On 16 March 2013, I’ve got nice experience with some students from SIS (Sekolah Indonesia Singapura). My friend Fajar (Teacher in SIS) asked me to share my photography experience to the students and also to become one of the judges for the Photography Competition that’s held among the students in SIS.
It’s an honor for me and I’m grateful that I can share my experience and knowledge to them. I told them that Photography is an art, there’s not True and False. Everyone has their own interpretation of arts. If there is a mistake, mean we cannot get what we want to achieve from that photos. Example, I want to take a clear photo, but the condition of the subject is backlighting, and I did not know how to handle that. At the end the result is the background is white but a POI (point of interest) the subject itself is totally black. The other example the photos should be shard but we don’t know how to set the camera for low light.
That’s I can say the ‘mistake’ that I should try to avoid and learn how to handle it.
I took a ‘street photography’ as the subject. I shared my experience on how approaching the moment, how to wait for the moment, and also how to get permission from the subject.
We started at 8:00am from Bedok MRT. I started to share my photography background and some tips and tricks of the Street photos. Then we started to walk around from Paya Lebar area.
Fajar and Budiman and myself were trying to guide them along the way. Sometime we stop a while in front of the shopping complex to see around and wait for some subjects.
They still confused how to approach the people. I told them you can follow how I did. I showed them how usually I approach the people. Some people okay to be taken but some people may not happy to be taken, we need to respect them.
When we saw the newspaper seller, they asked me how to take them. I said to them, have you asked their permission. They were afraid to ask. Then I told I would try and there’s always 2 results, allow or reject. I approached the seller, with my body language with the camera in hand and the eye contact, I showed him that I wanted to take his photos. He allowed then I took the photos and all the students saw the way I did.
They were a bit surprise that it’s not difficult but need courage to do that, and after that along the journey, they’ve practiced what they learned.
We went to the Wet Market, and I told them try to approach the seller and trying to get the moment from the buyer and seller. Their activities and the colorful fruit, vegetables and clothes can make the photos become very interesting.
I took some photos in the market and let them to see it. So they can understand the angle, the moment and the way I took the photos.
Budiman and Fajar also did the same things. We share what we know to handle the low light and how to make interesting photos of the market.
At the end of the journey, we went to the food court, and we allowed them to ask whatever question related the journey and photography. Some of them also asked me to review the photos that have been taken so far.
I shared about the composition, how these photos can more interesting, and how to use a slow speed to make photos look lively.
I was glad that they really want to asked and not shy and really want to learn and trying to understand my inputs.
That process learning and sharing with very good interactive between us , make we will continue to do more photography sharing and we were glad that Miss Farida from BNI also saw how the student really active and enjoying the journey.
We really appreciate the sponsor from BNI (Bank Negara Indonesia) Especially Miss Farida that also joined our photography journey, walking together along the street, inside the market and the most important things was she was taking photos with us and we were unity as friends without bothering our background but we are same, we are the people behind the camera, and we were enjoying what we can see thru our camera lens.
BNI and SIS with their education creativity activity, we are trying to do more for Indonesia from education site.
And We hope from photography, we can show the world that our country is beautiful and not only the landscape, but the culture and the people are beautiful.
We hope also BNI continue to support us for our photography and education program.
From Photography, we can learn to appreciate our life and others.
