Soon It Will Be Too Late

Time, this unparalleled parameter in life, is our ally and enemy simultaneously, but how we react to it is a decision that we make by ourselves based on so many factors. Two weeks ago, I was in the middle of reading an article, and right in front of me, this leaf fell off from the body of its plant onto the ground. I was witnessing the first moments of this leaf on the verge of its deterioration by Time, and it was obvious that in some days it would lose all of its glory. So, I started to photograph this beautiful and fresh leaf, wanting to see how Time was going to insult this once-living plant. My intention was to make a series of well-structured images to show how Time impacts the decay of everything. But after seven days, something changed and stopped me from doing the rest of the shooting and forced me to comprehend that soon it would be too late.

See the images of day 1 and Day 6 below.

The Fall - Day One

Day One - Detail

The Fall - Day Six

Day 6 - Detail

I took the shot on day six, put the leaf away, and waited for tomorrow to shoot the next step. But on the seventh day, something unexpected happened. The leaf didn’t decay gradually but instead completely lost its shape, color, softness and the whole life in less than 24 hours. It was absolutely unrecognizable and put me in a situation that I would not have guessed might happen. So, I held it in my hand, forget about making the images and thought: we take life for granted; we don’t understand that soon everything might collapse if we don’t take care of ourselves, our souls, our bodies, and minds. We need to take care of ourselves. If we don't care, we collapse before we even imagine it.

The Fall - Day Seven

Day Seven - Detail

This unprecedented change was a sharp reminder of the fragility of our remaining life and the unpredictable nature of Time. It made me realize that the gradual progression I was expecting is not guaranteed. In life, transformations can happen suddenly and without warning, and we must be prepared for these shifts. This experience was a ring bell that we must remain flexible and adaptable, cherishing every moment and nurturing ourselves continuously. The lesson from the leaf is clear: to truly appreciate and make the most of our time, we must live with awareness and intention, understanding that soon can indeed become too late.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE

A Question That Must Be Searched For

‎‏I had this image with all of its details and others like this in my mind for many years but Budget or other issues were amongst the reasons that I couldn’t make it happen. To recreate this scene :

I would need a skilled dancer, a dress, a fog machine to simulate the foggy atmosphere, I would also need access to a location with buildings that allowed me to make it happen. The budget would depend on the costs for the model, Dress, Fog machine rental, A crane, Location fees. Additionally, I might needed to secure permits to shoot in my desired location, especially if it involves public space or significant heights. But this is not the end, The obstacles could include getting permission from the city to shoot on location, ensuring safety for the model as I wanted to float her in the air and check the weather to do it in a cloudy day. As you can imagine the list goes on. But now I have #ai. A tool that is limitless with no borders and boundaries, it allows me to dream and to make anything that I have in my mind without any concern. Of course, in the process, craftsmanship and skills that rely on human intelligence and experience are eliminated, I know that. Skills that take years to acquire and become proficient in. But what good is a skill if it cannot be executed? This is a question that must be searched for an answer.

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Can You Describe It For Me ?

“Can you describe it for me?".

It is a question that we hear all the time when we are in a situation where others are not present, and we try to explain an idea, a place, an artwork, or the materials used to create something. Each individual has their unique approach to describing things. Some may talk about the feeling of a specific place, while others may focus on the mood, elements, colors, and more. Now, artificial intelligence has the ability to talk to us.

Yes, now the #ai can READ a photograph, and tell us how it looks, what colors and compositions are present, what the ratio is, who made the image, what type of light the artist might have used, what materials are present in the dress, or what type of pattern is used in that specific image. I find this fascinating because #ai is describing things to me that I never thought of or heard of before. I have learned about artists and places that I had no previous knowledge of. This learning process is extraordinary. Let me know What are your thoughts on this?

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Leverage the power of AI while preserving your vision

Let me give you a perspective on how the power of #ai can change the game in terms of image-making and see the potential benefits and drawbacks that come with it. Imagine you are a portrait photographer, you know creating an image needs significant amount of time, effort, and money. As an example for this image, You need to hire : two talents, a makeup artist, a costume designer, a hair stylist,a car, lighting equipment, and necessary permits plus your knowledge as an expert. So the expenses can quickly add up to several thousand dollars. Yet with the advent of #ai, the financial burden can be greatly reduced, enabling you to create your art without thinking about a budget. Now in the dark side this newfound accessibility, it also means that others may now produce strong images without extensive knowledge or experience, making it more challenging to differentiate yourself in this new era of image making.

The key question then becomes, how can you leverage the power of AI while preserving your unique artistic vision and style, to create images that truly stand out from the rest?

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE

Bittersweet Truth

As we bear witness to the birth of #ai we cannot help but acknowledge the profound changes it has brought upon the world of image-making. We have ascended to new heights, reaching a level of creation never before imagined. With the power of #ai we can now transform our imagination into reality with nothing more than words and in near future with our voice. However, in this new age of creation, we must confront a bittersweet truth. We may lose the precious opportunities for growth that come with making mistakes in a project, the raw spontaneity of trial and error, and the deep connections we form with others through the creative process.

Yet, as we look to the future, we must ponder:

Do the younger generations even consider these things? Is it crucial for them to learn and create in the same manner as we have? Do they even need to learn of what we learned? Only time will tell.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE

Limitless Possibilities

Almost 20 years ago, when I first began my journey in photography, I captured everything I laid my eyes on. Being a self-taught photographer, I had no one to turn to for guidance, I was all alone with my books and that frustrating “dial-up” internet and my sole desire was to create images. Whether it was a candid street shot, portrait, landscape, or a documentary photograph. I didn’t care what others might think about my images and simply pursued my passion for capturing moments in time. This trial and error fueled by experimentation and also knowledge gradually led me towards craftsmanship. Now, experiencing the #ai world I have the same sense of curiosity. I relish the opportunity to explore and experiment again, and even sometimes to be surprised by the creations of a machine that is beyond my control and then I try to challenge, I push myself to assert control over the AI, to make it to follow my lead. This is a journey of limitless possibilities, where creation knows no bounds.

Make your Own Chance

From Words To The Birth Of An Image

A while ago I had a little chat with one of my friends about how #ai can affect the art world and what are the different aspects and possibilities to use this tool in the best possible way. Right in the middle of our talk he mentioned a very brief story for a commercial shoot and while I was sitting behind my computer I thought what if I bring the story to life with more details in a cinematic form instead of a commercial shoot and exactly on that moment I gave birth to an image in a way that is far greater than any other tool. Now the power of image making is in a different level.

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AI Close Up Shot VS AI Medium Shot

Here I am going to share an experience with you. Based on what I experienced in different makings the #ai is trying to be very accurate to make a real portrait when you ask for a close up shot. But instead when it comes to make a medium shot it doesn’t have the accuracy to give you a proper face with all the details. These two images have the same prompt with the same details but the only thing that has changed here is the type of the shot from a close up to a medium shot.

This is a Close Up shot

This one is a Medium Shot

As you can see in the second image the face is distorted. Although I have to add in some medium shot images, the images are acceptable and fine but in general it needs to get better to have the proper result.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE

The Future Of Photography - Machine Learning , AI and Beyond

Darius Himes and I had this Instagram live conversation about AI and Photography.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE.

Challenge to Explore the Power of AI

One of things that I am really interested is to having a challenge to explore the capabilities of #ai applications in creating highly detailed images and to see how far they can go in terms of making an image with every request that I write. I have to say the right solution is not here yet as the #ai can do an amazing job in one prompt and fall short in the others. One of my favorite artists of all time is Crewdson and here I challenged #ai to see if I can make a strong image with the details that I want.

Let me know what you think.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE.

AI , New Doors To Unlock

As an artist it is a must for you to explore, to learn, to try, to do mistakes. You will change and evolve in time and that’s how you grow. If you ever see the Marvel movies you probably know Tony Stark and his AI assistant Jarvis. Jarvis is the absolute power of using #ai who controls by his creator which he finally comes to life as character called Vision. This story is a great example of what #ai can do and believe me it will happen sooner or later. We're on the beginning of a new era where anything might be possible by #ai and that's becoming a part of our everyday lives.

In the art world, specifically photography, AI has opened up new doors to unlock our creativity. Although we're still exploring the full potential of #ai image-making, we've already seen some amazing results.

Everyone who knows me closely they are completely aware how I am interested to use different tools and experience them in my field and now I am doing this experience with different platforms like Midjourney and Dall-E … From today beside my other images I would like to share my AI experiences with you guys. From portraits to landscapes, from forms, colors to street shots or fashion shoots.

I just want to experience it and talking about it and see how we can move in this path.

Let me know what you think and I will share more.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE

Hasseblad X2D-100C, An Impeccable Camera

New Hasselblad camera, An undeniable tool for photographers and artists is here to help us again to move forward in our artistic direction. This is one of the best Medium Format Cameras in the world which delivers an outstanding quality with 100MP sensor with superb design and great features in the world of medium formats and it was a great pleasure for me to be involved in this fantastic worldwide project to introduce it to the world.

Let’s tale a look at some samples with their 1:1 ratio.

BEYOND. Hasselblad X2D-100 , Lens: XCD 2,5/55V

1:1 Ratio

PAUSING NEW YORK. Hasselblad X2D-100C , Lens: XCD 3,5-4,5/35-75

1:1 Ratio

STRANGER. Hasselblad X2D-100C , Lens: XCD 3,5-4,5/35-75

1:1 Ratio.

"Every photographer knows about the Hasselblad brand, whether they're an amateur, enthusiast, or professional because the history of photography is on the shoulders of Hasselblad. For me, it's an investment in my career, to move to the next level. It's always important to have the right tools in the right moments to make great photographs."

For further information and complete features of this amazing camera please check the official Hasselblad’s website which you can find anything about X2D and the new lenses.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE.

NFT, A New Journey

Hello Everyone,

Although I am not new to the NFT world and since it began to spread every where amongst the artists, I was involved with it and excited to learn about this new way of selling arts but I decided to wait and see how it goes.

But now I am so happy to say I started to minting some of images on the blockchain world and if you are interested to see or buy my pieces please check my new NFT collection at Foundation website, https://foundation.app/@alirajabi

All The Best.

WE ARE ALL WINNERS - MY PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

Hello Everyone

Let me say thank you to all the participants who shared their images with me. Here, There is no winners and losers and all of us are sharing this common interest to learn, explore and expand our creative mind. I had 101 attendees for this contest and I have to admit that it was a full of joy to see your creative ideas and images which some time it was really tough to choose which series is stronger.

This result is a personal choice, In the world of art there is always different tastes, opinions and point of views and there are so many different factors are involve in terms of approaching the better and stronger images. So, the selected photographers might change if we change the judges or the themes.

There were other series amongst these photographs who deserved to be at the top 5 but judging always come with making tough decisions.

OK, I do not want to take your time anymore and without any extra explanation lets see the top 5 selected photographers for this contest.

Congratulation to all of them.

My first choice to receive the Grand prize is Hadi Nasiri.

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The other top photographers are listed with no particular order, All of them will receive an hour of portfolio review.

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THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL OF YOU.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION, THIS WILL BE FUN

2020 was tough, strange and sad in many ways but this is life , it is a journey with ups and downs. Sometimes we are not prepared but we must learn to go forward. I decided to have a fresh start in 2021 and wanted to spread this positivity amongst you with a fun idea which I hope you will be part it.

So, here we go :

I am announcing a cool and free photography competition with some small prizes from myself (no sponsor involved) that might inspire you to share your images and creativity.

Check the rules ( no rules honestly ) and please share this with your friends and followers if you like and follow me on Instagram for the updates.

RULES

- Free to enter for all photographers at any level

-Submitting a series of 3 images ( related story )

-Images must be at least 2500 pixel on the longest side, No more than 5 MB

-No rules for post processing ( Hooooraaa )

-Every Category is allowed

-Every type of pictures is allowed

-Deadline for submission: January 20, 2021 , 11:59 PM Eastern Time ( New York ) , The winners will be announced on January 25, 2021

You must send images to : rajabiphotography@gmail.com

Your name, family name and your Instagram ID is required. You can say Hello too :)

It is better for you to follow me as I am updating the news and do not forget to share this with your followers Before I announce the winners, I will contact them personally to ask for the Raw files, If your picture is a photomontage, the pictures must be yours. No STOCK photos are allowed.

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PRIZES

There will be a total of 5 winners

First Prize :

One copy of Hasselblad Masters Book 2016, Signed

One Limited Edition Print from The Story Of Split Series, 17x13inches. Signed.

1 hour of portfolio review via Video Call with me

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All other 4 winners will have a portfolio review for an hour in person, via Video Call

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Q&A

What is a portfolio review ?

Portfolio review is an opportunity for you to hear a review and critic of your work and get a guide and feedback. In an hour I will see your work and exchange ideas to help to you to move in a right direction.

Can we send three different pictures which is not related ?

No, they must relate to each other

Should I write a statement for my pictures?

No statement is needed

Should we pay for shipping the book and the print ?

No, everything is free here

Is this competition free to enter ?

Yes, no payment is needed.

Who is the Judge ?

Just myself.

How do you choose a winner ?

The decision is based on Creativity, Conceptual strength and Techniques.

How about Cell Phone image ?

Your Cell Phone pictures must meet the criteria that provided in the rules section. If you don't have a Raw file for your phone pictures, you must send the original file plus the post processing picture.

I do not have a Raw file, what should I do?

You must send the Jpeg file that came out straight out of the camera.

Will you use these images for a promotion?

No, you are the copyright owner, I will not use these images for any commercial or promotional use except to use them announcing the future competitions.

Guys, if you have any questions please let me know, this is for fun and I hope it will be a motivation for all of us to participate and make our community stronger.

Stay Safe

A Day With Hasselblad XCD 35-75mm in NYC.

A SUPERB LENS

A week ago I had a chance to test one of the New Hasselblad lenses in X series family. This is the lens that every Hasselblad user was waiting for as it is the first zoom lens in X series and I believe Hasselblad did a great job to make this lens an exceptional quality and performance.

So, let’s see some photographs as I explain how was my experience with this compact zoom lens.

I have to admit from the moment that I attached the lens into my X1D Mark II mount, I felt, this is a MUST lens that every Hasselblad owner should put it on their bag, it was versatile, handy with a reasonable weight. It provides you a superb sharp image which you can use it on your Fine Art, Street, Landscape or even Portrait photography.

The image above is just a snapshot to show how the color, light, texture, shadows, highlights and the tone is equal to what we see with our own eyes. Now imagine with the quality of this lens and the sensor of X1D Mark II in terms of making a superb high quality images, you can unleash your creativity in any form and enjoy watching it with the highest details.

As shown here the image below is zoom to 1:1 to show the actual pixels and it is a result of a standard post processing in Camera Raw such as lens correction and crop. As you notice the details are extremely sharp with outstanding quality.

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One of the other reasons that I enjoyed shooting with XCD 35-75mm was its ability to produce the same quality equal to a prime lens. With its fast focus and multiple focal lengths from wide angle to a normal zoom, Now it can expand your options in different locations without carrying extra lenses. This might look very normal and nothing special about other camera brands or even the Hasselblad H series but in X systems, this is what we needed and now you don’t want to miss it, Specially when you experience such quality.

I have to say I was a little skeptical about how this lens can perform when you need a fast autofocus. I am not sure what type of photographer you are but this lens didn’t disappoint me every time I needed it. The XCD 35-75mm delivered quick autofocus in different situations and I was absolutely happy with the result.

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As a photographer when you want to invest on a lens or a camera you always try to explore different aspect of that equipment, So taking pictures at dark was one of the other reasons that I wanted to do to make sure this lens performs superbly and quick as well.

I decided to not use the tripod, instead I shot at three different ISO settings 1600, 3200 and 25600 to see how the results will be. Also, I tried to shoot at the spots that was mixed with different lights, colors and harsh shadows.

ISO 1600 - Shutter Speed 1/60 @F:4.8 - Handheld.

The image above is zoom to 1:1 to show the actual pixels.

ISO 3200 - Shutter Speed 1/125 @F:4.5 - Handheld.

The image above is zoom to 1:1 to show the actual pixels.

ISO 25600 - Shutter Speed 1/500 @F:3.5 - Handheld.

The image above is zoom to 1:1 to show the actual pixels.

As a photographer it is crucial to have trust in the tools you invest because they are the bridge to bring your creativity and imagination into life and I can say both Hasselblad X1D Mark II and XCD 35-75mm Lens did a phenomenon job to produce a brilliant image.

Finally, The last thing that I want to discuss is the price of this lens which might seem a very expensive equipment and you might ask is it worth to invest on it ? Honestly, I can admit it might be an out of budget equipment and I am completely aware there are different aspects to answer this concern, but let me keep it simple and answer it in a simple form, Although I know you might have your own reasons to reject mine.

When you want to make a bold move and go to the next level of your career, you need to pay for it and invest in it. It can be an investment on your education, equipments, your business or even moving to a different location for the next chapter of your professional career.

I believe the most crucial question that you should ask can be like this,

" Is it the right moment for me to move to the NEXT LEVEL?" The honest answer to this question based on the situation you are is the key to put your mind at ease and remember a risk at the right moment with knowledge, consistency, hard work and being smart on any matter can help you to move in a place that you deserve.

I am sure when you find out, You will decide what is best for you.

STAY SAFE EVERYONE.

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MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE

The Business In Photography | Live talk with Top-Notch Agent/Rep in New York, Frank Meo

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Frank is the founder of thephotocloser.com and he advises and consulates with photographers from around the globe. He is a curator and for 25 years, has represented fine art, commercial photographers as well as Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalists in securing highly valued commercial assignments. He has worked on hundreds of company photo libraries and campaigns for clients such as Verizon, American Express, Acura Motor Sports, US Coast Guard, Xerox, ESPN, Citibank, Nike and others.

In this one hour live talk, Frank shares his vision and stories about business in photography. Hope You Enjoy.

Live talk with Frank Meo.

Please feel free to share this video with others.

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A Certain Amount Of Quiet

Back in April, At the highest pick of Covid-19 in New York, I had to come to the city to buy some groceries that I couldn’t buy anywhere else. When I passed the Midtown Tunnel I already knew, this is not the city that I was expected to see with full of people, noisy streets and energetic atmosphere. It was so calm, quiet and peaceful but sad. So many people lost their loved ones and everything stopped. The city was exhausted after all these years and only a power greater than human could give it this type of rest I think. Anyway, this is not a professional video or a project, I just captured the mood. I am sure humankind will start consuming again, even worser than before but one thing is obvious, Don’t mess with nature.

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The Creative Process | Live talk with Artist/Photographer, John Paul Caponigro

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A live talk with renowned artist and photographer, John Paul Caponigro which he talks about his thoughts and way of thinking about creativity, process and the world of art and photography.

Hope You Enjoy

Live talk with Artist/Photographer, John Paul Caponigro

Thank You John for sharing your precious time with me.

Make Your Own Chance.

The Creative Process

Everybody who know me since the past 15 to 20 years, is completely aware that there is always a name in my classes, workshops and talks that I keep mentioning him, The one and only John Paul Caponigro. He is not just an artist but also a great teacher, speaker and researcher. On those beginning years of my journey in the world of photography as an independent photographer which the path was not that clear, his guidance through his books, DVD’s, and his website played a crucial role on my works as an artist. More importantly watching his photographs and the way he contemplate to make his pictures gave me an unbelievable confident to express what I was carrying in my soul and thoughts. His guidance on how to think out of the box, how to express yourself in your art works and how to think as a creative person has always a huge impact on so many photographers out there. Also, watching and listening to his talks on how light, forms and colors are undeniable elements in our pictures always fascinates me.

John’s attitude and his method was always amongst those very few people who gave me courage to continue my path as a photographer, even when I felt alone in this trajectory.

Now I am honored to say after all these years I have the opportunity to talk with John. And now he is one of guests on my weekly live talks. So, join me for an exciting discussion on my Instagram’s live about the creative process with renowned Artist/Photographer , John Paul Caponigro.

Mark your calendar for Wednesday, May 20th at 12:30 PM. The talk will be on my Instagram personal page (nightblueman).

See you soon.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE