Photography And Painting: Two Disciplines With Common Grounds

ViewBug community member merakiphotographer loves photography because it enables him to convey his very personal vision of the world – and the way he interrelates with it – in an output which he can share with everybody interested to join in. "As an amateur painter too, I would say that photography plays nowadays the role painting has played in the past: you are free to stay close to reality or to be a bit more creative, it is completely up to you: unbounded freedom. Photography, particularly nowadays, is my favourite “art” discipline."

I got started in photography because I feel this is the best way I could possibly establish myself. I really want to safeguard the memories of the different places I visited – and the feelings of the different situations I lived in those moments – in a way that allows me to recall them every time I want!

I describe my style as a colourful rendition of world’s nature and human being design and architectural creations. I simply try to magnify what it is already stunning and worth to be admired by people.

My camera lets me to do basically everything I desire. Modern gears are so powerful that the only real limit I see is in my mind. That’s why I never feel satisfied: there is always a new place to visit, a new frame to capture, and a new way to celebrate a subject. This is the real best part of the game: the one which I don’t have figured it out yet!

I find inspiration when I travel and when I surf through other photographer’s portfolios. I know, this could sound a bit obvious, but this is it. As a human being, we are magnetic fields surrounded by other magnetic fields. Interactions are everywhere. Which is the one which is going to hits you?

One of the photos I am most proud of is this one  because the place is so wonderful I cannot describe. I got there approximately one hour before the sunrise, been chased by two stray dogs, and a bit scared by the chance to come across snakes, which is quite frequent in the rice terraces. I passed a tiny river and finally I found myself all alone in the field, hearing the sound of silence and waiting for the rising sun to pour the light in the valley. It was worth living it.

Technique wise, I find challenging to maximize the depth of field in order not to have blurred subjects in both the foreground and the background. The other challenge is not to burn water high-lights to be able, during the post-production, to enhance the warm atmosphere of that morning. Shooting the sunrise is always something special because you have few minutes before it is gone and so the very few frames you’re able to shoot shall be the right ones. All in all, I’m really satisfied of the result.

I usually carry in my camera bag a only the gears I need for the photo-shooting session I have in mind: a couple of DLSRs (currently I have two Canon 5DSR), wide primes, standard zoom and a tele, if the case; flash and filters are always with me as well as my tripod and my remote controller.

My favourite accessory is the astonishing Canon 24TSE. In my humble opinion the best lens I ever used.

These are 3 quick tips I’d like to share with fellow photographers: be curious, be ambitious, and be creative. It is not the gear you use that makes the difference; it is your mind.

Visit merakiphotographer's profile and follow him to see all his portfolio.