I was recently asked to have my photos featured in a young upcoming musician’s beat video. Check it out below. Be sure to send him some love.
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I get quite a few questions, mostly from Asian American students all across the nation, and most of them end up sounding like this:
My parents want me to be a doctor, but I want to study [something besides a doctor]. I’ve told them this and they just ignore me and assume I’m going to be a doctor. What should I do?
or something like this:
It’s my going to be senior year and thought it was suppose to be fun, but so far, it’s not. I’m stressing a whole lot about what classes I should take. My parents and teachers keep telling me to be at the top of my class, but I really don’t care. Will colleges look down on me if I take theater instead of honors chemistry? I want to study architecture in college. I care about my grades, but I want to take classes with my friends and have some easier classes so I can join a few clubs. I don’t think I can do that if I’m taking all honors classes.
You get one life to live, live it on your terms. First off, remember that your parents want the best for you. The “best” in their eyes is lots of money. You have to remember that they want you to have enough money to support you and your future family. Doctor salaries provide that. So you can imagine what type of hell my parents went through when I told them I wanted to be a photographer. It wasn’t pretty, but they learned to accept it after seeing that it provided me a steady living. Sometimes it takes years of frustration and “abandonment” before you can prove to them that you are successful. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Remember, it’s your life, pursue your dreams. I can’t speak for private colleges, but I know UT didn’t care that I failed AP Calculus, didn’t make it in the top of my class, or had a horrible SAT score. I was a solid B (almost C) student that spent lots of time in clubs. That’s it. That was my “application”. When I got to college, no one ever talked about what rank they were in high school. No one cares. Does that mean you can fail every class? No, but just because you decide to take Theater instead of Honors Chemistry, won’t sway their decision on whether they accept you or not!
Secondly, stop caring what your teachers think. Don’t get me wrong, there are amazing teachers out there; they’re usually the ones that support you no matter what you do. They don’t try to sway your decision in any way, shape, or form. Those are the teachers you should be admire, because at the end of the day, they want you to be the best you can be (sorry for the cliche). On the other hand, there are horrible teachers out there (yes, it’s true)! Just because they’re teachers doesn’t mean they fit the mold of what a teacher should be. These teachers are the those who tell you to take their class instead of one you think you’d enjoy, or being at the top of your class should be your priority. They’re usually miserable and you can see that they hate their job just as much as you hate the course. Trust me, I’ve run into my fair share of bad teachers and professors and so will you. Never assume that teachers want the best for you. It’s smart to do your research and to be careful about which ones you should look up to.
I’ve always thought that the Asian American generation will have it easier as I grew up, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case since I receive these emails rather frequently. It’s tough because some Asian parents will go out on a limb to disown or even take away school funding because their son/daughter wants to study English and become a world renown writer. So my only true advice for all of you Asian American students, don’t force your children to do anything they don’t want to do when you become the parents. You think that can go without saying, but you’ll be amazed at how much your parents influence you as a parent.
On a lighter note, I’d probably be dead if I became a doctor. Let’s just say the sight of blood (no matter how little) makes me sick to my stomach. Paper cuts even make me squeamish. I needed to get my blood tested 2 years ago and for the last 2 years, I’ve said, “Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow.” Let’s just say the last time I had my blood tested I nearly fainted face first into the toilet.
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First things first, apologies for being MIA. Lots of work with the bakery that we’re opening in Austin very soon! However, I have a great topic that I think you’ll enjoy: KONY 2012
I admit, this KONY 2012 thing sucked me in when I first saw it. But growing up, I was always taught to research, research, research (special thanks to all of my English teachers). After logging long hours of financial statements, personal comments from Ugandans, and other sources, I don’t think this is a cause I want to put my fingerprint on. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about.
I’m here to discuss our generation’s ability to think for ourselves. This KONY thing is a fad, plain and simple; a brilliant marketing strategy. Now look, I’m not saying this it’s fake or a scam. I just don’t think their finances work out the way I personally would like them to. If you want to know exactly what they are, see their financial statement here (page 6).
My heart will always go towards the arts and so will my donations. If I were to die today, I would want others to know that I tried my best to help less fortunate kids get their hands on art supplies. That’s always been something dear to me and always will be. Just because this KONY thing is the hot topic right now, doesn’t mean I’m going to drop everything to support it. The same thing happened with OCCUPY WALL STREET. It’s great if you did the research and backed it after being educated about the movement. But I saw way too many unemployed, lazy hipsters follow the movement because they weren’t motivated enough to get off their ass and get a job. The movement is great, and trust me, I’m part of the 99%, but please don’t use it as an excuse for being knee-deep in credit card debt because you had to have that LV purse or those season tickets. Don’t get sucked into these trends. They happen all around us, and with the rise of social media, it will continue to flourish. Tomorrow there might be a cause for Asian babies who need iPads. Who knows!
So please choose your causes wisely. There is a plethora of information on the internet, and it’s always wise to research where your money is going. When it comes to charities, be aware that not many charities will promise that 100% of your donation will go directly to the cause. Remember that charities are corporations too. Your donation will help pay employee salaries, expenses, equipment, and hopefully, a part of it will go towards the cause. It’s YOUR choice what the distribution is.
Take control of your own decisions and don’t be afraid to be different. Put your fingerprint on something that is close to YOUR heart. If you think kids need more books, go donate some of your older novels to a reading center. If you think students need more music in their life, go out and teach kids how to play whatever instrument you know how to play. Whatever it is, make sure you’re doing it because it means something to you, not because some fancy movie told you to. It’s important that you share your voice. Just make sure the voice is actually yours.
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Huge inspiration in my life and art. The art he produces and the vivid imagination behind it can motivate me even on the roughest days. I won’t sit here and pretend like I’ve been a street artist, or even know what goes on when it comes to street art. All I know is that artists have the ability to stir up controversy whether they like it or not. Art is a powerful form of expression. Many of those times, it’s negative expression. Shepard Fairey couldn’t have said it any better, “It’s much easier to destroy something than create something.” So go out and try to CREATE something new, meaningful, and personal.
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Wassup people. Sorry for not posting as much as I should be. I’m working on quite a few projects, so for now, I’ll leave you with new DFD music. Check it out. Support. 11.1.11 the new album drops! Sit back, hit repeat, and wait. 
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I’ve posted a blog about Creative Recreation before the server crashed and I lost everything. I figured I’d wait for another opportunity before posting again. I didn’t have to wait long. Recently, a group of Creative Recreation reps went to Guatemala to help build schools for kids. I admire those who do vs. those who pay others to do. Don’t get me wrong, money helps organizations like PoP (mentioned in the link) go far, but volunteering helps directly. Keep in mind that when you donate, sometimes your donations goes directly towards the secretary’s salary working at the non-profit organization. Always make sure you know where your donations are going.
Not only is it admirable that they took the time to do it, one of the partners was spotted in a photo there actually volunteering his time to help. I’ve always loved Creative Recreation for their style, but actions like this will keep my closet full of them from now and forever.
SEE THE CREATIVE RECREATION BLOGPOST HERE!
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Let me first start off by saying thank you to everyone who has grabbed a print, shirt, or original piece from me up to this point! I wouldn’t (couldn’t) be doing this without all of your support. So thank you for everything!
4 prints are now purchasable on my website for purchase via PayPal. The prints include Desire, Leaving Everything Behind, Everything’s Golden, and Galaxy. At first, I was strongly debating whether or not I should sell prints because I appreciate the value of one original piece that one person gets to own. With that being said, I received tons of emails about replicas and prints. I thought to myself: Although it’s great for one person to be the soul owner of one original piece, it’s also important to give others the chance to own by work, especially the supporters and fans! I did my best to keep the prices low so that everyone has a chance to grab a print. Each print is $35. Shipping is a flat $3 (domestic) – no matter how many prints you purchase. All prints are signed and numbered. Click the images below to be sent to the site!
So I’ve received a couple of emails and have been asked over the years about the meaning behind my work, these 4 pieces specifically. I honestly didn’t think many people would care what my meaning was, but I was wrong!
The theme: Beauty of Expression. With so many channels exploiting sexuality on a single-layer physical level, we forget that expression itself, can be seductive and sexy. We’re surrounded by so many publications and advertisements that promote more skin and less clothes on women. This series is a rally against that; reminding us that one’s expression can provide waves of emotions, feelings, and story. Not to take a back seat, this series also highlights beauty of facial expression. There is so much meaning behind a person’s eyes, lips, and even hair. Whether it’s a bite of the lip to show anticipation, or the deep stare that shows desire, expressions can tell a different story for every viewer.
I can go on and on, but rather not have you fall asleep! So I hope that helped anyone who did want to know the meaning behind these pieces. Thanks again and please keep sending me emails if you have any questions or just want to discuss your thoughts. There is also a discussion open on my Facebook Discussion Tab for anyone who wants to discuss the topic publicly.
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Watch, enjoy, support. That is all.
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With Fourth of July right around the corner, I thought that an article about photographing fireworks would fit the bill perfectly! It’s a little intimidating knowing you only have about 20 minutes to get a great shot. There isn’t much time to perfect your settings out there. Not to mention fireworks only shoot about 4-6 times a year, it’s not something you can readily prepare for. The following article is a bit more technical than I’d hope, so my apologies for those who aren’t versed with terms such as ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Many point and shoots now come with a fireworks setting. Some cameras yield good results, others not so much. However, there is still time for you to whip out that manual and learn how to play with these settings! Most likely, your camera (yes, your point and shoot camera included) will allow you to change these settings easily. Likewise, those who own DSLRs but don’t stray away from auto mode can learn these settings as well. It shouldn’t take you more than 10-15 minutes to learn how to play with these settings.
DIFFICULTIES AND COMMON MISTAKES
Many people think that because fireworks are a nighttime affair, their major concern should be the low-light. However, it’s the complete opposite. Capturing too much light is much more common! This is where our cameras get confused. The bursts of lights that last only a few seconds, accompanied with multiple bursts will throw your light readings all over the place. If you’re setting your shutter speed to more than 4 seconds, you’re most likely going to get huge bursts of lights. Many people bump their ISOs higher because of the low light, resulting in a noisy night sky, which isn’t very attractive.
A TRIPOD IS IMPORTANT
The low light does affect one thing, your shutter speed. For those who aren’t photography nerds that know the ins and outs of photography, shooting at night usually results in blurry shots. This is because the shutter needs to stay open longer to allow more light in. Therefore, when your subject moves, or when you inadvertently move the camera, your shot comes out blurry. A tripod will definitely fix this! Tripods are useful because they keep your hands off the camera, keeping the camera completely still. If you don’t want to spring for a tripod just for this one fireworks show, then find a ledge or tabletop that is steady. You might find yourself having to fandangle some type of contraption to point the camera towards the fireworks as well, which can be a pain. Can you shoot without a tripod? It’s possible if you have a steady hand and shoot closer to 1-2 seconds. Give it a try, you might surprise yourself!
APERTURE (f/#), ISO, SHUTTER SPEED, AND TIMING
Start off by setting your ISO to the lowest amount your camera offers to combat noise. I recommend shooting at or around f/8 with a 2-3 second shutter speed. Now, the shutter speed is actually the one element you can change to your liking. If you let the camera try to figure it out, you will most likely get a shot with a huge light burst, because it’ll suggest 10+ seconds. You want to stay in the range of 1-4 seconds. 4 seconds is a little long, but might work under your circumstances. The longer the seconds (shutter speed), the more flares/tails you will get from the fireworks. The shorter the seconds (shutter speed), the less flares/tails you’ll get. It’s all personal taste at this point. Timing is also a big deal. You want to catch the firework right as it’s exploding. Some have an eye for the tiny lit tail that is shooting up, which is great. You can watch it burst and hit the shutter. If you don’t have a keen eye, listening for the burst works well as some of my colleagues have suggested. Lastly, because you’re manually setting your shutter speed, you can keep the flash off!
PHOTO PROOF
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“Shooting RAW is the only way to shoot!”
I see that quite a bit, but is it always true? For semi-professionals, professionals, and hobbyists who have the proper software and time to edit these RAWs, it’s a great way to get absolutely beautiful photos. But does that mean shooting JPEG is the “wrong” way to shoot? This article’s here to help!
Before I begin, I’ll do my best to help explain it in the simplest terms so you’re not bored with drawn-out, long-winded definitions.
SHOOTING RAW:
RAW shooting gives you the ability to easily manipulate the photograph using photo editing programs like Adobe Photoshop in post-processing. Post-processing, sometimes referred as “PP”, is the photo editing process a photographer applies after he/she takes the photograph. When the camera snaps a RAW photo, the image will be recorded to the memory card rather bland and dull. Some shooters think shooting in RAW is the best way to get the best shot straight from the camera. That’s not the case at all.
SHOOTING JPEG:
JPEG shooting is almost the opposite of RAW shooting. When you shoot JPEG, you’re telling the camera to do all of the compressing for you. It automatically applies all of the right corrections in order to get a good photo. This correction is different on every camera. So it’s wise to do your research before selecting the right camera for you, but that’s another topic!
PROS FOR RAW:
RAW shooting can lead you to amazing photographs. Say you take a photograph of a beautiful landscape, and the sky isn’t quite the right shade of blue for you. You can easily change it to the right shade that fits your standards. However, this isn’t the only correction you can make. When shooting in RAW, you’re in charge of what the photograph looks like in the end. You have the ability to work with the brightness, contrast, colors, saturation, exposure, and so much more.
PROS FOR JPEG:
Shooting in JPEG has its own benefits. First, JPEGs file sizes are much smaller. The difference can range from 800kb JPEG to a 25Mb RAW depending on your camera and camera settings. Secondly, you might not have the budget for expensive software like Adobe Photoshop ($200). Third, you might not be very interested in post processing. Photographers would much rather be out shooting!
CONS FOR RAW:
As mentioned above, RAWs are huge files. If you don’t have the patience or hard drive space, shooting in RAW isn’t for you. Secondly, photo editing software is not as easy as Windows Paint, not to mention expensive.
CONS FOR JPEG:
You lose the ability to edit your photos easily. Sure, photo editing programs can edit JPEGs, but it won’t be able to clean up your photo as well as it could with a RAW photo.
SO WHICH IS THE WAY TO GO?
Simplistically speaking, you’re working with many more levels (not to be confused with exposure levels) when it comes to RAW files. Therefore, you have a bit more freedom when it comes to editing your photos. When it’s all said and done, it’s all personal preference. It depends on where you are in the realm of photography. If you’re an enthusiast that loves to point, shoot, and upload, then shooting JPEG should be sufficient. If you’re a hobbyist who wants to get into more detailed photography (maybe even becoming a pro), RAW is the way to go. Both have pros and cons, but it depends on which pros and cons outweigh each other for you. Don’t let others tell you that shooting in RAW is the only way to shoot. It’s not for everyone, and with today’s technological advancements, trusting the camera to do all of the fine tuning usually ends rather well!
PHOTO PROOF:
Here is a photo taken with a Canon 7D. I purposely shot into the sun to show levels, contrasts, and brightness within the trees in the foreground.
The first set is straight off the camera (RAW version vs JPEG version). You can see that the trees are underexposed in the raw version, and the JPEG version did it’s best to correct that, resulting in a “better” version.
The set below is the “best case scenario” after editing.
You can see both JPEG and RAW after post processing yields great results. The RAW version did better when it came to the underexposed trees and details in the sky (see the cloud details). The difference is also in the variety of post processing. The JPEG you see in the second set is pretty much the only good version that will come out after post processing. With the RAW, you can obtain many more results that turn out beautifully. Say, you wanted to add a nostalgic-element and push your white balance towards the yellow side. The results:
You can see that the sky in the JPEG version is completely blown out on the right side. Likewise the sunlight on the tips of the trees are completely washed out as well. With that being said, it’s not impossible to correct that. You can always bring down the brightness, but that would completely darken the trees in the foreground. Bumping the fill light beyond this point will only make the JPEG more noisy, which is a no no. Of course you can always start mixing multiple layers (background, foreground) to fix this unevenness, but that would of course take you more time and patience. That’s starting a whole different subject (HDR, or High Dynamic Range).
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Shooting RAW has it’s benefits. You can see it in the photo proof above. However, that doesn’t make JPEG completely obsolete. It all comes down to personal preference. When people say, “RAW shooting is the only way to shoot.” They aren’t explaining all of the advantages and disadvantages to you. You have to consider the price of RAW-capable cameras (which are usually expensive DSLRs), price of photo-editing software (usually expensive), and the ability to actually edit photographs (which takes time to learn). The biggest misconception is when people buy RAW-shooting cameras expecting to get amazing photos when they shoot in RAW, without realizing that the benefits are in the post-processing.
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