ADVENSHARE 11
BARATHAN
So you started doing hairdressing right after finishing school - how did photography get into it?
It began as a hobby. Then whenever I post photos on Facebook, a lot of people used to comment, "nice photos", and a lot of inspiration came from there. The attraction was there. I started taking photos for them actually. I've been doing photography for 12 years, since 2008, hairdressing for almost 19 years.
That sounds quite similar to myself. I bought my camera 5 years ago. I started with Canon. It was so easy to use, and people started encouraging me when I shared the photos. I think one of the best parts about photography is sharing the results and getting that photo you envision in your head.
There’s a difference, because you can draw. I can’t draw. Sometimes you want to present an art. So what I do is, instead of going into graphic design or painting, I try to recreate that through photography.
But you didn't have any formal training in photography?
Not at all. I had a point and shoot camera. So whenever I went around, I’ll take photos with that. Or with my phone. I learned composition from there, then wanted to go for a proper camera. So I bought a 60D.
At the time a lot of my friends were using Canon. And I thought if I bought a Canon, I can loan lenses from them. So I experimented. I love cameras. Right now I have about 11 camera bodies, and 22 camera lenses. All from Canon. My latest is the Canon EOS R. My first camera was a 60D. It was very easy to use.
I have to ask - where did you find the money to buy all these gears? We’re asking the real questions here.
So my hairstyling money goes to my livelihood like rent, insurance and all those things. But when I do photography jobs, I keep the money aside and spend on the equipment.
What are the sources that you used to learn photography?
Walk around, take a lot of photos, come back and look at the photos. Read from magazines, now look through youtube and websites. A lot of books actually. I like to buy books at discounts, some of them are old with very old techniques, from the 80s and all that. But I like to see how they compose, what are the lights, and how they work.
Now we have more technology, at the time it was more manual. So I like to learn from the manual technique, and the expansion of it. My father had all the film cameras. Only 36 photos, and you don’t know how it’s going to turn out. We don’t want to waste our film. So coming from there to here, we are more aware.
I think the basics of it, beyond the technology, is just how to compose, how to use lighting, how to find the art of seeing. And it’s something that you can train, learn, observe and practice. It’s not necessarily a natural talent.
Right. There’s a lot of equipment that we (photographers) used to use last time. But now there is technology, for example, apps on mobile phones, that helps you to get the photos. But through manual photography, you can print big photos. And big companies who use advertisements, they still prefer digital cameras (over phones). And there are a lot of things we can control. The lights, the sharpness. As one of my sifu said, a photo is not complete until you print it. The ending results is the printing. Not for instagram, facebook. It’s when you print it and it looks amazing.
I guess there’s nothing wrong with taking photos with mobile phones. But there’s a different sort of satisfaction and quality of work that comes from a camera. Which brings me to my next question - how important is gear?
We’re definitely not against mobile phones. It’s easy. It’s like cooking at home, and getting something instant. But for long term results, gear is important - depending on what you want to shoot. There are certain things you want to shoot with a lot of depth. Different lenses give you different results.
I like to shoot portraits. Before the 50mm or 70mm, when I took photos, the people will look small. After 50mm, the people will look slightly bigger. There are a lot of differences. Sometimes people ask me, you have so many lenses, but it's because they give different results. Prime lenses give you different depth, compared to L lenses or Kit lenses.
It’s like cooking an indomee - it’s nice, great, instant. But on the other hand using a camera is perhaps like a loving home-cooked meal. Technique has to be nice, you have to know what ingredients to use. Why not have a mamak, when you can also have a Michelin.
Which brings us to the Canon EOS R.
So the EOS R has a better processor than the Mark IV. This is easier, smaller. I have shot 2000 photos for a single wedding. I thought since we use the screen display and live view, the battery would die quickly, but it didn’t. And the new range of lenses for the RF system is very sharp. EF lenses got 8 pins. RF lenses got 12 pins. So there are better connections and processing. With my 35mm. I’ve been shooting a lot of weddings, dance performances, portraits - you can do a lot of things. And it has a stabilizer.
So you work in commercial, portraits, events, products and streets, and dance photography..
This camera also has an eye tracking. It locks the focusing.
You also travel extensively for work, especially to India.
I shoot advertisements in India. Sometimes I go there for job or for leisure. Sometimes when I’m bored, I book a ticket and go.
You're very experienced - So for anyone who just wants to start with photography, what would you tell them.
Experiment, read a lot of books. When it comes to rules, don’t think too much about it. With photos, I think it’s about the feel. When you see, you like, you feel. And immediately, put composition in your mind, and try to match them there. Right now for the past two years, I have this mentor, Mr Chai Kok Leong. After meeting him, the way I photographed changed. You can see a lot of it in my compositions.
I guess there has to be a balance between creativity and technicality. You want to explore what the camera can do, how you get can what you want out of it, and it takes experience.
Everyone's composition and eye is different. You can go to the same location as your friend and shoot the same subject, but the creativity and result is different. Don’t get too caught up in the technical. Don’t spend too much time setting up or composing, especially for events. By the time you do that, people might have moved away. It’s a matter of practice.
And also the eaction time, knowing the shot that you want, anticipating the moment before they come. I think there’s always going to be rules with everything. You have to learn it, and why it works, and once you reach a point when it comes natural to you, you try to break out of it.
Just go for it, if you’re confident enough with your gear, take any opportunity.
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