Legacy

My father is my earliest teacher in photography. The first time I ever handled a camera was when I was 9. It was a school event and I told him how much I wanted to use his SLR to shoot like how he always does.

Well, he let me use his SLR alright, just not the one I wanted. He handed me a fully manual Pentax Asahi Spotmatic 1964 and a roll of film.

After a crash course of manual focusing on a prime lens and setting the correct exposure, my first shoot was a complete disaster. But I had fun.

At 11 I requested again to use his camera for a party in school. He had allowed me to use his expensive camera, only this time I damaged it. He did not scold me, instead he showed me the correct ways of handling a camera ever so patiently.

I got my first camera at 12. A very simple Nikon, where everything is automatic. Everytime when dad got the photos I've shot back home from the photo developing shop, he would make me sit down and go through the photos with me. Correcting the way I compose my shots.

"You must always focus on your subject."
"If you want a good picture, go closer."
"Turn the camera up if you want to take photos of people."
"What is all this unwanted empty space?"
"Be careful of back-lighting. Must use flash."
"It is very expensive to develop photos. So make sure every shot is a good shot."

I dread those times sitting at the dinning table with him.

Today I own a Digital SLR with functions that never existed during my dad's time. Dad finds it hard to use my Canon 400D. He gave up and retreated to using a Point-and-Shoot Nikon. As he now occasionally still asks to see the photos I took from every mission trip I went, I'll never forget my dad was the first one who shaped me into composing a good photo.

When asked why dad was into photography, he simply said, "Someone needs to be the one who would take photos of loved ones. Or else when they are gone, the next generation will not remember or know their faces." Dad was referring to my late paternal grandmother. "Your granduncle was the same." He added. My granduncle was a photography-enthusiast in his living days, too.

"Looks like now it's your turn."

It's a good legacy. I think I will want to pass this down to my children in the future. Photoshoots for business and all that... well, that's very secondary to my love for photography. ;)