The Crooks Around Us and How They're Trying to Make Fun of Me (and probably you too)

"Well, O.K, this one is going to be published" said one of a Indonesian magazine (We name this magazine Stepping Stones for now) editor to me this week, and that's a good news. I finished selecting the pictures, so with the writing, and it's a travel feature from my trip a while ago. Now I am the last phase of the work; seeing the things in the newstand. But wait, since I know this editor quite well―however, this is going to be the first time my feature story getting published in Stepping Stones―I forgot to ask about the going rate.

Yes, here, now we're talking about money. "This is how much you're going to be paid, and we always pay everyone at the same amount" the editor said. And I was shocked, almost collapsed. I won't tell you how much, but it was much less than I used to get in the other publication. It was less enough to make you stop dreaming of becoming either a contributing writer or a photographer. And what I also took into account, this is a decent magazine.

Some people tend to disregard what we're actually doing, whether intentional or not, and that's a bad news. These people are seemed born to this world, and out of nowhere, find themselves appointed as an editor. The bad one.

There's a saying 'if you want to be rich, then stop being a journalist (writer, photographer, or whatever)'. It's bad, but it's true. When I started few years back, money was the last thing I ever thought about. I need it so I could go on traveling, which more often I need to do something else too, let's say wedding photography that I still do it frequently. And when you find an editor who put you on the edge by those tiny sum (even giving it for free will be better), it's truly disgraceful. Nothing worse than that.

What's worse is things won't end this way. If I agreed the rate in the Stepping Stones (Let me tell you again, it's far away too low), it's not only me who's going to suffer. Next time, there will be other fellow contributors submitting their works, and for sure they will be paid the same amount (or a little bit more if they are famous). We're killing each other, and I don't want it happens.

Of course, there are still so many good publications as well as good editors out there. They realize what kind of things we're facing on the way. And what is most important, they realize that the relationship between them and us is mutualism. They know their publication won't be interesting without good pictures and writings. And Us, we need to publish our work so we can continue living, wandering around and...(you fill this for whatever your reasons are). This kind of editors are willing to discuss everything, including an agreable fee. And a relief always they are.

I finally prefer to cancel my publication with the Stepping Stones, at least for now. Period.

The Number 66

Infested with corruption and social problems, that's Indonesia today. It's seemed that 66 years after its declaration of independence things just never get better. While the majority of Indonesian today are struggling for live, its leader are too busy thinking about what political maneuver to be done. A good recent sample; is there any reason behind the awarded Adipradana Medal of Service to Indonesian president's wife if not something about the next election? Well you can guess.

And so now, most of the time I cannot help myself to avoid a developing pessimistic state of mind. I always have been wondered about a better situation, not only in 17th of August, but everyday. And It always let me down again and again. The 66 is seemed no more than just number which keep adding every year.

But anyway, bon (i hope so) anniversaire my only love (and my only reason today to keep posting even I'm not in the mood to do so) Indonesia!!!

If Only I Think More....

Hey there :) Recently I am thinking a lot about building my own website. The reason is simple, I need it and it will probably will open some opportunity in the future. Also some friends asked me frequently regarding this matter. So finally I put my choice in a hosting service while at the same time I design my own web. Especially about the design, it is finished already (because I'm using a template :D). So what's the problem now? I can simply selects some photographs, the good selections for sure, put it in and there it goes.

However, it is not that simple. There are thousand of pictures in my hard-drive. Pictures from the last 3 years at least, not counting the shots from the earlier years. Here's the problem, aside from displaying my selections of single photos, I also want to put a section filled by photo-story and photo series.  But, what I have mostly is single photos, some stories that I want to publish remain unfinished while others are craps.

Compared to making singles, photo story is more difficult to be made. There's no guarantee for ones who are able to shot compelling singles can actually be able to build a good photo story. It is not different, but just more advanced. Just like comparing writing a sentence and writing a novel. You need more time. You need better approach. You need the ideas about what to cover. You need this and that. More and more, but above all you need to think more.

Yes, that's how we should work. We should think as much as we shoot. No good pictures are produced without a good thought within the process. That's what great photographers do. It is applied both to create singles and photo story.

And then, at this point, my mind goes back to the time when I travel to India & Nepal. I just feel that I wasn't there with full of ideas. Instead of thinking about what to photograph, I just made a check list of interesting places and lived with it. For sure it was o.k since my objectives during that time was 50% traveling and 50% taking pictures. But, if only I think more then I will have no difficulties of arranging better photo story. I got some, but I should have got some more. I was in those two countries for 4 months, so pretty much to do, if only I ever wanted it.

A lesson learned.

No regret.

And the website will be launched very soon, no matter what.

P.S: the photograph I attach has nothing to do with this post. It just a bit weird to see a post without any photograph. So I prefer to display at least one :)

Realizing the Overdone

As we already knew, several past few years has witnessed a great change in the world of photography. At the time when camera has become more and more affordable for anyone, we started being flooded by thousand of images each day; at the photo-sharing website, in the blog, and even simply in the facebook pages. Everyone is shooting and sharing their works now. However, most of the time, there is something lacking (or may be too much) applied; the post-processing.

Being able to process your own works is a feature of today's digital photography. You no longer need the expensive equipment to develop your picture nor going to professional to make it happen. You only need to sit in front of your computer for a while. But some people tend to overdone rather than simply done it. Stacking the layer, dodge here and burn that, experiment with blending option, and apply some sharpening. They are all okay, but not if it's too much. There's always an obvious line between processing and over-processing a photograph. I always think that overdo any kind of works is the only way to make things worse. A good example is when you eat too much to feed your hunger. Doesn't it feel bad?

Here, I share my opinion regarding post-processing. It's not a tutorial about photoshop, but regarding something that is more essential; knowing what to do.

When I finish shooting, I always take a quick look on the picture and ask myself a couple of question. Did I shoot it well? and the next is what is need to be done in post-processing to make it better (not worse)? The later question is important. We need to plan about what to do during post-processing since ones can easily lost in the world of photoshopping (you shop too much on the tools and layers). Do the only things that necessary to make it done. Think about what we need not what we want. See the problem area which can deviate people from things you want to tell in your photographs. Pretty simple.

In this post I also attach two picture of mine which applied extensive burning & dodging, layering without adding or deleting any element in the composition. I usually don't work much in photoshop, but if I need to then I do.

Let me know what you think :)

PS: here and here are the photographers who I believe did good post-processing. They did it to make it better, not worse. However they have done just enough, not more.