ADAM MANAF ALI
- Pixel 7.0
- Jul 26, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 31, 2020
Hello! My name is Adam Manaf Ali. I am currently 21 years old at the time of writing this blog. I am a student in IACT College, taking up Mass Communication as my diploma. Did I mention I am foreign? Yeah, I am from the Maldives. (Yes, we sell a lot of fish).
I am currently in my 4th semester, and one of the modules I take is Digital Imaging And Photography. To be frank, photography is not something new to me as I have dabbled in the subject when I was younger. I took a temporary photography class at the age of 17 using my dad's camera. I would arguably say that it was because of my father that I was introduced to mass media ever since my childhood, especially photography. Up until now, I've almost forgotten about photography and the passion I had for it during those days. But after enrolling in Miss Ain Syafiqah's class, it has reinvigorated my passion for photography even more so than before. I've come to appreciate the art and science of photography, polishing my old skills while learning new ones along the way such as the art of editing photos.
To me, photography is more than a school task. It's a hobby. A passion. While I'm still a novice, honing my skills is something I would love to do for as long as I live. Photography is something I would definitely never take for granted. It's importance in preserving memories and creating artistic value is something me and many others would treasure.
Below are some of the shots I took during my tenure as a photography student in Miss Ain's class. This will all be part of an online exhibition. She has taught me that even during a pandemic such as COVID-19 that forces you to stay at home to ensure your safety, you can still find ways to get creative with your photography. Mind you, I had to move out of my apartment in Petaling Jaya to live with my cousin in Subang Jaya for the majority of this MCO so while that didn't add a lot more options, it did give me a lot of substance to work with. I used a Canon EOS 200D for every photo that I took thus far.
Starting From Scratch: MCO Edition
This pandemic has tested me and my classmate's abilities to get creative. In my case, I used whatever household objects I had within my reach.
For my 1st assignment, I used the white wall to my advantage as I had a white-colored book as you see the model (my cousin, whom you'll be seeing more of) is holding in the image. To be really honest, I did some book shopping at some point and this book really caught my eye so I picked it up. I didn't intend it for it to be a prop for my assignment but I'm glad for my purchase. It was too good of an opportunity. The whiteness of the background and the book made the red portions of the book more vibrant and stick out more. I used VSCO on my phone to add vibrancy to the red portions.
Cousin's Keeper
I wasn't truly alone when it came my photographic exploits. As I've stated before, I moved to Subang Jaya and stayed with my cousin for 3 months. During these 3 months, she occasionally lent me a hand when it came to assignments. As shown, she played the role of a model. Being the person behind the camera, this would be on record one of my first experiences in model photography.
I realized the amount of leadership skills you have to muster in order to receive the most successful result. It is a team effort. You have to make sure the model you're photographing is comfortable, and also ensure that both parties have both patience and time for what maybe a long photo-shoot. I'd say half of my best work is thanks to my cousin, and I owe her my sincerest gratitude and love for her patience and grace as a model even though modelling is not exactly her forte.
Creative Blocks: My Worst Enemy
As with any creative project I've partaken in, creative blocks had plagued me. It's one of the worst feelings I had struggled to deal with. However, in a college podcast with Daniel Adams (@danieladamsphotography) and Amanda (@cxpturingsouls) I was able to get deep insight on professional photography. I asked them how they dealt with creative blocks in their line of work.
Their answer was to simply take a break. They alluded to the fact that creative blocks are brought on by stress, so it was best that if such a thing happens it is best to take a break and clear your mind. Watch a movie on Netflix, do some cooking, play video games. Anything that can help release the tension for you to think clearly later.
The photography duo said that even in the hobbies you partake, even in the environment you live in can give you inspiration. And sure enough, I did receive inspiration from my environment.
As seen in the pics in this segment for my blog, I used my Converse sneakers for the sake of my 3rd assignment. I used Adobe Photoshop to touch up on the photos and make them look like advertisement concepts for the Converse brand. If Jackie Chan in Karate Kid quoted that "Everything is Kung-Fu", then I can use the same principle and say that "Everything is Photography". So look around. Who knows? Your next photographic opportunity might just be staring right at your face. It may not be the photo that's gonna make the final cut, but it may be the photo that leads you a few steps closer to the final product.
The PDF file up above is my digital photo-book/portfolio, consisting of all the assignment work that I have done. All in all, it is a reflection of Miss Ain's teachings that she has imparted to me and my classmates which I'm all the more grateful for!
Well, that's the end of my blog, I hope everyone who visited had a good time reading through! Thank you so much and and hope you all stay safe during these times.
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