(Sony A55)
Let me start by saying something about today's shot. This was taken on the escalator leading to the lift lobby level of the Upper House hotel where I attended the cocktail party last night to open the photo exhibition of the Leica x Swire Hotels project. I think this image adequately conveys the mysterious quality to the hotel's atmosphere, as well as the moment's jovial feelings in my heart fluttering with inexpressible anticipation of the event -- my winning shot was one of the highlights in the exhibition.
The reason for me to take this shot was simple: to challenge a commissioned photo taken (by a Beijing photographer) at the escalator top for the project echoing the theme "views from the top". It is not that the commissioned photo taken with a Leica M is bad, but that I prefer one with more depth in meaning apart from the interest of composition so that the photo can give more punch. The soliloquy to my soul led to one conclusion: take a shot to challenge it. And if I were the commissioned photographer, I would have put a semi-nude model on the top of the escalator and shed enough flash light to freeze and light up her in this final image.
To me, it is the photographer's spontaneous feelings at the moment that makes the difference. No true feelings, no good photos. I also tend to believe that at the shutter-releasing moment of capturing the spontaneous feelings in the final image, an experienced photographer would have factored in all the considerations between, as we just discussed here, light and no light, seeing and interpreting, as well as the camera and the brain. These are all reflected in the final image. With a trained eye, you just know it at first sight.
So the cocktail party was a success. I met lots of people, some photographers and directors of some magazines. On my way home an epiphany dawned on me. Suddenly I saw a reason to use a more powerful camera with higher-grade lenses. If one continues on doing photography seriously, preparation should be made for a future chance to present the works to studios or magazines. Take for example my winning shots taken with the GX200. The A2-size print of the photo for the exhibition is about the maximum stretch of its resolution.
The exhibition began last week and will be on until the coming Sunday (P.S.: just learnt that it has been extended to March 19). I was told that the exhibition will move to Beijing afterwards.
The above shots were taken at the cocktail party while the one below shows the print in the exhibition area at L6 lift lobby of the Upper House hotel. The commissioned photos are shown alongside mine. Some more are displayed on L36. If you are in town and nearby, drop in and check them out.
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