Where it all began..

As promised…thus far I have come…2009, I held my first digital camera, not a point-and-shoot, but a state of the art professional camera. Though a lower model, to me it was a combination of dreams and aspiration bound carefully into this nifty machine..a Nikon D40X, which I still use along side other SLRs. I took my first photograph with it, a cow, I think. Picturesqueness of where I live fueled my passion for capturing moments in all eternity. I think to date, when someone asks me where my motivation or what my drive to taking photos is..I always say, the ability to freeze time, for all eternity..the stillness of a cold smile, the steady gaze of a subject, the mid-air flight of the bouncing hair of a pony-tailed Indian girl running from my shot, or the rain drop that almost seems to defy gravity, the conventional toss of a bouquet of flowers by a newly wed bride to the clamoring single ladies behind her…as a photographer, live for such moments..time..is never a constant in my book. So far, I have taken over 40,000 photos…believe it.

So without any special training and trial and error…maybe a million errors, I slowly molded myself to who I am and what I do today. But I thank my Father in heaven really,,for providing everything I see before me. I am just an admirer of his mighty canvas, in his masterpiece called “Creation”. But hey, who is to say that photography is just taking a camera and start shooting. You have to find your style and own it. The way I take my photos may not be synonymous to yours, be spontaneous and most importantly,,,and what I have learnt to accept just recently…is always take criticism…however harsh or misplaced,,,sure you feel like summoning thunder and lightning and striking the person from the face of the earth, but if you are to get any where as a photographer…take it like a man. Choose a novice level camera or go all out commando and get a sophisticated slr digital camera, like a Canon EOS 50D or a Nikon D90..and if you wanna go all out “skinny dippy” in the pool of uncertainty, get a Canon 5D Mark II.

Start from there. So I got an unexpected visit yesterday from two of my favorite pals. These two ladies always put a smile on my face, they are just awesome!! So anyway, they come over and what was supposed to be a quiet photo-shoot,, escalated to a trip to Ngong hills. 

If you have never been, get your butt out here and marvel, loose a few calories and get some fresh air. We get on top of one of the hills, they are about seven, and the view is simply majestic..if you have any doubts to God’s existance..this will cast it all. Now we are walking down-hill, we choose a spot and set out for a picnic. Fog everywhere, and the knowledge that this parts is untamed and teaming with wildlife, oddly didn’t frighten this two “Joans’ of Ark”. We get settled down, and the fog slowly lifts, like a curtains at a much anticipated production..and just for a second…the Rift Valley is in view below…”dude…”. That’s all I could say. A few minutes later we are running past these bohemian wind-vanes and back in the car. Safe, from the rain. Its about an hour later and the rain is not letting, and I know the road is muddy and there is absolutely no way we can bet back down the same way. All this I kept to myself, not wanting to have two panicked ladies in a confined space. But I decide to use my razor sharp, James Bond like wit and drive for it.

We slid down, almost sideways on some parts of the road, tires caked with mud. But we made it out. Lesson learnt. Awesome.

So guys, take out your camera phones, your point-and-shoots’ and you high end digital camera and freeze time.