How you had, increased your knowledge base in photography, simply by interacting with those who had been in photography longer, how knowledge is, gained, through these, regular interactions, translated…
Recently, I’d, fallen, hopelessly, into the realm of lights. Actually, for a very long time, up until the start of the year, I’d stayed in the self-awareness of “loving that natural light, using one camera for everything”, I’d used the flash from my cameras the most; being as stubborn as I, I’d, demanded of myself, to NEVER make any sort of artificial lighting, to use the least amount of resources, to create the biggest results. But sometimes, fate and chances, they’re, rebels, sometimes, they’d, challenged you, to do exactly what you’d sworn to never do. From before, there was a magazine that I worked with a lot that invited me for a shooting sessions, what’s special was, that magazine didn’t want me there as an actress, but as a photographer, to help do the fashion photo shoots; the editor gave me a ton of leverage, not limiting my equipment, my methods, the models, and that I can even do the black-and-whites. In the various conditions, to show off the couture, the brands usually wish that the photos are, colored, so, in knowing I’m better at the black-and-white photos, he’d still invited me onboard, I’m so moved by him. That was the very fir time in life, that I’d, thought for a long time, to pay back the kindness of the editor, and did my homework beforehand, and insisted that I’d, used the black-and-whites, through the help from the lighting, to add that taste, that feel to the fashion photos.
I had that unsettled heart as I’d finished the shoot, and everybody loved the photos, including all those who were invited onboard, posing as models too; with that good experience, I’d started, getting into the art of lighting, and felt more and more confident, to take the more formal calls, instead of just, working as a freelance; on the equipments, since I owned a large wattage scene light, I’d slowly, wanted, a second set, the third. Annie Leibovitz, the modern photographer for the “Rolling Stones” once said, “photography is the study of light”, and the world of light, is like other knowledge, endless, the equipments, too numerous, the various wattages of bulbs, the various purposes of the lights, the sizes of the umbrellas, everything, to make the shoots better, came out one by one; but to not spend over my spending limit, how to make the least wasteful choice in the shoots, it’s all from the photographer’s research before the shoot, a ton of experimenting, the trials by error, to gain the wisdoms.
And for this, I’d often wandered into the photograph equipment shops on Bade and Bo-Ai Roads, and met some advisors, some new friends. This group was very different from my friends of my camera photography days; even though everybody knows everybody, but because of the different areas of expertise,, there are the varied functions that they all go to that’s, different, it’d made me feel, like I’d, unlocked, yet another level in my own knowledge of photography, that I’d gained, another, brand new, hangout; as I’d interacted with them, I’d realized how they’d all loved the lights, as they were working in the studios, their children and wives would visit them there; the big world, on this island with limited resources, maybe, their passions are, ordinary, but, through these lighting equipment, I saw how connected people can become, with the land.
And so, this, is how you can, increase your knowledge on your area of study, by mingling with those who are in the same field, like this woman, who’s into photography, and, she’d, gotten involved with the community with varied people who are experienced in the various uses of the equipment, and she’s, learning from these individuals through her interactions with them, and these lessons she received, doesn’t cost anything, she just need to, mingle, to get what she needed to know, to make her self improve as a photographer.
Life, the Obstacle Course 