Revived Sensations

Hello all!

I just got around to creating a photos page and am psyched! It is actually on flickr and you can find the link on the top menu of the blog. The aim is to convey a variety of landscapes, textures, colors and sensations shot through travels overseas or right here in Mauritius.

Besides photos from abroad (Australia and others), looking further into our own Mauritian backyard allowed to find some amazing things. Biking around works magic, and by carrying a 5 megapixel phone-camera everywhere (you don't need much to get good results), it's hard not to stop and shoot the stunning beauties that present themselves... In fact, the old adage "the journey is more important than the destination" rings particularly true when you shoot while going somewhere: if you take your time, you may better appreciate what is on the way. That in itself opens many new exploration paths you haven't seen before, as you raced past them with your car. Be a tourist, go where you've never been! If you're into outdoor sports like running or cycling, don't take your camera along for your serious training sessions because it will surely disrupt your tempo. Merge your photo explorations with slower, longer bike rides or treks where unplanned breaks are welcome.

OK, some more details about the photos now! Professional photographers out there, any comment/advice is most welcome. None of these shots were made with a "professional" camera and I'm really happy with their quality. It can be frustrating to lack zooming power when you really want it, but it forces you to get creative with what you have.

I can't believe how much some of my pics have changed after a few tweaks... Take the one on the right for example. As the pro's will probably tell us, editing is a big part of making a good photo. There are many pics that I thought were really good when taking them; good light, perfect framing, interesting combination of elements in foreground, background, etc, but then when viewing the result on the computer I was left disappointed. It may be dull, not showing enough contrast, colors, or simply not convey the feeling you had. After all, photographs should make you feel something, plunge you back in the memory or take others there with you. Editing lets you play with parameters to "help" your picture re-create the sensation. Of course you can enhance/exaggerate the effect too, but that's up to you.

The beauty is that you don't even need expensive software to do that. For starters, go to www.befunky.com and have a play, it's free and you don't have to create an account. I recommend cropping (for better framing if needed), vibrance, Hdr, cross-process and b&w in the effects.

Finally if you're looking for some more inspiration, I recommend the work of these friends based in Mauritius: Cathy Dudzinski, Karl Ahnee and Gilliane Soupe.

Happy exploring, shooting and editing.

Xav