If a Picture paints a thousand words

Its more than pointing and shooting.

Its been awhile since I last featured or talked about a particular subject matter amongst my post so for today's post, we'll be talking about producing a good picture and my personal rational and interpretation behind pictures.

So before you can say "pic spam!", let me warn you that you've been told...

A different perspective to things oblivious to the naked eye.

Well, I can safely say that I'm by no means, a professional photographer (or anywhere near that association as yet) but I guess producing both still images in the form of photographs as well as moving images in the form of movie and film productions can be considered as recent interests.

Both of which has grown into something deeper than mere passing interest.

Creation is satisfying to some while the Created Product is satisfying to the masses; Creation here being the process while the other, the final product. And that being said, I guess my interest for both aspects of creation has sprouted from the very basis of my course of study.

The Media is vast and ever changing.

While some like to convey their thoughts and ideas via literature, others tend to be more visual and thus convey their perceptions through films and the such. We also have a few others who communicate via still images.

Yes, different mediums are and can be used to communicate and accentuate your ideas, thoughts, beliefs or even perspective, if executed in a suitable method.

Literature, Film and Photos are just examples of different mediums.

And well, for me personally, its a tough internal conflict between the three.

I mean I love to actually write down my ideas, thoughts and perception (as seen here on metallic-stains); I love to make films (as cultivated through my course of study) and hope to make and product short but effective and powerful films in the near future.

Clearly, the newest contender here being the epitome of imaging.

Well, some of you guys out there might have notice a little addition to the link bar to the right and as mentioned in the previous posts, the new member of the management team has indeed widen and developed my interest in the said field.

While metallic-stains stands as my literal take on life, my pictures will (hopefully) represent my visual take on the big picture.

Some of my more visual works can be viewed here, http://www.flickr.com/photos/33694436@N07/ though I'm always open to comments and critical insights regarding my photos, both technically and idealistically.

Technical and Idealistic execution are both important aspects of a picture.

On a technical front, I'm pretty sure that I've got loads more to learn to even consider myself as a photographer. This comes with experience and guidance, things which I consider myself in vital need which (hopefully again) will come in time.

Thus, I chose to work towards my idealistic take on photo taking.

There are millions of photographers out there in the world but the sole appeal of the medium is simple because it gives the people to present their unique perceptions and ideas in the form of pictures.

Well, to me, I feel strongly about the idea and "feel" that the picture is giving me. What is it trying to say? What emotion is it trying to portray?

To me, a good picture means a mind provoking experience, though not always in a negative manner. A good picture should set the viewer thinking and relating.

There are numerous pictures out there on the net and I for one have certainly seen quite a number of good pictures out there, some even able to put my mind into a mental frenzy.

Yes, it is quite appealing and interesting to explore uncharted perceptions and ideas using this medium.

I have an aim every time I interact with Audrey (refer to previous posts for more clarification about the entity). Exploring perceptions has always been something that I value with high regard on a personal level and that is what I aim, every single time I look through her eyes in preparation for a shot.

Thus as we come to the end of this rather concise post, I would like some feedback and advice on the relevant topic;

Which is more important, the Technical or Idealistic aspect of a picture?

Remember to check back for some awesome material coming up and with that I'll see you guys around and hoped you've enjoyed this little feature as much as I did while taking the photos.

Keep Snapping!

*Pleas refer to the team's flickr page for more visual works. The uncredited use of materials from the above feature post without the knowledge of the management team of metallic-stains will result in negative consequences. Please, let creativity and ideas thrive, stamp out plagiarism.

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Whatever's Good in the Pot.
Now playing: New Found Glory - I Don't Wanna Know
via FoxyTunes

Walking in a (Winter) Wonderland

Beauty of the night.

With Christmas lurking just around the corner, days away, the past couple of days were spent in crowded frequents, comfortable coffee houses (Starbucks) as well as scenic backdrops.

Indeed, the people around are getting into the Christmas mood evidently but it must be said that as compared to the previous year, moods ain't as high up.

Seeing that it was Christmas, I decided to give myself a little treat as well. Took a walk around town and looked around the music store, as usual.

A music CD would make a really good present for myself and amongst the myriad up for grabs, Paramore's CD/DVD, The Final Riot! caught my attention.

The Final Riot!

I must say, the cover of the album is certainly appealing on multiple levels, I'm sure you might agree as well. Kudos to the designer.

At $20.95, the DVD/CD is a steal of a buy. Aside from 15 Live tracks (featuring songs from both the first and second Paramore albums), this 2 CD set also features a live concert DVD.

Think, over one hour of hard hitting tracks from a budding alternative rock group with a dash of energy and stage presence. Certainly something to make you head bang to with addictive tempos and high octave vocals.

Okay don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to push the product here on metallic-stains but for those of you out there interested in the genre or the band, all I'm saying is that its worth the money and time.

Leaving that for now.

The annual season of Christmas is significant for various reasons, to each his own. But it also signals the coming end of the calender year.

And though it may seem a little early, I've decided to talk about a couple of resolutions for metallic-stains.blogspot.com upon the arrival of the year 2009.

This site was founded (or created, rather) a couple of months ago and has thus moved and evolved from its original purpose, look as well as feel, which is a good thing as change often spurs for improvement.

However what better way to mark the start of a new year then to implement further changes and improvements?

That being said, I thought about a change of fundamental posting frequency and classification for the posts you readers see here on the site. Here's the current breakdown;

- Periodic updates
- Periodic narratives
- Occasional articles

As seen, the flow and frequency of posts are rather irregular and unorganized. I plan to revolutionize and implement a change as seen here;

- Updates (Once per week)
- Subject Posts (Unrestricted per week)
- Narratives (Situational)
- Articles (At least 2 published monthly)

To me, the readers are my target audience and thus I feel that you guys have the right to know about the site's composition as well as organization.

And with this new implementation (with effect from 2009), I hope that readers will be able to orientate and adhere to a mode of consistency amongst the posts and publishes of metallic-stains.

So be sure to stick around. Feedback is of course, deeply valued amongst the management team so keep those coming in!

And moving on to the subject for today's post.

Eluding Silence.

The past couple of hours were fruitfully spent, well to me at least.

A little walk around town certainly helps one to think about things not usually considered as well as problems, of course.

Of course there was a reason for the walk but at this point in time, I would leave it undisclosed (but will reveal why in coming posts so be sure to check back).

What if one had everything to loose but, against all odds, chooses to stake everything on the line?

Many a time in the course of life, we find ourselves trapped in such situations which is often thought provoking; if we know we might (and most probably will) lose something, why are we doing it?

I guess situation varies. It largely pivots on the importance of that "something" to the person in question, which will determine how much the person is willing to stake and put on the line.

It must be said that it is human nature to deter from the things we feel less confident in achieving success. Quite understandably so at that for I'm pretty sure that most if not all of us, hate to fail or lose something significant.

We often hear of phrases like "I would give my (something significant) up, if I could have (something even more significant)" and I guess this is why humans engage in this curious behavior of putting all that we have on the line, simply put, we are always looking for something more.

It would be injustice to say that this behavior is due to greed but it does however, work along the logic of that.

We as humans, are always looking for something better, seeking improvement though we rarely identify this need but what if we lose it all? What if everything falls through and all is lost? That is another behavior to consider.

Moving forward, looking ahead.

It is an interesting process when failure exhumes one's period of life. Some individuals are able to get over it quickly while others linger on, in hopes of making amendments for things in the past.

For me personally, I daresay that I once lived in the past but ironically, I'm living in the future now.

Its good to anticipate failure but sometimes you go ahead with making mistakes though know perfectly what you're doing and the repercussions it may cause.

It takes a hurt to learn, sometimes.

So that's that, a little food for thought I guess. Be sure to check back for updates and lots of (Christmas) goodies to come. Watch this space.

Cya'll later

"Your Little Decoy"

*The owner and management team of metallic-stains holds no right, share or commission in the sales of Paramore's Final Riot! DVD/CD. All related references made belongs to its rightful owner. Usage of pictures (excluding the Final Riot! cover) without referencing or permission might result in undesirable consequences*

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Song of the Post


Now playing: Paramore - Decoy (Live)
via FoxyTunes

The Missing Piece

Sometimes we just need to sit back and think about that missing piece.

I've noticed that my posts are getting more and more irregular and infrequent (about one post weekly). But rest assured, this can be solely accredited to the huge influx of work being thrown on us as the holidays draw near.

Christmas holidays to be exact.

More content will be available once time frees up and quite honestly, I can't wait for the Christmas holidays. But then again, who can? I'm sure all of us would welcome the soon-to-be-here break with huge open arms.

The pass few days were largely interesting to me as an individual, personally and professionally. Largely due to a particular assignment given which required photographs to be taken, whilst at the same time, following the specific theme.

For 3 consecutive days, I've been lugging through the distinct landmarks of Singapore, in hopes of finding the shots that are required for the assignment as well as for personal interest.

Interestingly, the more shots I took for the assignment, the more I found myself attuned to the novelty of photography. I've always been an admirer of great photographs but never really about the process of capturing the picture but this assignment has certainly changed my perception.

I've learnt that there are various elements to taking a good photograph and that it isn't as simple as to "aim and shoot". A good photographer will have to possess key attributes such as patience and a good eye of perception.

Certainly no walk in the park but its certainly an interest worth considering (though a costly one).

And now, on to today's topic.

Ever felt that a little something is missing at a particular period, a particular place or a particular designation during your life?

We live in a fast paced society and there's certainly no denying that. From the time we take our first step into education until the day we pack the office and leave for home after completing the last day of work, I'm safe to say that we live a pacy life.

However, let us now take a step back, ignore the pacy demands of life and ponder over the missing piece.

I'm sure that many a time, we've had the feeling of "a little something missing".

You have just finished your novel but as you read through the narrative, you find that there is "a little something missing"; The painting that you've been working on is finally completed, but as you sit back to admire your work, you find that it lacks "a little something".

A void of substance is often accredited to this "missing piece". We know the empty space is there, but somehow, we don't and we are unable to find something to fit that missing space, inch for inch, prim and proper.

I feel that this can be referenced to multiple aspects of life; Work, businesses, products, relationships, family and the such.

The list goes on and on.

It is interesting that we, as human beings, are such peculiar creatures on this level. As the "missing piece" is hard to find, many give up without even trying. While in some other cases, the missing piece literally walks into your life but goes unnoticed through the oblivious human perception.

People, things and opportunities walk right into our lives, but will we take it?

Life is a journey that contains imperfections, mistakes as well as obstacles. Some say that life is a puzzle. Yes, we can say that life is like huge puzzle, but I'd like to think of life as an "un-completable" puzzle, divided into numerous segments.

To find the "missing piece" in life, one has to look and observe and most importantly, treasure the things we already have while working towards the things we want to achieve.

Its like taking a good picture, where one has to find the "missing element" in a setting and portraying that element effectively in a picture. Sure, identifying whatever's missing is by far, an audacious task, but it is through these experiences which will make us stronger and improve.

Thus, identify the emptiness and seek to find an answer for it. Search for that special missing piece to make your segment of the puzzle complete.

I'll end here for now, a little food for thought through the topic, I hope. Assignment awaits.

As per normal, I'll be updating with new content soon so stay tuned and check back in abit.

One more week towards the much deserved holidays, let us all hang in there and make that final dash to the checkpoint.

Cya'll later.

*All pictures as seen in this post belongs to the management team of metallic-stains.blogspot.com. Plagiarism without consent will result in undesirable consequences.

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Song of the Post


Now playing: Taking Back Sunday - Make Damn Sure
via FoxyTunes

Sticks and Stones can break my Bones, but WORK will never Kill me.

Just a little update. School's been hectic these few days (as predicted) largely due to the projects that we were assigned to and an assortment of a couple of others.

*takes a short 5 second break from work*

I'm not one who normally believes in the paranormal and such, but certain events have swayed my opinion vastly in the favour of this particular subject matter after a casual browse through a couple of photos that were taken awhile back.

I was convinced that the "diamonds" that appeared on the pictures taken were by no means reflections and the such, as I've had consultation with people who were familiar in this given field.

Really really freaky stuff.

These diamonds weren't only found in a particular shot but were evident in multiple angles, shots and locations (within the same area).

When one is exposed to such an experience, your inner curiosity often intervenes. After a quick search on the net, I've gathered that the location where the pictures were taken, was originally a Jewish Cemetery (though its a rather populated area).

Okay, I know its hard to convince you guys, but I'll try to post pictures if possible; you'll have to see it to believe it.

And I know you skeptics out there are going "it must be a lens flare" or "its just a flash reflection" so yea, seeing is believing.

I can't say that I'm convinced myself, and for one, I hope that those things were just reflections. So I'll need professional opinions.

My Readers! If you're a photography buff or a professional in the given field, I'd love to hear from you after I post a couple of the pictures up.

Oh well, its time to get back to work, not that I'm NOT enjoying it, I'm just sleepy. Remember to check back for updates and articles.

Cya'll later.