Journey through Photography

When it comes to photography, I must at least say that I have been through some good years in it... I started photography since my early days in secondary school. Back in those days, taking photos were just for fun - snap. snap. snap with a simple Nikon compact camera (which I cant recollect the name of the model).

At that time, I was a shutter trigger free person - what I saw would be what I snapped. It was just as simple as A, B, C. No specific composition, No Photo Story, No perfect lighting - NOTHING AT ALL.

Photo Sample by www.mudah.my/images/25/2581628376.jpg

A few years later, when I was at around 18 - 19 years old, my dad got my family Canon EOS 88 Single Lens Reflect Film Camera. Quipped with no photographic knowledge, I continued taking photos without an aim.

On a few occassions, for smaller functions, my college had called me to snap some photos for their newsletter. Oh Well! Just for lecturer's old time sake, I took the photos.

In 2001, just when I was about to leave for the United Kingdom to complete my Bachelor of Laws, I toyed around with the idea of bringing my dad's EOS 88 with me? Just right before I flew off, I quietly brought the EOS 88 and only told my parents when I was at the airport. SEOK-A-LINGAM to the core, with few minor objections to my actions, I finally brought EOS 88 to the U.K.

In the United Kingdom, my photography interest somewhat grew. I then approached my university's Students' Union (Anglia Ruskin University's Students' Union) to shoot for them. Upon viewing through my kiddish portfolio, the Students' Union gave the green light for me to shoot for them during the "Pay For ZERO School Fees National Students' Union Protest".

Absolutely with no idea what's the size of the protest or even its impact, I lugged my camera bag, geared myself with EOS 88 and its battery pack, Flash, 10 rolls of Kodak/ Jessops Films and extra batteries for the flash.

With 40-odd student activists from Anglia Ruskin University's Students' Union, we travelled to Trafalgar Square. At Trafalgar Square, I suddenly had butterflies in my stomach. I was practically stumped! Speechless!

Why was it so?

What I saw with my eyes were at least 25,000 thousand-odd student activists, queuing up like ants and bees at the favourite protest spot, the Trafalgar Square.

According to the brief, these activists are from the Higher Learning Institutions within England and Wales. They've traveled as far as Newcastle, Manchester or even Edinburgh to central London! 

Back to my situation, I know that there is absolute turning back for me. I CANT TURN DOWN MY OFFER TO SHOOT FOR Anglia STUDENTS' UNION.

No matter what is the situation, I HAVE TO CONTINUE SHOOTING.

With my lil camera, I joined the Media relentlessly clicking. The press photographers and I swam through the sea of student activists who chanted "PAY FOR NO SCHOOL TUITION FEES", "EDUCATION MUST BE FREE", "WE WANT FREE EDUCATION" etc.

Marching from Trafalgar Square to other spots in London through the Big Ben Area and back to where we started, I exhausted my films and all my battery energy.

Fast forward, a week after the protest, my photos were splashed all over Anglia Ruskin University's Students' Union Newsletter... hmmpphhh... I felt satisfied over my lil achievement.

-Story to be continued-