photography by wasim.

Category: Adventures

How Instagram’s Cheesy Photo Filters Have Made Us More Creative

I know.
I was one of those people.
But after rediscovering Instagram the past few months since deleting my original account two years ago as a futile act of defiance after the billion dollar Facebook acquisition, I’ve come to realize, that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s far from cheating and it’s actually quite the contrary, it’s incredibly liberating…which just so happens to be a prerequisite for the most creative of all art!
Basically, here’s my take: just because I don’t know how to make something look like an old western scratched sepia photo print in Photoshop, or I don’t have an old western camera with old western film and old western chemicals and an old western darkroom to process in, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be allowed to express a vision that happens to be in the style of an old western scratched sepia photo print. If I had to learn how to do it, or save up to buy all them old western stuffs, I’d end up spending hours, if not days, or perhaps even months, detracting from continuing to engage the original spark of that imagination by developing the story or idea. When I see something and want to see it in an old western scratched sepia photo print sorta way, I can do it with the tap of a button, allowing me more energy to concentrate on refining the overall vision. This, consequently, allows me to be more creative without the fear of technical gibberish slowing me down.
Essentially, with the quick one step filters we actually have tools to help us express a creative vision that runs quicker and closer to the speed that our mind conjures it up. In many cases, it even gives us ideas that we wouldn’t have had before, conjuring up certain emotions and feelings based on how that image looks based on how we decided to treat it. Our imagination becomes something that stays ‘on’ at all times, allowing us to visualize and create and refine and build upon the wily creative spark when the elusive bugger decides to actually show up. Moreover, in my case, it’s allowed me to retool and re-envision many images I already have, and present them to an entirely new audience who may never have seen them otherwise.
And I think we’re all starting to catch up with these sorts of thoughts. Yes, when these ‘toys’ were first brought to market, it was easy to dismiss them as meaningless and short-lived and a ‘fad’ and all that gobbledegook. But heck, we didn’t know any better because we’ve never quite seen anything like that on a mass consumed scale. But since then, even institutions that have prided for over a century about the quality of their images and media output, like National Geographic and Smithsonian and Getty Images, have adopted Instagram and Twitter accounts, and in National Geographic’s case, even has a section in their digital publication format surrounded by that iconic yellow border, dedicated to the Instagram feeds of their photographers in the field. And some of my favorite professional photographers have embraced the mediums as well. In a short 4 years, Instagram has become an institution in itself – creating celebrity Instagrammers that have led to extremely profitable small businesses based on their feeds, while simultaneously building a rabid fan base large and influential enough to command a billion dollar pricetage by Facebook. And, well, if Facebook bought a toy, well, it was a damn expensive one!
Additionally, the fact that most ‘professional’ and ‘prosumer’ cameras these days are equipped with built-in wifi, like the Samsung NX30 and Samsung NXMini I’ve been using lately as part of the Imagelogger program, allows you to immediately take a high quality photo and transfer it to your mobile device for processing and sharing…an idea that seemed preposterously foreign just 5 years ago.
Anyhow, I suppose what I’m getting at here is that I’m finally beginning to let go of the idea that things need to stay the way they are or the way they’ve ‘been.’ After all, in reality, nothing at all has ever stayed the way it’s ‘been.’ Ever. And heck, who would really want it to!? So if I, as a creative, don’t adapt and embrace the tools (and toys) that are available to us in these insanely exciting days, then, well, I’m just gonna end up left by the wayside, while everyone else has all the fun.
Screw that. I wanna have some fun too!
For more of my madness: Instagram: @wasimofnazareth Twitter: @wasimofnazareth Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WasimOfNazareth

July 24, 2014
A Monday Motivational Kick In The Yahoo – July 21, 2014

Wasim Muklashy Photography__Samsung NX30_Topanga Beach_Monday Motivational_July 21

“Instead Of Trying To Be The Mountain,

Be The Valley Of The Universe.

All Things Will Come To You.”

-Tao Te Ching

**

From me to you,
There’s This Week’s

Monday Kick In The Yahoo!

**

Be Inspired!

July 21, 2014
Why You Should Stop Paying Attention To The Focal Point Of Your Images

I recently found myself standing in front of a stunning vista in the Santa Monica Mountains. It was June 21, 2014. The Summer Solstice. And the sun was just about to set behind the mountains, leaving a beautiful show of colors and clouds and reflections and highlights and vivid shadows in it’s wake. There was another group of photographers at the other end of the overlook and they were doing what most photographers first instinct is to do…pay full attention to the focal point of their image, the subject they wish to draw attention to, and everything else came secondary.

In this case, the focal point was the sun.

The images they got weren’t bad, they were wonderful images of the sun over the mountain range, but, well, that’s exactly the image that most people would expect to see, meaning, in essence, they weren’t very unique for the situation. For months, I’ve been tackling how to avoid this sort of image and so far my conclusion is, well, to avoid the focal point and subject of my image and, somehow, find a way to make that secondary.

Make the sun secondary during a sunset shot? Huh? Let me explain.

When I saw that group of photographers standing in a row next to each other, I couldn’t help but distance myself as far from them as possible. As a matter of fact, I went to the complete opposite end of the overlook. That was the first thing I did that I knew would differentiate my image from theirs, for better or for worse. The next thing I did was drop from eye level and look for a foreground subject. As soon as I dropped to ground level, I ran across a sagebush and it was impossible to ignore the highlights bouncing off the tops of the drying buds. They were stunning and I knew immediately this had to be incorporated into the image. This is an aspect of my final image that I would have completely missed had I joined the other photographers, an aspect that all of those standing eye level at the other end of the overlook had no idea even existed.

I’m not in any way claiming my image was better, or more original than theirs, nor am I claiming that I have any sort of secret to making good images. That’s obviously in the eye of the beholder. All I’m claiming is that by simple physics, the fact that I consciously chose a different vantage point, made my image at least different than the other photographers there. And I personally liked what I came away with. And that’s at least a good first step towards a goal of finding uniqueness amongst a saturated photographer world out there.

Had I joined the group, yes, no doubt I would have ended up with a very nice Summer Solstice sunset image, it would have been hard not to in that location at that time. But would I have ended up with this one? One I’m MUCH happier with? No. I wouldn’t have. The interplay between the sun setting behind the hills, and the highlights of that final light of the day bouncing off the tips of the sagebrush adding a sense of scale and depth that otherwise would have been missing, are what I feel helps this image stand apart from just focusing on the sunset itself.

So the point here is basically to not settle for the obvious. You know that option is there, so you can always return to it if all else fails, but don’t be sedentary. Duck and dodge and move and try different things. Try to focus first on finding a foreground or an element that would normally be overlooked – the bark of a tree, the petals of a flower, the dust being kicked up by the wind – whatever other elements exist, are all parts of that landscape, and can all help in adding another dimension to what the main focus of the image was originally supposed to be.

In other words…play!

The image above was taken with a Samsung NX30 and a Samsung 18-200mm lens.

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

July 16, 2014
A Monday Motivational Kick In The Yahoo – July 14, 2014

Wasim Muklashy Photography_Solstice Canyon Afternoon_Buddha_for site

“The Mind That Perceives The Limitation…Is The Limitation.” -Buddha

From me to you,
Here’s this week’s Monday Kick In The Yahoo!

Be Inspired!

July 14, 2014
A Small Gesture Goes A Long Way – The Power Of (Baby) Photography

A few months back, I was on a photo trip up north in the Pacific Northwest and it was incredible. I’m sure you’ve already heard me gush enough about it. Anyhow, our hosts were friends of the guy that hired me, who not only graciously allowed us to commandeer their home for a week, but also one of their cars. They were some of the warmest, most hospitable people I’ve ever met and it was incredible how they were immediately able to diffuse any anxieties about staying with strangers.

One night after a string of a particularly long few days of shooting out in the field – the stunning forests and mountains landscapes and waterways of Washington and Oregon – we decided to take an afternoon off, take ‘er easy and hang out at the house with the hosts that took us in. Because we were there earlier than usual that afternoon, we got to spend some quality time not only with the host couple, but their gorgeous 3-year old daughter. We watched bits of “Frozen” (over and over and over and over and over again…), we sang songs, and, not surprisingly, we got silly with the camera.

While she was shy at first, it didn’t take much to warm her up to the lens (when in doubt, always revert to the Frozen soundtrack…over and over and over and over again…). Anyhow, through this process and impromptu baby photography session, I managed to snap a few images I found completely adorable.

Later on that evening as the family stuffs was winding down, I found some time to sit and process images from the day, and instead of the job we were there for, I decided to process a few of the images of their daughter. After I got 3 or 4 of them I was happy with, I posted them on Facebook to the parents’ pages and emailed them high resolution copies, and when they saw them, they damn near melted. It was beautiful. It instantly added another level of human connection, warmth, and appreciation to the relationship.

Thing is, it wasn’t even planned that way. But it panned out that way – all due to circumstance and embracing a moment. And because of that, I learned yet another valuable lesson that I can take with me along my photographic journey:

A small spontaneous gesture can go a long long way.

To me, it was nothing, I love making images, so when there’s a compelling subject in front of me, I can’t help it. Whether or not I was ever able to share those images with anyone was besides the fact, I just simply enjoy the process of making a simple photograph.

But in some situations more than others, you are reminded of what a raw, engaging, emotional gift a ‘simple’ photograph can be. While many other artistic mediums all have their merits and their strengths, many, I might add, of which I’m particularly envious of, photography remains the only one, practically by definition, in which it is even remotely possible to capture an eternal visual reminder of a single moment.

One single standout moment.

One that you shared with someone else.

One that you both existed in,

when there was nothing else.

Gagagoogoo.

All images were taken using a Samsung NX30
For more of my madness:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Twitter: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WasimOfNazareth

July 11, 2014
Should Your Photographs Reflect The Way You See The World Or The Way You Choose To See The World?

It’s almost hard to ignore in today’s photography discussions. The ‘purist’ versus the ‘artist’ argument. What is a real photograph? What is a fake photograph? What is a photograph? When are filters and plugins appropriate? When are they not? When have you used too many?

Here’s the thing: never! None of that matters. At all. The only people it matters to are the people it matters to. Think about that sentence – The only people it matters to are the people it matters to. Basically, it’s not up to anyone but you to tell you what you like.

Sure, there are cases, especially in editorial or documentary and news photography, when your job is strictly to document the world the way that it is, and any embellishments or alterations are simply immoral and disrespectful, but if you are picking up a camera as a tool for art, I am a firm believer that you are free to do whatever you want and however you want.

You are the artist.

The thing about art is that it is never complete, and it always evolves. This means that, well, perhaps you did use a bit too much filter on your images in the past, but, well, no one can judge that but you, and no one can choose when you decide that. It’s part of the artistic process – so be it. Embrace it. Allow it to happen, because if it doesn’t, it means that it’s something that you’re holding in, and as an artist, the last thing you want is to hold back, especially when it’s other people’s opinions that you should. If you do, you will not be fulfilled through your art, and if that’s the case, then, well, what’s the point? In other words, if you hold back, how do you expect to move forward?

When I first started dabbling in digital photography, I applied a ‘lomo’ preset on EVERY image I ever made. Every single one. Literally…all of them. And this was before Instagram and iPhone apps and all the tools that have made these filters commonplace. I had a photographer friend of mine tell me perhaps I ought try not to use that lomo filter even just once. But I liked that filter. So I resisted. And that went on for at least another half year. And then I discovered HDR photography (insert sigh here…). And admittedly, more often than not, I went waaaaaaay overboard with it. But still, I loved it!! I went nuts with it. It went from every image having a lomo filter applied to every image being an HDR image. Heck, sometimes I even applied the lomo filter on the HDR image.

And this went on for about a year.

Now, I don’t remember the last time made an HDR image, however, I have learned to enfuse several exposures in certain situations, especially when working with real estate and architectural photography, without pushing it to the surreal out of control limits. And same with the lomo filter, I haven’t used that bugger in quite some time in my professional working photography, but, well, I use a version of it all the time in Instagram! Basically, I think I’ve managed to get better at picking and choosing my situations for various purposes.

And I think all of these things are a necessary part of the process that leads to whether you evolve or get stuck. So any of those voices that insist that you’re doing too much of this, or too much of that, or not enough of this and that, have either already evolved past those very same things, or, more likely, have yet to even begin the process of letting go and moving forward in their own processes.

Either way, I’ve admittedly got a long way to go, but instead of dreading the ‘phases’ that I have to go through, I’ve grown to become eager and excited about them. Because that means I’m one step closer to the world I see when I look at it the way I choose to see it.

And, for me, it doesn’t get anymore real than that.

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

July 8, 2014
A Monday Motivational Kick In The Yahoo by Wasim of Nazareth – July 7, 2014

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“If you’re not lost, you’re not much of an explorer” -John Perry Barlow

Monday’s suck. Yes. It’s never easy to get back into the swing of things after a weekend, especially a long holiday weekend, so I figured I’d try to do a little thing to hopefully ease the transition a bit. While the rest of each week’s posts will focus on tips, tricks, and journeys, every Monday I’ll be posting a motivational post – an image with a quote, mantra, saying, tao – to try to focus on and remember throughout the week. Easily digestable – quick – bite-sized stuffs and things.

Admittedly I’m selfishly doing this for a personal kick in the arse at the opening of each week, but figured perhaps you all can get something from it as well!

So,
From me to you,
Here’s the first Monday Kick In The Yahoo!

July 7, 2014
6 Travel Photography Lessons Learned On My Recent Trip To The Pacific Northwest

So as many of you know, I embarked on a nature and travel photography trip this past Spring to the Pacific Northwest, and I’ve shared all those pictures here and all my social outlets. This so happened to be my first photo trip in which I left the DSLR behind and employed mirrorless cameras exclusively, namely, the Samsung NX30. While this post will forgo all the reasons behind that (click here if you want to see those posts of that journey), now that the dust has settled and some time has passed, I’ve been able to reflect a bit on the incredible experience, which has proven to be a personal milestone in many ways in my photographic journey. So I figured I’d take this opportunity to share with you a few of the lessons I learned on that trip:

1. Make A List – It always seems like a good idea to make a list of the shots and images you’d like to come back with. When you’re planning for a trip, especially if it’s somewhere you’ve never been, it would do you good to do a bit of research, whether you Google the location, or visit sites like 500px and Google Plus to search for images from that location. It’ll give you a great idea of what to expect, what to look for, how the weather can alter the look of the images, what you like, what you don’t.

2. Throw That List Out – The main reason for me making that list was basically to get it out of my system. It’s almost like pre-visualizing a conversation with someone – it’s impossible, and more often than not, it doesn’t go at ALL the way you had it in your head. It’s great to have the ideas and a foundation in your head to work from, but once you’re on location, your eye is going to dart around and see things you never planned for. And this is a good thing. I mean, do you really want to return with the same images you already saw all over those sites? Really?

3. Work It – Never EVER settle on the first shot or angle. In other words, yes, trust your eye in the sense that something made you stop and look. Something was behind whatever it was that caught your attention. And sure, stop, set up, take the shot. Indulge. But no joke, every time I found myself in front of something that caught my attention for whatever reason, it was NEVER the first shot that I took that ended up being my favorite. I ducked, dodged, leaned in, got on the ground, climbed a tree, switched positions, got behind bushes, wrestled with spider webs, balanced on an unbalanced rock, everything I could to make whatever it was that caught my eye even more attention grabbing. Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of time on your side, but in most cases, if you can find time to snap one shot, you can usually find time to try at least try 2 or 3 different angles or approaches. If you’re with people that get annoyed by your practicing your ‘art,’ surprise them later with a beer at dinner. You’ll see how quickly they get over it.

4. Marinate – Let the images come to you. Just because I’m somewhere with a camera does not mean I need to make a picture. As a matter of fact, it was when I just sat back and soaked in my environments that I was truly able to get the best feel for the location we were in. Sure, I’ll usually spend the first few minutes antsier than a flock of fleas, but once that part passes, you almost get into a meditative, relaxed state in which your mind goes out of its way to tell you ‘it’s ok.’ And you can’t help but agree. It is OK. The tree canopy above ended up being one of my favorite images from the entire trip and this wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t take a break, put down my camera, and take a mini-catnap on a picnic bench in the middle of the forest.

5. Have Fun! – Don’t forget why you’re doing this to begin with – fun. Don’t lose sight of that. You’ll get caught up in it and at times frustration will set in and it’ll feel like the world revolves around that very shot or not getting it right or why can’t I get this? Well, it doesn’t. The world truly doesn’t give a hot nor a cold damn. It’s just you. Only you. No one else but you. After all, no one, other than yourself, even knows that image doesn’t exist yet because, well, it doesn’t! So you’re literally stressing out over nothing. Literally. Stop, breath, meditate on the mantra ‘have fun’ for a few minutes. After all, who the hell wants to work?

6. Details! Don’t forget the details! It’s easy to get overwhelmed by big scenes and subjects, especially if it’s your first time around them. Instinct seems to dictate to try to capture on your sensor as much of that scenes as possible. I want the river with the trees with the mountains with the rock with the acorns with the elk with the other tree and oh…oh…oh…that barn! Oh that barn!! Well, that’s all fine and dandy, and, as expressed in tip #3, shoot it! But don’t settle on that. Now that you got that off your shoulders, get creative. Move in, focus just on the details. If I got that shot as described above, chances are high that once you (or someone else) viewed the image, you wouldn’t know where to rest your eyes. If you just get the elk next to the barn, or the river with the tree, or the hinges on the barn door, the focal points become much clearer, providing a much more pleasant, and imagination-inducing viewing experience. A great example is the fern in the image above. It was surrounded by a picture perfect waterfall and a cave and a cliff and gorgeous moss-covered trees, but once it came down to it, it was the fern that really had my attention, so once I focused solely on that, I was happy with the shot. The rest of it came in a different shot, the one on the right, which, again, focused on the detail of the moss covered tree and the waterfall behind it.

So I hope you were able to get something out of this. It all might seem like common sense, but once you’re out in the field, especially in unfamiliar locations, every single one of your six senses (yup, six, I’m one of those guys) hits overdrive and all common sense is typically thrown out the window bit by byte. But if you just focus on these six things, Make A List, Throw That List Out, Work It, Relax, Have Fun, and Details, you’re bound to come back with several keepers that you’ll be proud to share.

Feel free to share your experiences below and what works for you and what doesn’t.

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

July 1, 2014
A Few More Summer Solstice Gifts From The Hills – A Phone And A Desktop Background

Here are a couple more images from the Summer Solstice sunset in the Santa Monica Mountains last weekend. Perfect for your mobile phone, tablets, and desktop computer wallpaper. Figured I’d throw ’em your way!
Just right-click on the image, and choose ‘Save Link As’ for the 2400px version.

Happy Summer 2014 everyone!

Click past the break for the desktop image.

And to learn how to get images like this, visit How To Photograph Sunsets, Silhouettes And Starbursts For Your Summer Snaps!

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

June 26, 2014
A Santa Monica Mountains Summer Solstice Sun Sets

Just wanted to share a couple of images of this year’s Summer Solstice sunset from the Santa Monica Mountains and wish everyone (in the Northern Hemisphere…) a happy wonderful Summer 2014. Thank you all so much for joining me on this online photographic journey over the past 18 months. I am forever grateful. To learn how to get shots like these, check out my post How To Photograph Sunsets, Silhouettes And Starbursts For Your Summer Snaps!

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

June 22, 2014