2015 Labuan Travel Log - 50 Frames of Analogue Black & White

算了一算，玩底片攝影也有五年了。從最開始的 LC-A+ 到今天黑白底片自沖自掃，這當中也走了不少冤枉路。還好，都值得。來到 2016 年，希望能夠用影片的方式多分享攝影和生活，趁還可以的時候多走多看！

新年快樂，大家！

Note To Self

A big problem that keeps dancers from progressing is a misconception of practice. When people ask me how to get better, they think I have a secret that will let them skip the hours of training that are required. So I'm sure they are disappointed when I say that they need to be intentional about getting better and put in more structured practice hours.

You might already be dancing a lot, but we often mistake dancing for practice. Unless you are mindfully improving your skills, you are just dancing. And there is nothing wrong with that. It's fun and we should enjoy it. But I don't want you to be disappointed that after hundreds of hours of dancing you haven't gotten any better.

Anyone who excels at what they do puts in hours of practice. Look at top caliber athletes, for example. Though they have a love for playing sports, the majority of their conditioning and preparation isn't spent playing pick-up games & scrimmages. It is spent lifting weights, stretching, running drills, building endurance, watching film, tracking nutrition, etc. Hours and hours dedicated every week so that when they actually do the thing they love - sports - they can perform at a high level.

So If you are serious about improving your dancing have a look at how (or if) you really practice. As artists, it's easy to contribute a lack of progression to a creative block. Though I've found in most cases plateaus stem from a failure to realize that inspiration isn't going to strike you. It will manifest once you've put in the work. - Kunle Oladehin   

Why Taipei So Many Times & Again? 為什麼一直飛台北？

Some time ago, I purchased a secondhand Pentax 21mm f3.2 lens online from a Taiwanese. I got the lens a month later, only to find out that it wouldn't focus properly on anything beyond 1.2m. Being more familiar with the camera industry (I constantly update myself on camera related topics in groups on Facebook) in Taipei, I have decided to fly there and have it repaired at one of the local shops recommended by the helpful ones online. Anyways, I got the lens repaired and managed to collect it a few days before I had to return home and got a few shots that I like.

幾個月前，我從網上和一位台灣人買下他的 Pentax 21mm f3.2 鏡頭。一個月後收到時才發現鏡頭對焦在 1.2m 以外沒有辦法完成任務。基於對台北相機行業比較熟悉的條件下，我決定把鏡頭帶過去，到一家網上用家還蠻推薦的店家去修。很幸運地，鏡頭在我回來之前修好了，也就造就了以下幾張自己還蠻喜歡的照片。

Eddy Doing His Thing

河畔歲月

Defending Homeland From Alien Invasion

一夜台北

So, why Taipei so many times and again?
1, I was looking for Sony E mount 16mm f2.8 and Sony Malaysia could not provide it after so long. Got it in Taipei and cheaper.
2, I wanted to have the Pentax 21mm f3.2 lens repaired.
3, My brother from another mother, bboy Fooker, is finally back in Taipei from Japan after a year. We shared so much this time and I am inspired!
4, My another brother from another mother, Eddy, has promised to come up to Taipei from South and spend a few days with us.
5, Taipei is a nice place to visit, learn, have fun and relax. Apart from the disappointing weather that I had throughout the journey, I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment I spent there.

為什麼一直飛台北？
1, 我一直在找 Sony E mount 16mm f2.8 鏡頭，Sony Malaysia 用了幾十天時間沒有辦法寄出一顆給我，最後在台北用比較便宜的價錢買到了新品。
2, 我要修鏡頭。
3, 阿富從日本回到台北了。每次相聚都高唱豐收。
4, Eddy 說好會從高雄去到台北陪我們玩幾天。
5, 無論是觀光，學習，享樂還是放鬆，台北都是個好地方。只是這次比較可惜的是天氣欠佳。

If you have been to Taipei, share it with me.

你的台北之旅是怎樣的？

2015 Taipei Travel Log Watch Here

可惜沒有很厲害。Just Not Good Enough

 

不過只要能夠持續超越自己，那感覺還算是不錯的。

錄影角度：有時候在 Youtube 看見一些後製效果，這種 footages 就很適合拿來試，拿來玩。

It still feels awesome knowing I am constantly being better.
Videography POV: footages like these are very good for practice on applying effects I sometimes see on videos produced by others on Youtube.

本事。Capability

Photography POV: I have been messing around with DSLR close to about 10 years now, from loving only Olympus to only not buying Canon, then shooting from digital to film and analysing light from natural light to flash then to chasing the perfect light. All this while, everything in my life has been revolving around this amazing hobby that I picked up. Sometimes I wonder, is it me having fun with photography, or is it photography having fun with my life?

攝影沈思：認真拿起單眼開始學習攝影快十年。從只愛Olympus到只剩Canon不買，再從數碼拍到銀鹽，也從分析自然光到閃光打燈再到追逐最美光線時刻。只要是有關攝影，不管是生活還是工作都是圍繞著這個自我感覺非常良好的嗜好在做調適。是自己在玩攝影，還是攝影在玩自己？

身邊有個孩子今年十八歲。印象中他在十五歲左右就輟學，應該是不愛唸書。他在十歲左右曾經到舞蹈教室來學跳舞，只是後來因為某些因素而停止繼續。去年他又再來到教室報名上課，這一次就呆到了今天，是一個身體條件非常適合跳霹靂舞的傢伙，謙虛程度100％。
小傢伙家裡開餐廳賣著遠近馳名的燒肉，魚滑和牛滑。而他自從輟學後，就是這家店的燒肉和魚滑師傅。一個十八歲的孩子，每天清晨四點半就得起床到店裡去弄燒肉和製魚滑，從和他的對話中知道因為是家族生意所以常年工作，沒什麼機會和一般人一樣有什麼長假。語氣中，倒不難發覺這孩子對自己的要求不比在學校想盡辦法考高分的學生低。有可能他就是那些比別人更早認清方向的。或者說，至少知道自己不愛什麼。

Sometimes people don't realise they are actually great at something that they repeat everyday and have it planted so deep inside themselves. What looks basic to them, is so much of techniques and knowledge to us. 

從他身上發現，有本事的人有時候不知道自己其實很有本事，日復一日重複著同一件事情，不知覺地把非常棒的東西都深深種在腦裡。在他看來是非常基本的東西，對我們而言那當中蘊藏了多少技術和知識。

I guess I won't get to eat his charcoal grilled pork as I don't really eat meat (apart from fish) no more.

基於本身已經沒有在吃肉，所以應該也沒什麼機會能吃到他燒的肉。

讓我忘記

沒有慣性地在拍攝人像，是優點也是缺點。

不要拿這個環境的年輕人來開玩笑。

某花園集團前陣子辦了一個上報的攝影比賽。參賽者可以在繳報名費後在辦公時間自由在集團範圍內拍攝適合主題的風景和人事物做參賽作品。對於本地比賽這件事情，或許是因為見過太多，我在朋友決定參賽前勸了她一下。後來她還是決定參加，我當然也就給予行動上的支持。

為什麼要勸？
一）每位參賽者繳剛好超過單位數的報名費，然後參賽作品不限制數量，說明主辦當局希望看到更多關於自己花園的風景（用獎金吸引更多參賽者，在賺取報名費的同時希望會有拍攝風景的高手參賽，在不需要聘請攝影師的情況下，可以得到免費的好照片做集團的商業用途）。
二）朋友報名的時候，對方在對話中含糊帶過截止日期（第一次截止日期被延後，說明主辦當局沒有達到目標就不打算宣布成績頒發獎金）。
三）沒有評審資料。

後來截止日期再延後了一次，有沒有第三次我不知道。

最近朋友打了電話過去詢問比賽結果。第一通電話的回答是主辦當局已經私底下聯絡得獎人。第二通電話的回答是因為作品沒有達到他們的要求，所以其實比賽沒有結果（朋友說還好有禮籃），也就是不了了之。
怎麼都沒對好口供？

比賽就是比賽，就算是全數取消資格也是一個有勇氣的判決。不然的話，作品再不理想，也會分出一個高低。這道理和一百米決賽是一樣的，不會因為某人跑最快可是破了世界最慢紀錄而得不到第一名。

你們大可以辦一個徵選作品的活動，名正言順地拒絕所有不滿意的作品。

我們老山豬不要緊，不要拿這個環境的年輕人來開玩笑。

走一條對得起自己的攝影路。

14年9月14號，我選擇了一種新的生活方式，一種能讓我長時間靜靜思考的生活方式。

與其說騎腳踏車是運動，不如說它讓我找到更多更好的生活。那天，我們一行七人毫不猶豫（應該是還沒睡醒才對）地從哥打京那巴魯一路騎過古打毛律和哥打馬魯都，最後在馬來西亞日（9月16號）用盡吃奶之力踏到婆羅洲最北端（古打），驕傲地插了一根馬來西亞的旗子，結束。那一次是我在決定不再寫字後發現自己原來一直還在寫，只是都寫進心裡。

後來不但沒有吸取教訓還變本加厲，搞了一個五天過海來回的納閩之旅。騎腳踏車那些心酸蛋疼的經歷，這裏輕輕帶過就好，免得看這篇東西的人對腳踏車留下錯誤的印象。那長時間靜靜思考的第二次，我一直在重複念著檳城粉絲跟我說過的一番話，內容大概是這樣：“偶像，我比較喜歡你以前的照片。現在的沒靈魂了。” 我們圍繞著這個話題聊了大概半小時，結論是我拍太多餐宴婚禮比賽表演開幕主持閉幕生日。。。了。也因為這段對話，我在14年把大部份的餐宴婚禮比賽表演開幕主持閉幕生日。。。推掉了，瘋狂地用了一年的時間拿起底片機拼命地拍，試圖找回連自己也不知道是什麼的失去。

今年7月28號，我，老哥和兆鴻打起 “勇氣越大，智商越低” 的口號，耗了16天，從哥打京那巴魯騎到古晉，全程大約1300公里，為全國最小型獨中募款。旅程完畢回來，休息足夠以後，我幹了一件讓自己驕傲得走路都有大風吹那種姿態的事情，我決定把網站給休了。那新客戶要怎麼看你的作品啊？對，就是看不到。要嘛不改，要改就徹徹底底地改掉讓自己原地踏步的東西。




接下來的攝影路打算怎麼走？

走一條對得起自己的攝影路，就像當初決定發一個不回頭的飛行夢和打一輩子不停的排球。

讓作品說話。

p.s. 餐宴婚禮比賽表演開幕主持閉幕生日。。。還是會接，老子我還沒釣到願意幫我付保險車期早餐午餐晚餐店租電費水費。。。的女人。

2015 － 文字的回歸

自己也不太記得當時候是為什麼選擇不再寫字，不過也好，休息夠了。