Rainy Jitters

Sometime in March, thanks to my fellow Grryo team members, I had the chance to do a short course on Skillshare by Kevin Russ titled “Photo Storytelling : On the Road with Kevin Russ”. From time to time we tend to feel unmotivated in photography. We always need some motivation through people, courses, or even by looking through various talents. This short course by Kevin Russ was very interesting. He refined my perspective on taking pictures. Many times we are in a place or moment; we think or see, then decide if we want to capture it, or let the moment be. Kevin showed us through his on the road experience that the “just go shoot” spontaneous method can be a very useful tool. It reminds us of the moment we actually started shooting in the first place by just hitting the capture button and seeing results.

Working on a Rainy Day

Coffee Shop Views

After the course, I tried to keep the concept in mind by simply looking at a moment and following my heart to capture it. The results were a series of colourful moments telling their own story. We do have a tendency to click and then edit based on how we would like to portray the moment, but spontaneity is a really good way of reliving the moment. That is when I personally feel the saying ” A picture is worth a thousand words” expresses how we felt when we shot it.

Street plus Colorful Window views of Singapore

Welcome to Delhi – View of Palace

Stained Glasses

Colourful Shopping

Bridge from Window

Kevin’s course went through the process of each detail moment he was experiencing;  how he captured it, and later on, how he combines it all into a story. He tells us to just go for it. Even when we upload it on social media we shouldn’t put too much thought about likes, followers, but instead, just do what we feel like. That is how we showcase our work and those who are able to see our work will definitely enjoy our feed.

Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex

Waiting area

The Zig Zag

The images shared here are a series of my experience and journey after doing the course. The images vary from different places like Jakarta to Singapore to New Delhi, India and back in Jakarta itself. All of them have been captured from various aspects from a driving car window, to walks, or at shops, or simply at a cafe. During my travels I was able to implement this simple concept and to date I try my best to stick to it. Using mostly Hipstamatic and sometimes using the native camera, I have edited some of them simply to portray the moments accordingly.

A cup of Coffee

Construction Stilts

Everyday we see, click and work through a variety of images trying our best to illustrate our work and keep the passion alive. Yet, we tend to stumble and lose focus. But, it shouldn’t stop us from continuously creating and making better images. Sometimes, taking a pause and just looking around, feeling the moments around us, helps to regain and regroup our minds. Photography is an art and is truly capturing with the eyes of the heart.

Andre Kertesz has beautifully defined what Photography meant to him :

“I am an amateur and intend to remain one my whole life long. I attribute to photography the task of recording the real nature of things, their interior, their life. The photographer’s art is a continuous discovery which requires patience and time. A photograph draws its beauty from the truth with which it’s marked. As soon as I find a subject which interests me, I leave it to the lens to record it truthfully. Look at the reporters and at the amateur photographer! They both have only one goal; to record a memory or a document. And that is pure photography.”

Let us shoot for the pleasure it brings to us and define those moments purely by being an amateur, yet always improving the quality of our work. Just go out there, grab your camera and take a shot!

About Author

Simran I. NanwaniCapture | Create | Inspire

Simran is a passionate photographer and writer. She captures moments through her camera and iPhone. She writes for Sleeklens and Grryo and enjoys sharing her work through captivating moments found in daily living.

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