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SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY AS CREATIVE PROJECT

Let me share this advice given to me to improve my smartphone photography: Since you work analytically and build themes (urban, colour study, structural elegance), this framework will treat smartphone photography as a managed creative project, not casual shooting. SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKFLOW FRAMEWORK (SPWF) Core Philosophy Shoot with intention. Process with discipline. Publish with purpose. The framework has 6 Stages: 1. Intent 2. Preparation 3. Capture 4. Selection 5. Refinement 6. Publication & Archive ⸻ STAGE 1: INTENT (Why Am I Shooting?) Before opening the camera app, decide: • Is this spontaneous street? • Is this a themed project? (e.g., Conversation of Colours) • Is this documentary? • Is this architectural study? Define: • Mood (serene, energetic, nostalgic) • Dominant element (light, structure, colour, geometry) • Output platform (Instagram, blog, exhibition) This aligns your mind before touching settings. ⸻ STAGE 2: PREPARATION (Technical Setup) A. C...
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CAPTURING THE LIGHT FIRST

Before the flower speaks, the light does... What first caught my attention wasn’t the red bud at the centre, but how light moved across the leaves. Sunlight filters in at different angles, grazing some surfaces while flooding others, and that alone creates a quiet symphony of greens. Where the light hits directly, the leaves turn bright—almost translucent—revealing veins and subtle textures. Where the light softens or slips away, deeper emerald and cooler jade tones emerge. Even within a single leaf, you can see multiple greens living side by side, shaped purely by direction, intensity, and reflection. This is light as a painter. It doesn’t change the leaf itself, only how we perceive it. Highlights add freshness and energy, shadows add calm and depth. The result is not a flat green, but a layered one—alive, breathing, and constantly shifting with time. Only after noticing the light do we truly notice the subject.

PATTERNS OF ATTENTION

At first glance, this is a simple beach scene—children standing by the shoreline, others already in the water, waves repeating their endless rhythm. Nothing dramatic. Nothing staged. And yet, this is exactly where the art of seeing begins in photography. What drew me to press the shutter was not a single subject, but a pattern of attention. The line of children facing the sea feels almost ceremonial, as if they are waiting for permission from the water itself. Their silhouettes strip away identity and detail, turning them into shapes, gestures, and relationships. In black and white, the scene becomes quieter, more reflective—less about who they are and more about what is happening. Photography, at its core, is not about seeing more—it’s about seeing differently. Many people would walk past this moment, registering it only as background activity. But the photographer pauses. Observes. Notices the contrast between stillness and movement: some bodies frozen at the edge, others already imm...

ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN KL

ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN KL Lately I saw a lot of Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad photos being posted on social media. This is a good sign of public awareness and interest in architecture and history. During my KL Photowalk in the last ten years, I have accumulated a few hundred photos- just for my collection. Looking back…. Kuala Lumpur has a habit of surprising you—especially when you slow down and really look at its buildings. Beyond the obvious height and glassy confidence, KL’s architecture is full of rhythm, texture, and quiet drama. Capturing these qualities through photography is less about recording skylines and more about observing how buildings behave with light, space, and people. What fascinates me most is how architectural features reveal themselves in fragments. A sweeping roofline casts a sharp shadow across a public plaza. Repeating columns create a visual tempo that pulls the eye forward. Curves soften concrete, while rigid lines assert strength and order. In black a...

Impressionist Photography?

  Yes, this photo can clearly be impressionist photography, and it is a strong example of the genre. Here’s why: 1. It Prioritises Impression Over Description The image does not aim to describe who the people are, where exactly they are, or what they are doing. Instead, it captures an impression of movement, light, and urban energy. The figures are reduced to shapes and gestures rather than identifiable subjects—very much in the spirit of impressionism. What we see is not factual clarity, but felt experience. 2. Intentional Blur as Expression The motion blur here is not a technical accident; it is expressive. Vertical streaks suggest movement and flow Human figures dissolve into colour and rhythm Time feels compressed, as if several moments exist at once This aligns closely with impressionist photography, where blur is used to evoke emotion and temporality, not to hide mistakes. 3. Strong Emphasis on Light and Colour The photograph is driven by colour relat...