcoming my Slump

I had the opportunity to help my cousin take some photos at his daughter's first birthday party recently, and I just wanted to share some of my thoughts about it. 

I mentioned in a previous post that I was going through a slump in my photography, so I wasn't exactly confident of helping him document this event. But since he'd already asked, I didn't have the heart to turn him down and decided to do my best. He lent me his Nikon D750 equipped with the Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8G, which was amazing of course. It was my first time handling a full frame camera so I was very excited. My first impression of the camera was "Damn, this thing is heavy." My second thought was "Now how do I actually adjust the settings? It's entirely different from my D5500." After much fiddling and help from my cousin, I finally managed to adjust the settings. For fear of messing up the photos (since it's been quite a while since I touched a camera), I used the Aperture Priority mode to ensure that the photos were properly exposed. 

Also, I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned it before here, but I'm extremely used to the 50 mm focal length (which is also why I got a 50 mm f/1.8G and not the 35 mm). It took quite a bit of adjusting to get used to the wideness of the 35 mm, especially when there is no crop factor unlike my D5500. But of course, I was thankful for the wide focal length since we were indoors and space was extremely tight. To be honest, it was a very comfortable yet uncomfortable focal length. Instead of having to take steps back because of the lack of space, I had to take steps forward this time to fill up the frames. So in a way, I didn't have to bend my back into a very awkward position like I always do with a 50. But it was uncomfortable to a certain extent because it means that I have to get closer to my subjects, which isn't something I'm used to. Nonetheless, I was thankful for the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone since I don't get much opportunities to do so. 

Using a 35 mm means that portraits turn out very different from those taken with a 50 mm, though not necessarily in a bad way. While I like the bokehlicious photos from a 50 mm, the wide 35 mm gives me the chance to incorporate more of the environment into portraits. I have to admit, it was pretty fun taking portraits differently from what I'm used to. I was happy with how most of the photos turned out, despite there being no bokeh at all. 

Now onto the more important point. I felt that this was exactly what I needed to get myself out of the slump - the chance to document an event. It's something that I've been wanting to do for a long time but never had the chance to. So I'm really thankful that my cousin gave me this chance even if it was just a small party that lasted for only a short while. (And now I want to get a 35 mm f/1.8G as well)

PS: I actually don't have any of the photographs with me since it was taken on his camera. I'm just glad I got to do some documenting haha. 

Cheer up!

I'm starting a new segment, "Song of the day", on this blog. And today's song is none other than Twice's 'Cheer Up'! I'm just kidding about the segment thing. I merely wanted to share this amazing song over on my blog.

If you're having a bad day, I hope this song and video cheers you up slightly. If you're going through a rough patch in life, perhaps Twice would be able to give you strength and cheer you up like it did for me.

Much Needed Updates

Hello folks, it feels like a long time since I wrote anything so here's a mini update post (I suppose). Life has gotten fairly busy for me since I've been working part time at a cake cafe near my place for the past 2 to 3 months. Though it was difficult in the beginning (with it being my first F&B job and all), I've gotten used to the operations by now. I've got to thank Mama Audrey for suggesting to me to try working at a cafe, because I would never have done so otherwise hahaha. It has honestly been a pretty good experience and I've met some amazing people as well. 

I've also been in a slump (photography wise) for the past few months as well, which is why you don't see much photographs from me these days. I don't look at it as a bad thing, but more of a chance to take a break from taking photos for a while and do some other stuffs. I read a really good article by Eric Kim regarding this issue, and it helped me to sort out my thinking. So yes, I'm currently taking a break from photography. Of course, if I see something nice, I would still take a photo of it. I just don't go out of my way to go take photographs like before. Photography is about capturing the moments in life, and I may have forgotten that somewhere along the way. Hence this slump might be the perfect chance for me to remember this principle before I pick up my camera again. 

I met my best friend recently and we were talking about how I'm into Twice these days (more on that later) when he told me that I'm synonymous with K-pop (among our friends of course); the first thing that comes to his mind when the word 'Sean' comes up is K-pop and vice versa. I realized one thing at that time, and it's that I've been so out of touch with the K-pop scene for the past year. I'm not sure when it started, but I'd been gradually losing interest in Korean music, dramas, and variety shows. In fact, I'd been losing interest in a lot of things. Maybe it's just a sign of growing up, or that I've lost the direction / purpose in my life. It's more likely the latter than the former haha. Regardless, I don't think that it's a good thing for one to lose interest in almost everything that one used to like. It is after all, a symptom of depression and should not be treated lightly. 

I'm getting off track again, what I really wanted to say was that Twice (JYP's new girl group) has got me sucked right back in into the K-pop scene again. Ever since my bro, Chee Xiong showed me their "Cheer Up" music video in an attempt to cheer me up about two months ago, I've become a huge fan of theirs. It's a little far fetched, but in a way, I feel like Twice has saved me. I would probably be living my life like a zombie otherwise, with nothing to look forward to, and having no interest in anything. Well, I guess I'm still slowly trying to get my shit together. I'll just take it one step at a time, starting with Twice.

On a much much lighter note, Melvin brought me to this authentic Korean restaurant, "The Gogi", today after our 2.4 KM training. I had Tofu Jjigae and I just have to say this, it's honestly the best Korean food I've had in Singapore. I'm no foodie expert, so I don't have the right vocabulary to describe the food, but just know that it's different from the average Korean food you eat in Singapore. The soup actually has depth in its flavours, not just the taste of chili. Coupled with the fact that they give you 7 different plates of side dishes and a huge television screen broadcasting Korean variety shows, it's simply amazing. I know where I'm going from now on if I ever crave for Korean food. 

Well, that's all for now folks.