Looking through some shots from Sydney to post and came across this one. Thought it would look decent in black and white. Sometimes I frame shot but never go through with the final process of making it work as I only post process those that jump out at me.

This is a rather contrasty image, and there are technical elements like the burned out highlights of the walls. Then again, you need to look at the overall picture and wonder if that works. For me, the overall shapes from the tiles and the play of light and shadow on the walls and windows made the image for me.

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Having one of those ‘Aha!’ moments where I feel like I’m learning something new in photography. I keep reminding myself that when I start to stagnate that I need to look for new ways to express myself.

Spent some time going through some old tutorial videos I purchased a couple of years ago to learn about the data management side of photography, as well as the actual shot to print process. I have taken an interest to framing photos, and will pick that up once I come back from Europe. Heh, it seems like everything that interests me requires an outlay, so hopefully the job hunting is relatively painless when I get back. Having done it more than once, and actually removing the obstacles towards applying for jobs, I feel a little more confident with finding some work.

On framing pictures, the outlay will require some of the tools for joining the frames, measuring and cutting the bevels of the matte board and mounting. This doesn’t include the ongoing cost of materials to do actual frames. Heh, this leads me to also wanting an A3 printer and testing out different types of paper rolls for creating those large landscape photos. Even as a camera geek and enthusiast, cameras and lenses are the last things on my purchase list. I want to be able to control the entire process, from the snapshot, to the editing, the final print and producing a picture frame that can adorn someone’s wall. For me, what’s the point of having thousands of photos locked away as bits in a hard disk if you can’t just take the time to stare and appreciate it?

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This is probably what unemployment does to you, having the time and opportunities to explore other avenues of life, that you can take time off your routine and review it. Maybe you need to digress a little off life to just take a view and see that what you are currently doing is indeed what you actually want to do. Our experiences through life all vary, and perhaps now is a good time to stand up and take action.