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.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE

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

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.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE

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.

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

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.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHANCE

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