22 shots of inspiration last 2014

Summing Up 2014 with a shots from a point and shoot.

I know it’s a little late to do a reflection article on the past year (I missed it out by a month) but just to help get the ball rolling again at Photogrimoire, I decided to share some of my top 24 photos taken last 2014.

What makes 2014 any different?

Many of you might not have known this, but this was the year I shifted to a lighter camera a Fujifilm x20 to be exact. I sold my DSLR late 2013 and was itching to shoot again. This inadvertently brought me to an ad online on cameras. Figuring this was the perfect opportunity to start fresh, I began reading and researching what would be good tool to use.

I eventually decided on starting from the ground up with a point and shoot camera. No interchangeable lenses first, and just something I could bring with me everyday.

This may be a point and shoot, but trust me it wasn’t cheap (for Point and Shoot standards), which brought me to come up with a rationale for this purchase. Since photography was no longer part of my work (I moved jobs late 2013), justifying this purchase led me to create the blog POINT and SHOOT!

I’ve had a number of blogs before, ranging from poems to films to another photo blog, but this would be the first one with a clear mission— To justify my purchase of a new camera.

It was a difficult start but slowly but surely you get to churn out words that can describe the photos you take. I tried to take photos EVERY SINGLE DAY from going to work, to going back home (a lot of redundant pictures taken, but was still worth it to help you get back that rhythm.)

What did I get out of it?

The experience of shooting again. Plus the limit I imposes on myself with the Fuji x20 helped me think in a more creative way. Framing portraits from different angles, using silhouette shots and long exposures (I won a small something with a long exposure shot) to compensate hi ISO limitations and even using digital zoom to get that perfect frame.

All-in all, starting again with a point and shoot, brought back a hunger for creating portraits as opposed to upgrading gear.  

At POINT and SHOOT, we offer INSPIRATION through DIFFERENT FOCAL LENGTHS and here is my 24 rolls that inspired me through 2014. (shot with a Fuji x20).

Happy New Year everyone!

CHINAMAN IN CHINATOWN - Shot in Singapore's Chinatown. 

CONTEMPLATION - Heavy in thought shot with a sepia filter

SELFY - Every photographer should be entitled to at least one selfie per  shoot. This one was taken while at the front passenger seat of a Philippine Jeepney

SILLHOUETTE - Shot at around 5:30 going home from work

HEAD HUNTER - A man sits on his motorcycle helmet waiting for his significant other to arrive. Taken at the Bicol Bus Terminal. 

GOODNIGHT SLEEP - Man sleeps while waiting for his bus to arrive

DAILY MEALS -  This man eats at a local eatery. His daily diet of  rice soy sauce was upgraded to a full meal by a good samaritan. 

RIDE OF THE JASMINES

LAUNDRY DAY - Fun shot taken from my house that plays with timing and a little imagination

Pro Photographer Jun De Leon

HAPPY MAN BULACAN - Took this shot of  the man a pushing a trolley in Bulacan. The best part was his smile

SURFS UP - A well timed shot at Baler, Aurora province

BUILDING THROUGH SILHOUETTES

TWIST OF FAITHS - An Indian man in Singapore's Little India selling cards with different Hindu and Christian Faiths. A picture of Jesus found in one of his cards

THROUGH THE VIEWFINDER - Taking things into a new perspective

TRADITIONAL MEDIUM - A man reads a newspaper on his commute in Singapore

LAST SHOT - Took this picture of a guy in a bar, at that time he was alone

GHOST EYE - Taken with lights of and a long exposure. Counted a few seconds the moved my hand to my face to achieve this effect. It won Photo Challenge of the Week at Flickr's Fuji X20 groups 

MACRO CAM - Macro shot of a minature camera I have. This was one of my first shots using my point and shoot, which is why it is on the banner of this blog