photography by wasim.

Tag: holidays

Happy Holidays! A Few Words And A Few Gifts – My Best Images Of 2014

As another year comes to a close and we prepare to spend quality time with the family and friends, I wanted to take a quick short and sweet few seconds to thank every one of you for the support, the warmth, the encouragement, the inspiration, and the all around positive energy you’ve brought into my life over the past 365 days. It’s been truly humbling and everything that has kept me going, encouraging me to get out and make another picture, write another post, keep doing the thing. I can only hope that I’m able to reciprocate even a small part of that. Happy holidays all you beautiful people. Below are a couple of my favorites from the past 12 months. They’re high-enough-resolution versions for your desktops and mobile thingies and whatnots. Hopefully you’ll find one or two that you’ll dig. If so, just right click and save. If not, I’ll try harder next year!!! 2014, not too shabby. Not too shabby at all.

2015, let’s do this thing!

Each and every one of these was shot on either the Samsung NX30 or the Samsung NX1 as part of the Imagelogger program and are being provided to you for your own non-commercial personal use under the CC BY-NC 4.0 Creative Commons License.

For some other stuffthings:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

December 24, 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
Happy Holly Daze And All That Good Stuff!

So as so many of us begin to comfortably tuck away into some corner of the world to celebrate holidays and time with our loved ones and bid farewell to one year and salutations to another, just wanted to send out a warm and happy holiday greeting to all you beautiful peoples! Thank you SO much for being a major part of one of the most encouraging years of my photographic journey. I made some of the best images I feel I’ve made to date, from the epic winter journey to Yosemite to the summer adventure to Yosemite to the 3 Utah and Colorado National Parks road trip to the San Francisco madness, the podcast photo critiques to the (more…)

December 23, 2013
I’m Feeling It And I Had To Spread It Around…(No, Not The Flu!)

I just wanted to drop a quick post before this long holiday weekend to thank each and every one of you for helping to enrich the past year beyond belief. The friendships and relationships I’ve made here and beyond have sat at the core of my motivation and inspiration to keep doing what this each and every single day. With each shutter click and word typed, I am filled with absolute gratitude that I have a chance to do this and such wonderful beautiful people to share it all with. In a particularly rough last few years, when I needed it absolute most, your work and words and actions have inspired me incredibly and add an element to life that I can only hope everyone can experience to at least some degree.

It’s the essence of what keeps me going.

It’s the essence of what keeps humanity going…

each other.

So thanks again for everything. Your encouragement and support are SO insanely appreciated and I can only hope I’ve been able to offer back even a sliver of that. I cannot wait to see what the next year holds for us all. Now get off the computer/tablet/phone/glass/smoke-signals and go be with the ones who make it all worthwhile. And make sure to let them know as much!! Happy Thanksgiving to those that celebrate it! And to those around the world that don’t, ignore this post…JUST KIDDING! No joke. Thank you all! To the utmost degree!

Much love,

Wasim.

November 27, 2013
My Stuff On Stuff For Your Stuff (Again)…I Just Saved You From Shopping Psychotica! (Free Shipping Until Cyber Monday!)

Yup, I know I posted this last week, but wanted to make sure to remind you to order early so that you receive the products in time for the holidays.

So the holidays are here and shopping is poo! So let me take care of that for you! Screw the malls, the parking space road rage rush, running around like a madman or woman with minutes to go before closing time only to grab the last box of cologne that’s just going to sit under the sink until next year anyway. Instead, order my stuff!! Stuff that they’ll actually use every single day and won’t break the bank. Mugs, laptop skins, iPad cases, iPhone cases, framed prints, canvas prints, throw pillows (yes…throw pillows!). Even the cards!! I got you! And you don’t even have to leave your couch to do it.

Just go to my ‘BUY’ page and it’ll break down what’s available at each of the following outlets: Society6 (where there’s free shipping on selected products until Cyber Monday), Fine Art America, and 500px. And if you have ANY questions, or have a special request for an image on a product, please feel free to contact me!

Here’s just a few examples, many many more on those links! Happy Couch Shopping (hopefully)!! (more…)

November 26, 2013
My Photography Just Got Physical!

Rocky_Mountain_National_Park_Colorado_Wasim_Muklashy_Photography

So this week gave me reason for a good bit of excitement and had to share it somewhere, so figured my own site is a darned good place to do it. Last week I posted about some of my images on various products that I’ve made available to cure your holiday shopping woes. As a result of that, and the wonderful connections and relationships that I’ve been blessed to make and build over the years, especially through Google Plus, I’ve sold my very first ever physical art print.

The wonderful Shonie from the town of Musselburgh in the Scottish countryside will soon have a piece of Rocky Mountain National Park hanging in her vicinity as she was incredibly kind enough to order a metal print of my image “Just In Time” through my FineArtAmerica store, along with a pack of cards adorned with the image “The Second Pool.”

Shonie, just wanted to give you a public and emphatic ‘THANK YOU!’ for your kindness and your continued support…that means so much, you have no idea! I’m flattered and humbled at the same time. Thank you thank you THANK you!

November 20, 2013
A Photographer Just Cured All Your Holiday Shopping Anxiety (You Can Thank Me Later)!

So the holidays are coming and shopping sucks! So here I come to save the day! Throw pillow covers, mugs, laptop skins, iPad cases, iPhone cases, framed prints, canvas prints. Even the cards!! I’m all over it! So screw the lines, screw the big-box stores, screw the merry madness, and support the little guy…me…all without leaving your couch. I’ve chosen several of my images that seem to have gotten the best response over the past year and put them on various items using some really cool services like Fine Art America, 500px, and Crated. Just go to my ‘BUY’ page and it’ll break down what’s available at each outlet. And if you have ANY questions, or if there are any of my other images that you’d like to see on certain products, please do not hesitate to contact me! Here’s just a few examples, many many more on those links! Happy Couch Shopping (hopefully)!! (more…)

November 14, 2013