Ups and Downs

^Dragging the shutter is the ABCs of photographic technique to give a sense of motion to your images. The motion balances and, at the same time, contrasts the static elements. Use your imagination and you can enrich your shots with balances and contrasts which I did here by placing the partition in the middle of the shot with the man walking down on one side and people going up on the other. It goes without saying that I had to check out the edges of the scene for balance's sake, rest the camera on a place where I could steady it and wait for the right moment o arise.

I recently had a chat with a friend of mine. She is at a powerful position in an Aussie company, overseeing the accounting departments of 60 plus subsidiaries around the world. Her schedule can be described as two thirds of a day spent in the office, one third at home (primarily in bed), one fifth of a year out of town. She lives in a big apartment by the local standards, has two children but neither hobbies nor time for herself.

I asked, "What is the meaning of your life? You are spending your life helping other people make money!"

Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes, it is full of ups on one side but tossed by downs on the other. But if the course you are charting is in somebody's else waters, the ups and downs combine just for a very likely result: wasting a life which is yours.

If you're young enough to take some risks, take them. Think carefully and start a business of your own. When you've made enough money, refrain from trawling more money. Have a steady flow of money and invest your time in helping others smile. Get a hobby too.