Reflecting on 2019

(Above I’ve attached my favorite 10 photographs from 2019)

2019 was a big year for me as a photographer.

I took a film photography class during spring semester, in which I became a slave to the darkroom. After countless early mornings (I’m not a late night person) developing film, working with contrast filters, and dodging and burning, I mastered printing. In an era where taking and sharing a picture with friends is as easy as pressing a button, I learned the immense value a single photograph developed by hand can have.

In May I went on a last-minute two day trip to Paris and managed to hit all the major landmarks by foot. It was the first time I explored a city on my own, and I captured moments at my own pace I otherwise would have missed.

Over the summer I interned with Volvo Car USA, and had several opportunities to bring my camera into work. I took photographs for HR around the office, did a photo shoot during a trip to Volvo of Fort Washington in Pennsylvania, and documented the July 24th Bear Mountain Car Cruise where Volvo featured several of its classic car models. Getting paid to do my hobby was amazing.

In December I went on a three day trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where bullet holes in buildings served as a constant reminder that this country was still torn by civil war just two decades ago. It was astonishing to see mosques and churches mere blocks apart in the capital of Sarajevo and witness the strange obsession with Coca Cola ads featuring Santa.

I can’t wait to see where photography takes me in 2020!

Photographing My First Political Protest

Since I dislike all things politics, I’d like to preface this post by saying that my sole reason for attending this protest was to document the event.

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Shutter Speed: 1/80, Aperture: F/1.8, ISO: 640, Focal Length: 50mm

On December 17th, I attended my first political protest on Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square) in the heart of Prague. The protest was organized by a group named Milion chvilek pro demokracii (Million Moments for Democracy), who have orchestrated nearly 20 demonstrations since 2018. The group initially campaigned for the resignation of prime minister Andrej Babiš on corruption charges, but has since moved towards a broader platform championing politicians that respect democratic laws and institutions, do not lie or swindle, and avoid conflicts of interest.

People began gathering on the historic square well before the arranged start time of 6pm. Some held signs poking fun at Babiš, but many more proudly waved Czech flags. At 6, the chairman of Milion chvilek pro demokracii briefly reiterated the group’s platform on a small stage before directing the gathered people in a march towards government offices. 

The march was a challenging environment to photograph in not only because it was dark, but also because I had to be in constant movement with the swarm of marching people. I used my 50mm F/1.8 lens, which performs well at night due to its wide aperture that lets a lot of light into the camera. Christmas lights on trees provided a colorful backdrop to a sea of bobbing heads, signs, and flags.

Best Photos Explained Part 2: Heart of Light

This self-portrait was taken in November 2014 in upstate New York. My family and I had just arrived at our weekend house, a little past 9 pm. After opening the house, we’d always turn on the porch lights to keep an eye on our dogs eating their late dinner. On that particular night, a light bulb went off in my head at the same time the porch lights flickered on.

I had been experimenting with long exposure for some time and thought it would be interesting to try standing in front of a porch light, which would illuminate my silhouette, before moving out of the frame to make the light behind me visible. For the few seconds I was in front of the light, it was critical to remain perfectly still.

I set up my tripod on the porch, and took several trial shots to determine the best timing of my movement. One trial came out particularly well, where the light glowed through my silhouette right where my heart would be.

This photograph is deeply symbolic to me, and gives me faith that even in my darkest moments light and goodness will shine through and prevail.

Fall Limbo

Fall isn’t going exactly as I had planned. I’ve had less class work and more free time than I’d like, which is a bad combination for me. My mind starts drifting to places it shouldn’t; I worry about mistakes I cannot change in the past, and all the things I could be doing now to prepare for the future. With too much time and too many ideas with how to fill it, little gets done.

I’ve drifted away from the present and feel suspended in limbo, just like a leaf helplessly carried by water. I need to rekindle a feeling of purpose in the things I do, from tennis and music, to classes and job applications. I want to feel and see the change I’m making in people’s lives again.

Today was the first time this semester that I took out my camera to shoot. I didn’t go very far- I stopped by a puddle a few yards away from my dorm, but I felt connected to one of the hobbies I love for the first time in a while. Today I took the first step towards finding my purpose again.

Eastern State Penitentiary

This weekend I visited Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, whose "hub and spoke" floor plan inspired the design of hundreds of other prisons around the world in the 1800's. America’s most historic prison stands in ruin today, but its cells once housed kind neighborhood friends such as Al Capone.

First opened in 1829, Eastern State was the world’s first “penitentiary,” intended to evoke regret in the hearts of prisoners through solitary confinement. Although rules were very strict, every prisoner had their own centrally heated cell with running water and a private exercise yard. People from around the world travelled to Philadelphia to study the prison, and the penitentiary soon became a tourist attraction.

Solitary confinement was officially abandoned in the early 20th century, being deemed too cruel. In 1924 however, Pennsylvania governor Gifford Pinchot allegedly sentenced a dog “Pep” for life for killing his wife’s cat. By the 1960’s, the aging facility was in need of significant repairs, and was eventually closed in 1970.

Taking photos inside the prison offered cool opportunities to play with shadow. The tall, vaulted ceilings of cell blocks resembled a church, and the skylights of individual cells allowed just the right amount of light in to create a very eerie atmosphere. My visit was very brief and I only had my smartphone camera, but I definitely plan on returning specifically to take photos.

Best Photos Explained Part 1: The Swan

(This is the first post in a series where I give background about photographs I consider to be my best ever.)

Shutter Speed: 1/400, Aperture: F/4, ISO: 500, Focal Length: 27mm

This photograph was taken back in December 2016 in Prague, Czech Republic during the winter break of my freshman year in college. I was depressed after a difficult fall which manifested itself in dark, murky themes in my shooting. Color had no meaning to me- I was looking for tension, contrast between light and dark, and silhouettes of people. By some stroke of luck, I managed to capture all three in one image.

I was squatting down on the shores of the Vltava River at a place where people gather to feed swans. Usually there is a picturesque view across the river of Karluv Most (Charles Bridge) and the old town, but a deep fog settled down on the city, not unlike the gloom I was feeling at the time.

One swan had ventured out of the water and we were looking at each other inquisitively. Almost as if in a trance, I inched closer and closer, holding my breath and my finger on the shutter. At one point I must’ve trespassed across an invisible line because the swan started hissing and perched its wings back in what seemed to be a display of dominance.

I quickly brought the viewfinder up to my eye just as a man in a small motorized boat emerged out of the fog on the water behind the swan. I waited a few precious seconds for the boat move into the upper left corner of the frame, before pressing the shutter and retreating.

The swan in the foreground appears ready to attack, creating tension. It's dark gray feathers contrast those of the white-feathered swans in the water, and the silhouette of the man piloting the motorboat in the background adds to the feeling of mystery.

How to Shoot into the Sun and Avoid Unwanted Lens Flare

When it comes to photography the sun is very kind to us by providing light. Sometimes however, you are ready to snap a beautiful scene before realizing you’re shooting into the sun and lens flare is ruining your composition. Luckily, there’s an easy fix.

The trick is to find an object behind which you can ‘hide’ the sun, while still keeping the cool light/shadow effect its rays create within the frame. This is done by adjusting the angle from which you are taking the photograph.

In the photo below, I decided to ‘hide’ the sun behind the church steeple by taking a few steps to the right of my original position. The light from the sun’s rays is still clearly visible, creating duality with the shadow that lines up perfectly with the steeple’s left edge.

This trick is well suited for urban environments dense with buildings and foliage. The more potential objects behind which to ‘hide’ the sun, the smaller the adjustments you must make with your position.

Spur of the Moment

If something catches my eye, I stop in my tracks and put the world on pause to take a photo.

I’ve taken photos of a railing and been late to class. I’ve taken photos of a music stand in the middle of practicing french horn. I’ve taken photos of a window latch during a meeting at my summer internship. A railing, a music stand, and a window latch are all very boring objects, but light and shadow have a way of making the banal interesting.

If you blink and don’t take the opportunity when it’s sitting right in front of you, it’ll disappear. It’s something I’ve learned the hard way by returning to a spot with the most beautiful sunset, only to see that the sun had already set.

If something catches your eye and you want to take a photo of it, nothing should stop you- but you might have to be a little sneaky if it’s during a meeting.

A beautiful window latch at the Volvo Car USA headquarters

Settling the Smartphone vs. Professional Camera Debate Once and For All

It is undeniable that today’s smartphone cameras would wipe the floor with point and shoots from just a decade ago. Many believe smartphone cameras are so good that they can replace high-end DSLRs and mirrorless systems, but that is simply not the case. Dedicated professional cameras will continue to offer superior image quality, more extensive manual control, and greater flexibility than smartphones, although smartphones have advantages of their own.

The primary advantage of professional cameras is their sensor size- the larger the sensor, the more light information the camera can capture and process, and the better the quality of the resulting photos (especially in darker scenes). Since smartphones are so compact and thin, their sensors are several times smaller than those of larger DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, the latter of which are not limited by their size.

Professional cameras also offer full manual control over shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Shutter speed controls whether moving objects in the frame appear blurred or ‘frozen’ in their motion. Aperture controls ‘depth of field,’ or the extent to which objects, at varying distances from the camera, appear in focus. Lastly, ISO controls the light sensitivity of the sensor, depending on how light or dark the overall scene is. While many smartphones offer manual control over shutter speed and ISO, none offer manual control of aperture, and the range of possible shutter and ISO adjustments are still much greater on professional cameras.

The final advantage professional cameras possess are extensive interchangeable lens systems for every scenario a photographer could possibly encounter, from wide-angle and macro lenses to fixed portrait and super-zoom lenses. New smartphones do offer built-in multi-lens systems, usually standard, wide-angle, and zoom lenses, but they are not interchangeable or expandable, and are therefore limited in their capability.

For those who seek superior all-around performance, manual control, and greater flexibility, professional camera systems are still unbeatable, albeit at a high price. Smartphones cameras do have a distinct advantage with their portability, and the fact that you already carry your phone wherever you go. If you are serious about photography, spending a chunk of money on a high-end DSLR or mirrorless camera body and a few lenses is worth your money; however, if all you want to do is take artsy photographs for Instagram, a smartphone will suffice.

This photograph, taken on a OnePlus 6, is perfect for social media. High contrast, sharpening and over-saturated colors are pleasing to the eye, but you lose details quickly upon zooming in.

November 4th, 2008: When It All Started

I took my first photo on November 4th, 2008, the day I received my first cell phone. The simple phone, made by Sony Ericsson, had a revolutionary camera for its time, with an astounding 3.2 megapixels, flash, and a little circular mirror on the back for taking selfies. All of the photos I took were grainy and blurry, but I didn’t care- I could capture the world around me and carry those images in my pocket with me wherever I went.

I took pictures all day- indoors, outdoors on walks during the day and night, during meals, of pets and friends and family, and of myself. I wanted to document every aspect of my life, and not until recently have I begun to appreciate the sentimental value of such photographs.

Photography is an art, but sometimes you cannot put a label on a simple image which evokes feelings of nostalgia, love, and happy memories of the past.

The first photo I ever took, a portrait of my grandma