GX GARNERINGS

(Camera: Ricoh GX200) This image is a footnote to the past five weeks' posts on patterns. The patterned wall is broken and hopefully given a higher level of interest by the criss-crossing lines to form triangular patches of light and shadows, as well as the man just entering  into the scene.

(Camera: Ricoh GX200) Let's end the working week with an intriguing image that best accentuates this week's theme on using patterns as subjects.  Now, stare at it, count slowly to ten and you can easily be duped to think that the man is walking up a flight of stairs.

(Camera: Ricoh GX200) In photography, attaching importance to seeing will not be sufficient if without observing and searching.  A photograph doesn't just happen if the photographer doesn't look carefully.  The photographer must consciously find, construct and shoot it.   We all have roughly the same patterned way in seeing a usual scene. When a different and unusual image comes up, sometimes the viewers wonder how the photographer could notice the exceptional features out of a mundane subject. It is by conscious observing and searching.   An invented traffic cone simply reminded the author of how readily available the "exotic" subjects were out there. With a bit of a composing and the synchronised limbs to break into the scene, the image of the invented cone is framed in a way that entertains the eyes.

(Camera: Ricoh GX200) Some cars were vrooming across the road while some stopping at the traffic light. It was a usual weekday morning, except that the sun was shining brighter than the previous gloomy days of the week. Passers-by were going along the footbridge, hurriedly on their way to offices or schools. There was not too far a distance between their eyes and where their gazes were fixed, the shortest being a forearm's length to the smartphone or the spot a few steps ahead. No one seemed concerned about the world around.  They were busy tending to their own busyness physically or mentally. This was a usual morning. The photographer kept watching as the scenes unfolded themselves. Then he noticed something down the footbridge, reached in his bag and extracted his camera.  The camera was pointed to the road.  Some people gave him a quick look, wondering what could be so interesting on a usual busy road. No latter had the image been framed than the shutter was press...

(Camera: Ricoh GX200) Photographs and subjects are almost like two sides of a coin. But is it necessary for a photograph to have a subject or subjects? This is a very interesting question of a philosophical nature. Casual photographers see an object as an object rather than interpreting it in relation to the qualities of light. In fact, objects are represented differently in terms of light. Not only light gives appearances to what we see in an object, it can also be a subject in an image. The light itself becomes the subject. There are several ways to use light as the subject, of which one is by showing it in a pattern. But using a patterned light-subject may result in a bland image. To hopefully avoid this, the author has two tricks under the belt: to make the pattern rather stereographic to intensify the interesting aspect of the subject, or cover the whole frame only with the light-subject pattern to accentuate a theme.

(Camera: Ricoh GX200) As one attractive aspect of diamond is the pattern, it is also an important element to a better image. Let's see if we can look at this aspect this week.

(Camera: Ricoh GX200) This is Sunday. Lean on something. Preserve energy.