Saturday, May 2, 2009

What I would shoot in Malaysia

I must say I enjoy the opportunity in Australia to shoot nice scenery that is not found in Malaysia. Autumn colours, for example. A feedback from a friend in Malaysia provoked me to think: what would I shoot in Malaysia that will give me the same level of satisfaction, or perhaps more? I think, yes, there are opportunities there. I have always wanted to shoot kampung and new village scenes reminiscent of bygone days. I would shoot in black-and-white. I can picture it in my head what my images would look like, but I have not been able to achieve it in my last trip back to Malaysia. I know one day the time will come when I will get the satisfaction of producing something that is just in my imagination now. A picture of early dawn, a padi field with coconut trees, a seaside scene with fishermen coming in with their catch....

The other great opportunity is photographing people in public. In Australia, the public is very, very sensitive; you just cannot shoot other people's children openly without the risk of a nasty rebuke. In Malaysia, it is the opposite. You'll rarely get rebuked. You'll often get a nod and a smile of appreciation. As for shooting adults, I have also seen many hobby photographers shooting models on the catwalk. I believe that in Australia, only the professionals will be able to get near enough to shoot.

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