holding that click

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sitting on the rhine river

Last week, I decided to pull out my almost new and unused film SLR camera.  Whilst the digital SLR revolution already started taking over the world then, the matter of price was probably the reason I didn’t jump into the bandwagon, if I recall well.  But the lure of digital came crashing on me like a wave coming onto the shore.  Prudently I planned to sell the film camera but a very wise friend advised me against it.  To him, it was a good keep as one day into the future, we may not even find film SLR cameras in the market anymore – probably just extremely exquisite ones that will be unaffordable.

Packed into a box, the camera remained forgotten.  I must admit being inspired by Cartier-Bresson.  What lingered on my mind was the question, those amazing pictures he took were not a product of technologically advanced or complex.  They were merely well-thought products, of course sprinkled with a darn good eye.

I do not have any dreams to one day be a great photographer.  Photography is an art form where I can simultaneously express myself and document captivating moments.  When I watch F apply strokes of paint onto the blank canvas and witness its slow transformation, there lays a slight longing of the inability to do the same.  The importance of art education, something the Malaysia Education ministry and parents should not forsake.  Afterall, who thinks it isn’t a great career? (Chinese parents!) If not a talented painter, the ability to express through drawing and painting certainly comes in handy to while a lazy day away or to scribble those frustration out beautifully.

The F80 film camera now accompanies me on some days.  Rolls of film are readily available on the shelves.  But I haven’t snapped a single frame.  Perhaps capturing on film is not simply erasable with a click.  Once the shutter opens, the light imprinted onto film is permanent.  I shall put a little bit more thought into it first.  If an artist  can stay generous with their time, a stroke of dried paint cannot be reversed then I should too be generous with mine.  We become more responsible when decisions have permanent implications, don’t we?