photography by wasim.

Author: Wasim Muklashy

Forget Black Friday & Cyber Monday – Shop Wasim Wednesday (And Thursday And Friday And…)

In case you’ve been (understandably) hiding under a rock the past 5 days, you’re already aware…it’s that time of year!! The holiday shopping madness has begun. We had Black Friday and Small Business Saturday and ‘Something or another’ Sunday and Cyber Monday and Cyber Monday Tuesday. Well, now that you’re dressing your wounds and nursing your bruises, I bring to you…Wasim Wednesday! Best of all, you don’t have to go anywhere or do anything other than use the very device you’re reading this one. A collection of fine art prints and canvases from the past 12 months shot by yours truly. They make awesome gifts to help decorate any space, and, best of all, you know the photographer!
You can order canvas and art prints from my Crated store or my Fine Art America store, where you can also get greeting cards, metal prints, and phone cases. If you order by December 16, you’re guaranteed delivery in time for Christmas. You can access both pages from my buy page at www.WasimOfNazareth.com/buy. And if you order from Fine Art America before December 17, use this code at checkout for 15% off: RCUELU

And if you’re looking for gifts for photographers or budding photographers, make sure to check out my posts:

6 Best Cameras For Budding Photographers

&

Ten Fail Proof Gifts For Photographers In Your Circles

One last thing, I know I brought it up in the last two posts but it truly does help A LOT, so just a reminder, if you use Amazon for any purchases at all this holiday season, use this link or the one right there in the right column on this site. There’s no difference to you at all, but by using this affiliate link, I get a bit of a kickback from Amazon which helps me cover the costs of running and maintaining this site and creating content like this that is hopefully of some value to you.

Happy Holidays and Happy Shooting!

For more stuffs and things:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

December 2, 2014
6 Best Cameras For Budding Photographers

The holiday season is upon us, and chances are, somewhere in your family there’s a budding photographer. You’ve been watching as they hone their eye through an iPad lens or the pictures that mysteriously populate your smartphone’s camera roll when your phone goes missing for a few hours (or days). And now, you’re realizing this is a skill and talent they might want to hone further. It’s time to step up their game and begin their gradual and comfortable transition into some more serious hardware. Here are 6 of the best cameras for budding photographers in your family.
One major factor to take into account is something that perhaps the older, more seasoned, veteran photographer in the family might not put too much stock into, but is an absolute must for the younger generation of shutterbugs is Wi-Fi connectivity. This will allow them the ability to be immediately be able to share their images to their favorite social networks, whether it be Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Snapchat or Twitter. The next consideration in getting your kid a camera will most likely be durability and the ‘kid-proof’ element, which is what puts these first two cameras into consideration:

1. Olympus TG3 – On top of being waterproof, crushproof, shockproof, freeze proof, and dustproof (not joking), this thing is packed tight with a 16 megapixel BSI (backside illuminated) sensor, a 25-100mm zoom lens, the capability to shoot in full HD, and the all-important built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, and even a compass. It has a variety of custom shooting modes, as well as some manual modes such as Aperture Priority and Program mode, perfect primers for the next stage, which would bring full manual option. Best of all, it lies at about $350. If you’re on a tighter budget, there is also it’s little brother, the Olympus TG-850 at $199, but it should be known, it’s missing Aperture Priority mode as well as Wi-Fi capabilities.

2. Nikon Coolpix AW110 – Also waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, freezeproof, the AW120 sports a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor, 24-120mm/f2.8 lens, a 3” OLED monitor, full HD video recording capabilities, as well as Wi-Fi, GPS, and a compass. It’s shooting modes are slightly limited as compared to the TG3, but it’s also $50 less, and you have the option of a really cool orange color.

If your child is at the stage where you’re trying to teach responsibility and ‘the value of a dollar,’ and they’re ready for their first interchangeable lens camera experience, here are a couple of options to consider. These two are both a great way to introduce the casual photographer, who more likely than not use their phones or a point and shoot, to the world of more serious photography, but not intimidatingly so. These options are a great middle ground to get the budding photographer used to more manual controls, and perhaps, familiarity with RAW photography:

3. Samsung NX300 – The NX300 packs a serious punch with a 20.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, full HD video recording, Wi-Fi and all sorts of smart modes, as well as full manual controls and a tilting 3.3” AMOLED LCD on a super stylish retro-design body. Additionally, Samsung has a great and ever-growing line of NX series lenses that run the gamut of focal lengths and functionality. There’s good reason Samsung has pushed their way to the #2 spot in mirror less camera manufacturers and the NX300 is one of those reasons. I shot for months with this thing as an Imagelogger and absolutely fell in love with it. Not to mention, it comes bundled with Adobe Lightroom, making the package all they’ll need to ease a transition into making images instead of just taking them. Right now, you can snag an NX300 with the 18-55mm lens for between $400-450 depending on which day you check in.

4. Sony Alpha A5000 – This camera continually gets high marks from anyone that gets a chance to check it out. It comes packed with a 20.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, has the ability to shoot full HD video, shoots both JPEG and RAW in full manual controls, and, of course, has both Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. Sony has an impressive array of lenses and has built a very solid reputation in the mirror less interchangeable lens camera market, making the A5000 a great choice to help your young gun step up their game a couple notches. This one will also run you around $400.

Finally, if your youngster is past the responsibility phase, have proven themselves by making a habit of using the strap, and they’re feeling ready to be enthusiastically overwhelmed for their first semi/pro camera, your best bets might be:

5. Olympus OMD EM-5 – For several years now, and rightfully so, the Olympus OMD line has been the darling of the mirrorless camera world, and right now is a GREAT time to take advantage of . There are rumors that this camera will be replaced soon, meaning that it’s no longer in production, meaning incredible savings on a wonderful piece of machinery. What’s usually a $1000 camera is currently $599, and this for a 16.1 megapixel micro-four thirds sensor with a 1440k dot Electronic Viewfinder, 5-Axis Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization, full HD video at 60fps. It’s also dust proof and splash proof. The one potential downside is that it lacks Wi-Fi, but your little shutterbug might be too busy snapping away to even notice. In any case, it is compatible with the Eye-Fi line of Wi-Fi enabled SD cards, effectively turning into a Wi-Fi camera.

6. Samsung NX30 – This is another camera that I’ve had the extreme pleasure of using for the past 6 months as a Samsung Imagelogger, and, well, it has replaced my Nikon D7000 for most uses. Considering that my D7000 kit has been my go-to for almost 5 years, that’s saying a lot. As a matter of fact, most of the images you see on the pages of this blog for posts from the past 6 months have been with this camera. Samsung has been incredibly aggressive and innovative with their cameras, and the NX30 is no exception. A 20.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, fast and accurate auto-focus, 9 frames per second high speed capture, Wi-Fi and NFC, a slew of SMART features including social media uploads and email, full HD video recording, a 3” AMOLED swivel screen, and, again, like mentioned with the NX300 above, an increasingly growing and impressive line of lenses. Also, like the Olympus above, this is also currently on sale from $999 to $649 and also comes bundled with Adobe Lightroom 5. Worth every. Single. Penny.

And some may wonder why I haven’t included any Canon or Nikon DSLRs. I won’t go into a full tirade against their lack of innovation while the other manufacturers continue to churn out technology that the ‘big two’ seem to have slept on, but, well, there seems to be much more dedication to the consumer on the part of manufacturers like Samsung, Fuji, Sony and Olympus these days, especially in pushing the envelope forward in mirror less camera technology. Plus, it’s no longer a secret, thanks to the Samsung Imagelogger program, after years and years of being a religious Nikon DSLR user, I’ve become a proud and unapologetic mirror less convert. Especially with the recent arrival of the Samsung NX1…but that one…that one needs a post all of its own. Coming soon…

And if you missed it last week, here are Ten Fail Proof Gifts For Photographers In Your Circles.

One final thing, please remember, if you use Amazon, use this link or the one right there in the right column on this site. There’s no difference to you at all, but by using this affiliate link, I get a bit of a kickback from Amazon which helps me cover the costs of running and maintaining this site and creating content like this that is hopefully of some value to you. Happy shooting!

For more things and stuffs:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

November 28, 2014
Thank You.

So on this fine Thanksgiving Day 2014, I wanted to take this opportunity to express my extreme gratitude to all and everyone that has been a part of my life since the last Thanksgiving Day. Thank you! It’s been a heck of a ride so far, and while I know I can have the tendency to seemingly drift in and out of existence, please know that you are the fuel that drives me. Your wonderful posts, your shares, your ideas, your visions, your words, your companionship, your encouragements and exposed vulnerabilities…your humanity is the source of all my energy. What you all do is inspiring, and watching the extreme differences between us all, whether it be location, views, ideas, looks…melt away upon finding the extreme similarities has been one of the most touching experiences. To experience how similar we are at the core is an incredibly empowering and powerful force. So for you I am grateful. And for that I am grateful.
I know it’s a bit hard, especially for people in the States at the moment, in the wake of this week’s heartbreaking decision in the Ferguson case, to see where I’m coming from in that sentiment, but there is a VERY important fact in particular that we ought keep in mind this holiday season:

Despite what we may believe, due in NO small part to mass media and propaganda,
we are living in the most peaceful times in human history.

Basically, whatever we’re doing is working, all we have to do is just keep doing it. Evolution takes time, and we have to be patient with it. It’s not going to be as fast as a text or a Google search or as short and tart as a tweet, but if you truly ignore the static and the noise, truly hone in on what’s happening around you, remarkably enough, you’re living in a time in which you can literally watch it happen. You can literally watch evolution happen. Embrace the beauty. Embrace the tolerance. Embrace the closest person to you. Embrace the fact that as humans, we can watch, feel, and experience ourselves flourish as a species.

So as you gather around your tables to stuff your faces with every possible combination of gastronomical satisfaction, think about how closely together we’re working and living as a human race than ever before. Ideas from around the world are influencing partnerships and actions and collaborations amongst people that have never met before, deeper connections amongst such opposites are being forged in ways that we never could have seen coming, even just 10 years ago, and it’s happening in ways that are so far-reaching that they’re literally changing the way we live, love, laugh, communicate. They’re affecting our lives in every area from mental health to physical health. Our minds. Our bodies. The cores of our personalities. The very makeup and structure of our brains.

These, are the people that are moving humanity forward, not the dinosaurs like the ones in Ferguson that are trying so desperately to drag us backward.

Best of all, you are those people.

So on this Thanksgiving weekend, take a moment to just stop, take 3 deep breaths, look around you, and be grateful for who and what you are and who and what you are with.

We are truly living in remarkable times.

Thank you for being a part of mine.

November 27, 2014
Ten Fail Proof Gifts For Photographers In Your Circles

Whether we’re ready to admit it or not, the holidays are upon us. I tried as long as I could to ignore the names of the months passing by on the calendar, but, well, once Daylight Savings Time hit, denial turned to grief turned to acceptance turned to ‘ok, fine, let’s do this thing!’ Anyhow, chances are there’s a photographer in your family or group of friends that you’ll have to shop for, and while we’re certainly a famously finicky bunch, I guarantee you, there’s still something that photographer “needs.” So here’s a list of things that will help turn that psychosis-inducing task of figuring it out into the easiest checkmark on your shopping list. Here are 10 fail-proof gifts for photographers in your circles.

1. GIFT CARD!!! While so many might say this is the lazy, impersonal way to go, trust me, this is the number one gift any photographer will want. While we’re an extremely picky species, there is always something that we want. And that’s not limited to photography gear…we need hard drives, memory cards, batteries, light modifiers, sand bags, cables, a myriad of stuff, so a gift card to an outlet that sells everything from electronic to photography gear is an insanely valuable asset. You can’t go wrong with Amazon, B&H Photo, or Adorama.

2. Airline Miles – Just about every photographer dreams to have fresh new exciting unfamiliar things and places to photograph, and every one of those photographers has a destination (or two, or three, or fifty) that they dream to visit, but just about every one of those photographers frets over the price of that plane ticket to get there. Miles are a HUGE help. Whether you have enough to hand over enough for a full flight, or a few thousand that can help alleviate part of the financial burden, miles are a gift that will never be unappreciated by the photographer in the family.

3. iPad Mini – This is quickly becoming a must-have item for photographers, especially those that work in the field. From the tethering capabilities to just about every camera to the increased focus by major image software companies like Adobe, an iPad mini is something that will definitely get used. And if you’ve got the budget, AppleCare would help. Just sayin’.

4. Craft & Vision Gift Certificate – Guaranteed there will be at least 2 books that come out this year that the photographer in your family will want. And as they’re all written by respected photographers in the industry, they will be coveted. David duChemin’s Craft & Vision almost has a lock on the best photography books in the publishing world. Best of all, most of them are less than 10 bucks, so 20 bucks will go a long way. 50 bucks? Fuggedabbadit!

5. KelbyOne Gift Certificate – Scott Kelby and KelbyOne are perhaps the go-to in photography training, seminars, and workshops. The Photoshop master has built quite the machine, offering everything from video tutorials from the industry’s biggest draws, to live seminars and conferences taught by everyone from himself to National Geographic superstar Joe McNally. If you don’t know Joe, trust me, the photographer you’re aiming for does. I would recommend getting a membership, but there’s a good chance the photographer you’re shopping for already has one, but a gift certificate can be used for the seminars or workshops or various products as well. Can’t go wrong with this one.

6. BorrowLenses.com Gift Certificate – BorrowLenses.com is awesome! Every photographer you’ve ever known and will know, will spend hours, days, weeks, months, researching gear, lenses, camera bags, bodies, you name it, before they finally make their decision. A lot of times, the only way to know, is to touch, feel, use, and marinate with a piece of gear, and BorrowLenses.com makes that incredibly affordable and awesome. You can rent, Netflix-style, everything from camera bodies, lenses, and even lighting gear, so you can test it out before you buy. You’d be helping make the photographer’s research a hands-on experience. They’ll never forget that!

7. Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription – Because we hated the fact that we had to pay for a subscription to use the software that is our bread & butter, that charge on our credit card still irks us each month, and by paying for it for a year for us, it’ll help us forget it for that much longer. Ah…the good ol’ days…

8. Leatherman – Because we love cool things and Leathermans are cool things! And we can have a hundred Leathermans and love each one of them. Like children. Sort of. Not really. But you know what I mean.

9. Swatchmate – Ok, this is pretty sweet stuff. This might apply more to digital artists than to strictly photographers, but, well, the line does seem to be blurring, so here’s one for color freaks. This device allows you to capture ANY color anywhere you are from any surface of anything at all and be able to save it as a swatch to use later. It can even save it directly to Photoshop for you.

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10. Their own Prints – Not for them, but for other people. There is NOTHING that tickle’s a photographer’s fancy more than that notification on their phone that they sold a print. And if you buy several after another for different people, that means more notifications. That means more love.

11. (BONUS). My Prints. Because, well, they’re awesome! But you didn’t hear it from me. Well, yes you did, but, no you didn’t. Anyhow…do it! Buy. Crated or FineArtAmerica.

Additionally, if you’ve got a budding photographer in the family, and you’re looking to get them their first camera or upgrade their shooting experience, here are the 6 Best Cameras For Budding Photographers.

And please remember, if you use Amazon, use this link or the one right there in the right column on this site. There’s no difference to you at all, but by using this affiliate link, I get a bit of a kickback from Amazon which helps me cover the costs of running and maintaining this site and creating content like this that is hopefully of some value to you.

For more of the photography psychotica, pick your poison:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

November 19, 2014
My Second Research Term For The Arcanum: Chromatic Aberration. Why? It’s Annoying…

So if you read my post My First Research Term For The Arcanum: Silence. Why? It’s Complicated…, you’d know what this is all about. As Robin Griggs Wood’s apprentice in Trey Ratcliff’s Arcanum, part of each week’s challenge is to research a term that relates to creativity. While the first term I researched was silence, this time, I chose “chromatic aberration.” Whether you know what it is or not, you’ve seen it, you’ve experienced it, and it’s annoyed the living crap out of you, so here’s a basic breakdown of the bugger and what I’ve found.What Exactly Is Chromatic Aberration?

So this is one that has usually just meant nothing more to me than “those annoying purple or green fringes I get on high contrast edges in some of my pictures, especially when the sun is involved.” I knew it had something to do with the lens, something to do with the light angle, and something to do with, well, sciency stuff, so figured this was a perfect opportunity and reason to find out once and for all what chromatic aberration is and how and why it’s caused (and if there’s anything I can do to avoid it).

The science: Wikipedia puts it like this: “Chromatic aberration (CA, also called achromatism, chromatic distortion, and spherochromatism) is a type of distortion in which there is a failure of a lens to focus all colors to the same convergence point. It occurs because lenses have different refractive indices for different wavelengths of light (the dispersion of the lens). The refractive index decreases with increasing wavelength.”

Well, duh! I could have told you that (yeah right…).

My next destination was a link that leads to a Georgia State University Physics page that explained how blue light wavelengths are shorter than red light wavelengths, and since focal length depends on a phenomena called refraction, which is “the bending of a wave when it enters a medium where its speed is different,” the index for refraction blue and red lights are different.

So now that the smart people terms are out in the open, I needed it explained in layman’s terms, so I did a bit more digging and I found this at PhotographyLife.com:
“Chromatic Aberration, also known as ‘color fringing’ or ‘purple fringing,’ is a common optical problem that occurs when a lens is either unable to bring all wavelengths of color to the same focal plane, and/or when wavelengths of color are focused at different positions in the focal plane. Chromatic aberration is caused by lens dispersion, with different colors of light travelling at different speeds while passing through a lens. As a result, the image can look blurred or noticeable colored edges (red, green, blue, yellow, purple, magenta) can appear around objects, especially in high-contrast situations.

A perfect lens would focus all wavelengths into a single focal point, where the best focus with the “circle of least confusion” is located.”

Aha. And that actually helps it become a bit clearer and more approachable.

So what it sounds like is that it happens when all of the colors of the spectrum can’t make it to their intended finish line at the time the shutter is pressed. Whether it be actual physical limitations, or limitations based in physics and the ways wavelengths move and work, the stars are just unable to align due to factors including exposure settings, positioning of the lens, and how much glass the waves have to penetrate in order to reach the sensor.

Essentially, because of the way that light works and how each color has it’s own distinctive wavelength, in order for them to be accurately represented, they need to be in the same place at the same time, and when you’re taking a photo and each of these wavelengths of color has to travel through different, it makes it very difficult for them to reach the same point at exactly the same time. So some of them are left on the fringes. They ‘re not usually very apparent, but when you’re dealing with high-contrast edges, it’s easier to see them because of those hard edges. Almost the same way it’s easier to see the immediate difference between black and white versus a gradient that moves from black to white gradually. Imagine an image that was half black and half white, if you put a gray line separating them, it’d be extremely apparent on that hard edge. Now, imagine an image that was a gradual gradient from black to white, and you put a grey line somewhere in between, it’d be a bit harder to pick it out because it’s lost in a gradient of grey – there’s a lot of grey area in between. That’s essentially what’s happening. Some of the wavelengths are getting caught in between the point of origin and the destination – your sensor, like on the black/white card.

Now that I have a clearer idea of what’s happening, I was curious if there was a way to avoid it, and apparently there isn’t. At the moment, science and physics trumps the human mind’s capacity to solve this one. That same PhotographyLife.com link explains that “This kind of…chromatic aberration is present even on high-end, expensive lenses like the Nikon 35mm f/1.4G.”

Luckily for us, we do have a go around, one I’ve been using for quite some time, and one that apparently I’ll continue to have to use, at least for now. Lightroom has a chromatic aberration correction tool in the ‘Lens Correction’ tab on the ‘Develop’ pane. You click it, and then there are sliders for green and purple that you can slide to determine the color range of chromatic aberration to remove, and, wallah! It’s gone!

In this case at least, software trumps physics…

For more of my madness:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

November 19, 2014
My First 1st – ‘Pole Position’ Takes Top Spot In National Park Service Photo Contest!

So this is a quick one, but wanted to post an update to the National Park Service’s annual “Spirit Of The Mountains” photo contest I threw a couple entries into last month. Well, on November 2, they announced the winners. There were 4 categories, and my image “Pole Position” tied for 1st place in this year’s challenge category, “Variations On Light.” It was quite thrilling to see that ribbon and hear renowned photographer Tom Gamache’s positive critiques. Thank you to all who showed up and all those who supported me in this thing. I can’t express how happy I was to get my first 1st place ribbon in a photo contest. (And special thanks to my Arcanum cohort for convincing me on the portrait version of the image…that was key!). Also, if you’d like a limited edition 36″x24″ landscape version print of this image, 100 of them are currently available through AngelenoArtistry. Click here to check it out.

And congratulations to Mike Shaw, my 1st place tie mate!

For more of my madness, take your pick: Instagram: @wasimofnazareth Ello: @wasimofnazareth Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

November 18, 2014
My First Research Term For The Arcanum: Silence. Why? It’s Complicated…

Part of the deal as an apprentice in The Arcanum is each week we are presented with a weekly challenge by our master, and with each weekly challenge, in addition to finding images based on a theme, we are to find a term that relates to creativity in some way (however broad is up to us) and research that term and what we found out about it. So while I was trying to think of what term I wanted to research for my first weekly challenge, I found myself navigating my way through the eternal Facebook stream of doom, looking for a post I saw earlier from a friend that I wanted to comment on, and all I could see are BE SCARED EBOLA OBAMA DEMOCRAPUBLICANS TERRORISM EBOLA LIBERAL HELL WRATH CONSERVATIVE RACIST FIRE DOOM DIE OH YEAH AND EBOLA when all I could think to myself was, ‘shut up already!’
So, that was the birth of the term I wanted to research for my first weekly challenge in The Arcanum: Silence.

Needless to say, I knew that silence had a much broader meaning than just the lack of noise, but I was completely surprised to see that in the official Wikipedia post about silence (let’s face it, Wikipedia is the new Encyclopedia Britannica – for those of you that remember that monstrosity…), the meaning of silence has broadened to accept:

“total communication, in reference to nonverbal communication and spiritual connection.”

Wow. Spiritual connection? Communication through silence?

And not only that, but this:

“…as a culture Westerners shy away from silence because it is fearful to be in quiet.”

Wha? Why?

“This instinct is created from our culture where mixed medias play constantly, emerging technologies force us to drop everything and respond and the daily life is polluted with noises all around us effecting our health.”

And that’s just from the first few lines. And it was those first few lines that explained it all – the same week that an article came out saying that the first actual diagnosis of phone addiction has been made, and that techno-addiction is now an actual ‘thing.’

It’s not that we don’t want the silence, we’re actually biologically afraid of it.

And I can understand it. And I can more than understand exactly how the mass media plays on that fear. We literally wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves if every newscaster and ‘expert’ and ‘pundit’ and ‘respected personality’ one day just got on the air and said “Oh, there ain’t a darned thing going on today. It’s all good. We’re just going to chill.” Ironically, we’d freak out and wonder what was wrong rather than what they were telling us, that’s all’s right! We probably wouldn’t even allow ourselves a moment of silence to take it in.

And apparently, and scientifically, that’s because we’re afraid. We’re literally afraid of what we might have to face if we weren’t constantly faced with madness and psychotica from all directions at all times. If we didn’t have distraction after distraction from distraction after distraction. The fact that things can actually be…all good. The crazy part is, things are better now than they ever have been in human history. There is actual quantifiable evidence showing less war, destruction, famine, and death today than at any time in human history.

But we would never know it now would we?

I couldn’t help but think, perhaps if we spent more time in silence, that reality might take hold.

Process that: things are better now than they ever have been.

So chill out y’allz…it’s all good.

Now how does this have anything to do with photography or art or the Arcanum? I have no idea or real good answer for that. I suppose the best I could do is that I feel we should be paying just as much attention, if not more, to the good in life, than all the seemingly inescapable bad. It can, apparently, have profound impacts on our health, both physical and mental. And I can only imagine it could serve the impetus for some pretty incredibly beautiful art!

Now let’s shut up and make stuff!

For more of my madness, take your pick:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

November 4, 2014
My Experience In Trey Ratcliff’s The Arcanum – Level 3: Wasim The Inspired!

So this is where it all got real.
The experiences, the Networks, The Challenges. It’s all part of the process here in The Arcanum, but all of it, at first, seems a bit disconnected, another virtual forum, albeit a more positively engaging one sans the trolls and the, but, still,

I am now Wasim The Inspired!!

And with that, things immediately get a bit more serious. As I started seeing streams of notifications and happenings within the community and cohort, I won’t lie, I started to get a bit overwhelmed and intimidated. People were engaging with each other, Hangouts were happening, weekly challenges were being levied, leveling ups were going on, and I was watching it all, wondering how and where to go from here. Where do I fit into this madness? So as an apprentice, learning from a master, I figured that not only was it was well within my boundaries to ask my master, the one, the only Robin Griggs Wood, for help, but, well, it was my responsibility to do so. So I did, and she responded so graciously and thoroughly, that there was no longer any reason, or excuse, for me to put this off. I was starting to feel the kick in the arse I so badly desired and got involved in this thing for.

Levels 3 and 4 go together…sort of. This is a stage where in one level, it’s my responsibility to put together an album of 10 images, in which I then have to ask my fellow apprentices in the cohort to set up a Google+ Hangout, and in that, they critique my images and help me choose the 5 that I will take with me into Level 4, a critique session with my master, Robin Griggs Wood. Mano a mano. A bit nerve-racking? Perhaps. But exciting? Yes. Definitely. My peers are going to give me critical feedback, and my master is going to finally tell it like it is and guide me to the next level in my creative journey.

So I put together a gallery mixed with some of my favorites and some that I was looking to see what others thought of. Perfect opportunity. While I was about to pop my Google Hangout cherry after just returning from an unplanned visit to the dentist, I was fortunate in that we almost immediately went into a screenshare, sparing my fellow apprentices the sight of my drooling half-numb face in favor of some purty colors and images.

I have to say, this was really really really really really really really really nice. This sort of engagement is something has been missing from my photographic journey completely. I’ve mostly relegated my work to online venues, and the social side of it all, well, seemed a bit of a chore rather than a necessity. Until now. This is the perfect venue where I immediately felt comfortable because I knew that this wasn’t a ego boosting show and tell or a pissing match or soapbox of any sorts (sorry L.A.), but it was a group that was on the exact same journey I was. They were dedicated to improving and growing and evolving in their respective crafts, and it just felt right. Hearing their ideas and thoughts truly brought to light SO many things I never even considered. I even ended up with a few alternate processings of some of the images that I ended up liking more than the originals. Immediately validating the value of such feedback, something that’s can be hard to get on board with, especially in such a traditionally solitary and personal pursuit as photography.

But I loved it. And I have a gallery of images I’m proud of to present to my master. And perhaps most importantly, because of this session with my apprentices, I was able, perhaps for the first time, to succinctly state what my goal and mission in my photography and work is:

To try to induce that childlike wonder back into the jaded adult mind.

To aim to straddle fantasy and reality, and push the fantastical in everyday existence right the point where you have to ask yourself whether or not this can actually be real and come away with an ‘I supposeeeee so.’ And if they’re trying to convince themselves, then all the better, for perhaps it’ll awaken a part of their mind they’ve ignored for a while.

In other words, an attempt to provide a reminder that, in addition to all our everyday worries and concerns and responsibilities – basically, the crap – just outside our bubbles, awe-inspiring beauty and curiosity still exists on a massive scale. Even more so than when were kids. We just might have to look a wee tad harder, but that could only help us appreciate it that much more.

My experience in Level 4, my first face to face and image review with my master Robin Griggs Wood, is coming in a few days. To find out which images I took with me to present to her and what happened, check back here or sign up for the mailing list in the right column to be notified as soon as I post it.

And in case you missed it, click here to read about Levels 1 & 2.

For more of my madness, take your pick: Instagram: @wasimofnazareth Ello: @wasimofnazareth Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

November 2, 2014
5 Black & White Photography Tips I Learned While Taking The Black & White Photography Challenge

So I was recently challenged by a fellow Samsung Imagelogger, the talented portrait photographer Jess Anderson, to take the Black & White Photography Challenge. Basically, I had to post 5 black and white images in 5 days. Anyone that knows me or my work knows that color plays an enormous role in the images I choose to make, so this was definitely a bit intimidating. In addition to a few of my favorites from those recent 5 days, what follows are 5 things I learned and experienced in my little black & white journey. One thing that is immediately apparent is that once you lose the luxury of color, your mind shifts, and it has to. It’s not as easy as just hitting the black & white tab in Lightroom or Photoshop or dropping saturation. You can’t make images the way you’ve known and been used to and you are forced to focus on other aspects. The good news is, once the mind-shift happens, a whole new world that you may not have previously paid attention to, pops up into existence. It’s really quite fascinating.

1. Contrast was HUGE! When you lose the ability to capture color as a main player in an image, you have to look at things completely different, and one of the top factors that can make for a good monochromatic image is contrast. Extreme contrast between shadows and highlights, light areas, dark areas, that’s going to be the main player in the image, no matter the subject. The caveat to add here is that gloomy are also good days to shoot for black and white as well, as the contrast between subjects plays more of a role than the contrast between shadows and highlights. For example, a humanoid dressed in white standing against a dark wall.

2. Geometry! Pay attention to leading lines and shapes. They both seemed to play a huge role. If you can find lines that stand out, curves that are apparent through the scene, that is optimal. Additionally, keep an eye out for shapes. Squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, they all stand out in monochromatic situations when an eye is denied the ability to look for color.

3. Light, more than ever, is perhaps your most important player here. It’s a fact that the brightest spot in the image is where the eye is naturally drawn to, so light that falls in between columns in a building, creating a striped pattern across someone’s face, or just a single ray of light at the end of a dark alley falling on a person’s face. You get the idea. Watch the light, where it’s going, what it’s doing, and know that mostly nothing in the shadowy areas is going to be the main subject or player in your image. It’s what’s going to be in that light.

4. ISO is of the utmost importance! Definitely try to shoot at the lowest ISO possible. I learned very quickly that when playing in contrast and with several dark areas in an image, noise is MUCH more apparent. Minimize the noise-reduction-plugin rabbit hole by shooting at as low an ISO as you can.

5. Minimalism can play a great role here. A few of my favorites from those 5 days use a LOT of negative space – the one with the birds and the one of the woman on the cliff edge overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean.

Bonus Tip: If your camera is capable, shoot in RAW. If you’re used to shooting in JPEG, set it to shoot in RAW+JPEG, but you’ll see how important having that extra RAW flexibility of adjusting shadows and highlights comes into play in post-processing when shooting for black and white. Trust me.

With that being said, I quite liked the challenge, and I thoroughly enjoyed shooting for black and white, so thank you for that Jess! Don’t be surprised to see me post a few more monochrome images in the future.

All the images above were taken on mirrorless Samsung NX30 and NX3000 cameras.

For more of my madness, take your pick:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

October 19, 2014
The Spirit Of The Mountain Calls Again – Here’re This Year’s Entries!

I can’t believe it’s been a full year since the last one. That photo contest that I was honored to place 2nd and 3rd in last year, the National Park Service sponsored “Spirit Of The Mountain” photo contest? Well, it’s back. I just submitted my two entries, the two you see above, “Family Time” and “Pole Position,” two images taken within the past 12 months in the Santa Monica Mountain Range.

If you happen to find yourself in the area between November 2 and November 23, stop by the Interagency Visitor Center at the King Gillette Ranch. It’s right across the road from Malibu Creek State Park, so make a day of it…trust me, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Oak groves and rock pools and lakes and streams…hard to believe it’s only 35 minutes from Santa Monica and Los Angeles’ Westside.

Anyhow, if you happen to make it on November 2, that’s the opening reception, and renown photographer Tom Gamache, the man behind the beautiful images in Matthew Jaffe’s “The Santa Monica Mountains – Range On The Edge,” will be there to critique the entries. Also, Gamache has his images currently on exhibition at the same visitor center. That there is worth it alone.

The images above were taken on Samsung NX300 and NX30 cameras.

For more of my madness, take your pick:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

October 14, 2014