Photography - More than just a hobby...

Photography started as a hobby for me about 3 years ago. After a lot of practice, some creative collaborations, and a few accolades, it has now turned into something much more (and of course, the practice continues).

Recently, I was on a photo-walk with a mix of amateurs and pros, and a fellow photographer said to me judgingly, "Oh, so you take pictures only with your mobile phone camera? You are one of those who make your camera do all the work for you!" I must have smiled back, but I was part hurt, part amused by this comment.

It got me wondering about whether I actually let my phone camera do all the work for me. The more I reflect upon it, the more I realize that an image is so much more than the product of a camera. A lot of thought goes into the composition, colour, texture, and many other elements in any picture that I make. The most important factor being the story I am trying to tell through the picture. I believe that my photography practice has also helped me tremendously in developing my skills in communication of ideas and concepts.

I believe that there is always scope of improvement and it goaded me to educate myself on the theoretical concepts. Today, I completed this introductory course of graphic design on Coursera (a big thanks to NUS’s sponsorship). It was a well-designed course with a lot of interesting concepts and assignments over 4 weeks. I am now more familiar with the formal terms in design and I feel more confident in my ability to convey messages using images.

On top of everything else, I had loads of fun!

And for those who are interested, my pictures are on Instagram or Getty Images