A Forgotten Photo
And Some Musings about Photography and the Mess That is Being A Photo Person
Did you ever put on a jacket or a pair of pants that you haven’t worn in a while, and find money in one of the pockets? It felt like finding new money even though deep down you know it was your money. Well, it happened to me. Only instead of a jacket, it was my photo catalogue; instead of money, it was a photo I did not remember taking.
Yesterday, I saw a photo in my catalogue that was never edited or exported. It was just sitting there in its RAW look. I couldn’t even figure out where I took the photo by looking at it. It was a reflection of a Levi’s light box ad silhouetting a couple walking by sharing a laugh. It would’ve been something I’d shoot for sure, but I had no idea that this photo existed in my catalogue. It was forgotten. Probably sooner than I pressed the shutter.
Usually when I am excited about certain photos I’ve taken, I’d import the photo on to my computer as soon as I get home. Edit and export if it turns out the way I like. It never happened to this photo. It was taken in January 2019, a full six years ago.
Due to the highlight from the light box, the photo was quite dark(my camera was set to spot metering.) Not much can be made out of it other than the silhouette of the couple. But thanks to the technological advancement of modern image sensors, I was able to recover a huge amount of information from the shadows. My goodness is there a lot going on in the shadows!
Here’s the RAW photo:
It’s clearly a shopping mall. A happy couple are sharing a good time shopping. If this is the whole story, I’d be okay with it. All the more puzzling why I did not remember a thing about it.
But as I pulled up the shadows, I was shocked by how much is going on in this photo. And I could tell where the photo was taken now.
Look at the shadows! I didn’t push it too far to bring in digital noise. This is Harbour City, one of Hong Kong’s biggest and fanciest shopping malls. Through the glass doors was a balcony facing the Vicky Harbour. People are taking a break from all the shopping while appreciating the Vicky sunset.
Does the edit make it a better photo? I am not sure. You can be the judge. I do think the whole process of discovering this photo from my dusty catalogue is fun and educational for myself.
As a photo person, I am not the most disciplined. For my freelance work and other assignments I am always doing the right things and meeting the deadlines, etc. When it comes to my own photos, I tend to slack. I consider it a joy to slack, after all, no one’s paying me to organize my own work. Instances like this make it more fun and worthwhile for my slackness.
I should go back and comb through my catalogue for little surprises like this one. I will keep you all posted if anything comes up.
I will leave you with the edited version of today’s photo. If you don’t like the photo, I hope you at least find the story interesting, or not. It’s cool!
Always interesting!